How Much Does an ECE Teacher Earn in Australia?
- Award minimum: An ECE teacher in Australia, officially called an Early Childhood Teacher (ECT), earns AUD 75,941 to AUD 109,279 a year under the Fair Work Award, depending on the setting and experience.
- Government median: Jobs and Skills Australia reports a median of AUD 86,320 a year (AUD 1,660 a week) for full time work, based on official ABS earnings data.
- Market range: SEEK lists a broader market range of AUD 85,000 to AUD 100,000, and senior teachers, educational leaders or centre directors can earn AUD 110,000 to AUD 140,000.
- Plus super: Add 12% superannuation on top of the base salary, since super is compulsory for almost every worker in Australia.
- Not the same as an educator: “ECE teacher” is not an official Australian job title. The role sits under ANZSCO code 241111 and pays well above a Child Care Worker or Early Childhood Educator with a Certificate III or Diploma.
Migration relevance: This salary comfortably clears the government’s minimum sponsorship threshold for the 482 and 186 visas, which is one reason Early Childhood Teacher remains a reliable occupation for Indian applicants seeking Australian permanent residency.
ECE Teacher Salary at a Glance
Early childhood education (ECE) teacher salaries in Australia vary by qualification, experience, role, employer and applicable award or visa requirements. The figures below provide a useful salary comparison.
| Source | Figure | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Work Award minimum (2026) | AUD 75,941 to AUD 109,279 a year | Legal floor for a qualified teacher under the Teachers Award |
| Jobs and Skills Australia (ABS) |
AUD 86,320 a year (AUD 1,660 a week) |
Median full-time earnings based on official government data |
| SEEK Career Advice | AUD 85,000 to AUD 100,000 a year | Salary range from advertised job listings |
| Indeed |
Around AUD 41 an hour (about AUD 81,000 a year full time) |
Average based on self-reported salaries |
| Senior teacher or centre director | AUD 110,000 to AUD 140,000 a year | Typical leadership and management salary range |
| 482 or 186 visa sponsorship floor |
AUD 79,423 a year From 1 July 2026 |
Minimum salary an employer must pay to sponsor the role |
The Legal Minimum: Educational Services (Teachers) Award Rates
Qualified, registered Early Childhood Teachers employed in preschools, schools or long day care are covered by the Educational Services (Teachers) Award (MA000077). The figures below show the full-time annual minimums from 1 July 2026.
| Level | Typical Classification Point | Preschool or School | Long Day Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Graduate, provisional or conditional registration | AUD 75,941 | AUD 78,979 |
| Level 2 | Proficient registration or equivalent | AUD 83,004 | AUD 86,324 |
| Level 3 | Three years' satisfactory service at Level 2 | AUD 90,362 | AUD 93,976 |
| Level 4 | Three years' satisfactory service at Level 3 | AUD 97,720 | AUD 101,629 |
| Level 5 | Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher | AUD 105,076 | AUD 109,279 |
Why are long day care rates higher? Long day care rates sit about 4% above preschool and school rates because those services generally operate at least 48 weeks a year.
A separate educational leader allowance of AUD 4,784.28 a year applies where a teacher is formally appointed to that role under the National Quality Framework.
The Award Trap: Why Some Teachers Are Paid Less Than This
A qualified teacher is only entitled to Teachers Award rates if their employer correctly classifies them under that Award. Many long day care providers may place degree-qualified teachers on the Children's Services Award (MA000120) instead, which covers educators rather than teachers.
At around AUD 36.57 an hour, this works out to approximately AUD 72,270 a year on a full-time equivalent basis. That can be several thousand dollars below the correct Teachers Award Level 1 minimum.
“Which Award applies to my specific role and classification level?”
Ask the employer to confirm the Award and classification in writing.This single question can be worth AUD 3,000 to AUD 5,000 a year or more, depending on your role, classification and employment conditions.
Salary by Career Stage and Role
Early Childhood Teacher salaries in Australia generally increase with experience, registration status, leadership responsibilities and the type of employer.
| Career Stage or Role | Typical Annual Salary (AUD) | What Affects the Offer |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate ECT (Year 1) | AUD 72,000–82,000 | Registration status, location and employer type |
| ECT, Established (3–5 Years) | AUD 85,000–98,000 | Recognised experience and curriculum leadership |
| Senior ECT or Educational Leader | AUD 95,000–115,000 | Mentoring, funded program responsibility and workforce scarcity |
| Centre Director (ECT Qualified) | AUD 110,000–140,000 | Site size, compliance responsibilities and staff management load |
| Area or Multi-Site Manager | AUD 130,000–170,000 | Number of services managed and operational responsibility |
| Government-Employed Kindergarten Teacher | AUD 80,000–120,000 | Salary scales aligned with school teachers in some states |
Government Kindergarten Teacher Salaries
Government-run sessional kindergartens, particularly in Victoria and the ACT, can place teachers on salary scales aligned with primary school teachers. These positions may offer higher salaries than some private long day care roles and can also provide school-term holiday arrangements.
Salary and Demand by State or Territory
ECT salaries, workforce demand and skilled visa nomination opportunities can vary significantly between Australian states and territories.
| State or Territory | Typical Salary Range (AUD) | Share of National ECT Workforce | 190 or 491 Nomination in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | AUD 80,000–90,000 | 36.0% | Yes – competitive, with 95+ points in recent 491 rounds |
| Victoria | AUD 80,000–95,000 | 38.7% | Yes – strong onshore preference |
| Queensland | AUD 85,000–100,000 | 12.4% | Yes – free kindy program driving demand |
| South Australia | AUD 90,000–95,000 | 5.2% | Yes – some offshore concessions for regional roles |
| Australian Capital Territory | AUD 90,000–110,000 | 1.3% | Yes – Critical Skills List |
| Tasmania | Not separately published | 1.3% | Yes – strong priority for onshore or job-offer holders |
| Northern Territory | Not separately published | 0.8% | Yes – acute shortage, remote and community roles |
| Western Australia | Not separately published in this dataset | Balance of workforce | Yes – structural shortage in Perth and mining regions |
Workforce share is sourced from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers. State and territory nomination requirements, occupation lists, points thresholds and onshore preferences can change, so applicants should check the latest state nomination criteria before making migration decisions.
