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Early Childhood Teacher salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an early childhood teacher is $75,400 per annum, before tax, up $15,600 since 2018.
Where you work matters more than anything else, because teachers in local government and community kindergartens are usually covered by enterprise agreements with annual increments while private long day care providers set their own rates. Taking on the educational leader role, directing a service or moving into a funded kindergarten program can lift your classification. Your years of experience and classification step move pay up over time in most services.
Roles that pay more than early childhood teacher
The largest typical pay rise is $50,600 a year, moving into Middle School Teacher.
- Middle School Teacher+$50,600/yr
- Secondary School Teacher+$45,300/yr
- Primary School Teacher+$40,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher early childhood teacher salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time early childhood teacher salary is $75,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Early Childhood Teachers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Teaching and instruction and Curriculum and lesson design tend to command a premium over general early childhood teacher experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Middle School Teacher pays a typical $50,600 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Early Childhood Teacher salary questions
How much do early childhood teachers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an early childhood teacher is $75,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is early childhood teacher pay rising or falling?
The median early childhood teacher salary is up $15,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than early childhood teacher?
Middle School Teacher pays a typical $50,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to early childhood teacher.