New South Wales and Victoria have large ECT workforces and applicant pools, while some smaller jurisdictions may have different nomination priorities and requirements.
ECT vs Child Care Worker vs Centre Director: Pay Compared
Your qualification and occupation classification can make a significant difference to both your salary and potential Australian migration pathway.
| Role | ANZSCO Code | Qualification | Typical Annual Pay (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Worker or Educator | 421111 | Certificate III | AUD 56,900–64,200 |
| Diploma-Qualified Educator or Room Leader | 421111 or 134111 | Diploma | AUD 64,200–79,000 |
| Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) | 241111 | Four-year Bachelor of Education | AUD 75,941–115,000 |
| Centre Director (ECT Qualified) | 134111 | Bachelor plus management experience | AUD 110,000–140,000 |
Teacher vs Educator: Why the Difference Matters
Early Childhood Teacher and Child Care Worker are different occupations with different qualification requirements, classifications and potential migration pathways.
If you hold a Certificate III, Diploma or an overseas early childhood qualification that does not meet the requirements for teacher recognition, you may be assessed against an educator pathway rather than the Early Childhood Teacher pathway.
For overseas-qualified applicants, understanding the qualification requirements and the ACECQA skills assessment process is particularly important before choosing an Australian PR pathway.
What This Salary Means If You Are Migrating from India
It Clears the Employer Sponsorship Threshold
From 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold, the minimum an employer must pay to sponsor a worker on the 482 Skills in Demand visa or the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa, rises to approximately AUD 79,423 a year. A graduate Early Childhood Teacher’s raw Award minimum of AUD 75,941 to AUD 78,979 actually sits just under this figure, which means an employer sponsoring a graduate ECT on a 482 or 186 visa must pay at least AUD 79,423 regardless of the Award level, effectively a small built in pay increase over the bare Award floor for sponsored teachers. Most experienced teacher offers, at AUD 85,000 and above, clear this threshold comfortably.
What the Numbers Look Like in Rupees
At an indicative rate of about AUD 1 to INR 68, current at the time of writing but subject to daily movement, here is roughly what the key figures translate to. Use these for a general sense of scale only, not for financial planning, and check a live rate before making any decision.
Australian figure (AUD) | Approximate value in INR |
75,941 (graduate Award minimum) | About 51.6 lakh |
79,423 (482 or 186 sponsorship floor) | About 54.0 lakh |
86,320 (government reported median) | About 58.7 lakh |
100,000 (top of SEEK market range) | About 68.0 lakh |
140,000 (centre director) | About 95.2 lakh |
What Increases an ECE Teacher's Earning Potential
- Correct Award classification and recognised service: Confirm your prior teaching service is recognised for classification purposes; this alone can move you up a full Award level.
- Teacher registration: Full registration with your state authority, VIT in Victoria, NESA in New South Wales, QCT in Queensland and equivalents elsewhere, unlocks progression that provisional registration does not.
- Curriculum leadership without changing role: Mentoring other educators, leading curriculum planning or holding the educational leader role attracts allowances or higher classification without needing to become a director.
- Employer type: Government run kindergartens and larger not for profit or national providers such as Goodstart, KU Children’s Services and Gowrie tend to pay above small independent long day care centres.
- Location: Regional, remote and hard to staff locations, especially in the Northern Territory, regional Western Australia and Tasmania, often pay a premium, though this should be weighed against housing and lifestyle factors.
FAQ
A qualified Early Childhood Teacher (the correct Australian term for an ECE teacher) earns AUD 75,941 to AUD 109,279 a year under the Fair Work Award, with a government reported median of AUD 86,320 a year for full time work. Senior teachers, educational leaders and centre directors can earn AUD 110,000 to AUD 140,000.
An Early Childhood Teacher (ANZSCO 241111) holds a four year teaching degree and is registered with a state teaching authority. An Early Childhood Educator (ANZSCO 421111) holds a Certificate III or Diploma and is not a registered teacher. Educators are paid on a lower scale under the Children’s Services Award and use a different skilled migration pathway.
From 1 July 2026, the Educational Services (Teachers) Award sets a full time minimum of AUD 75,941 in preschools and schools and AUD 78,979 in long day care for a graduate teacher at Level 1, rising to AUD 105,076 and AUD 109,279 respectively at the top classification, Level 5.
Yes. Employers must contribute 12% of ordinary earnings to superannuation on top of the stated salary, effective from 1 July 2025. Always check whether an advertised salary figure is base pay only or inclusive of superannuation.
The Australian Capital Territory shows the highest published range, roughly AUD 90,000 to AUD 110,000, followed by Queensland and South Australia. New South Wales and Victoria have the largest number of positions but a slightly lower typical range, largely because of the volume of long day care employers alongside government roles.
Yes, in most cases. From 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold for 482 and 186 visa sponsorship is approximately AUD 79,423 a year. Most Early Childhood Teacher offers at or above the graduate Award level, and virtually all experienced teacher offers, clear this threshold.
At an indicative rate of about AUD 1 to INR 68, the government reported median of AUD 86,320 works out to roughly INR 58.7 lakh a year, and the top of the market range, around AUD 100,000, is roughly INR 68 lakh. Exchange rates move daily, so treat this as a rough guide only.
