How to Become a Primary School Teacher in Australia with Salary Guide
Do you love the idea of caring and sharing knowledge with young kids? Are you a patient, creative and fun person? Then, the career as a primary school teacher might be a perfect fit for you!
This is an important profession that involves educating young children and helping them develop gradually in their social, emotional, intellectual and physical functions.
So in this blog, we are giving you a complete guide on how to become a primary school teacher in Australia.
Overview of the Industry
Primary school teachers play an important role in society by guiding children through various developmental stages.
It is a very delicate profession that needs absolute scrutiny and proper skills in place. Normally, the ages of children under this educational system range from 6 to 12 years and the duration of this education level in Australia is 7 years.
Over 157,000 primary school teachers are now employed in Australia, and there is projected to be a decent demand for these professionals in the coming years.
Size of the industry
This is a highly skilled professional with over 157,000 primary school teachers in the Australian workforce. Projections show a growth of 5.1% by 2026.
Popular Locations
About 42% of the primary school teachers population in Australia live outside capital cities. New South Wales and Victoria have a large share of employers of primary school teachers.
Here below is the percentage of primary school teachers in different areas of Australia by state and territory:
- New South Wales 31.1%
- Victoria 26.2%
- Queensland 20.2%
- Western Australia 10.8%
- South Australia 7.1%
- Tasmania 2.1%
- Australian Capital Territory 1.7%
- Northern Territory 1.0%
This is why it is necessary to consider a potential career path when selecting a city to study. Click here to find out how to choose a city to study in Australia.
Industries where primary school teachers are needed
The education and training industry employs 99.3% of the primary school teachers workforce in Australia, the largest of all their employers. Here are the other industries where primary school teachers work:
- Public Administration and Safety
- Healthcare and social assistance
- Administrative and supportive services
Hours of work
In Australia, around 65% of employed primary school teachers work full-time hours in all their jobs. The full-time teachers work an average of 45 hours per week in their primary job, which is very similar to the average working hours for all jobs in Australia (44 hours per week).
About two-thirds of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).
Age
The average age of primary school teachers is 41 years, which is slightly higher than the all-jobs average of 40 years in Australia. A large share of workers (28.7%) are within the age bracket of (25 to 34) years.
Gender
With over 157,000 primary school teachers in Australia, women account for 85% of the entire workforce, while men account for 15%; this is 37% above the all-jobs average (48%) for women and 33% above the all-jobs average for men.
What are some of the skills required to become a primary school teacher in Australia?
Here are some essential skills you must have to be a qualified primary school teacher in Australia:
- Caring
- Emotional intelligence
- Social skills
- Creative thinking
- Communication skills
- Education and training skills
- Coaching
- Monitoring and Coordination
- Listening skills
- Administrative skills
Note that skills can be improved through training or experience.
What are the tasks and duties of a primary school teacher in Australia?
Here are some of the tasks and duties performed by primary school teachers:
- Engaging students in recreational activities like sports, music, speech, games etc.
- Supervising the children’s whereabouts and welfare on trips
- Rafting out learning structures for students
- Attending to administrative duties
- Maintaining discipline among children in the classroom and the general school
- Engaging the children in educational and developmental conversations
- Give reports to parents on their children’s progress during PTA meetings
- Do teaching and educational activities according to standard
How much do primary school teachers earn in Australia?
Primary school teachers’ pay is quite relative depending on their employer, their experience, the number of subjects to be taught to the children, qualifications and so on.
On average, a primary school teacher’s full-time earnings are $1,984 per week, which is much higher than the job’s average pay ($1,593).
The average hourly pay for a primary school teacher is $54, which is more than all job’s average pay ($41 per hour).
Essential steps on how to become a primary school teacher in Australia
Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to become a primary school teacher in Australia:
Step 1: Complete a Bachelor’s degree
At the very least, a bachelor’s degree is required to become a teacher in Australia. You must complete a bachelor’s degree in any primary education-related field such as Bachelor of Education (Primary).
Work-study allocations would also help you gain adequate teaching experience. The bachelor’s degree program runs up to 4-years of full-time study depending on the university, where both practical and theoretical experiences are received.
The average cost of getting a bachelor’s degree in Education ranges from $25,000 to $35,000 per year.
Alternatively, students can also do a 3-year Bachelor degree in any discipline along with 1 year Graduate Diploma in Teaching as well.
International students who are planning to become Primary School Teachers in Australia, must demonstrate high English Language skills by undertaking an IELTS test (with a minimum score of 7.0 in Reading and Writing and 8.0 in Speaking and Listening).
You are exempt from an English Test as an international student if you have already completed 4 years of higher education (university) in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or USA.
Step 2: Complete a Postgraduate degree
In a situation where you have completed a bachelor’s degree in a different discipline, you can opt for a Master of Teaching in specific fields relating to primary education.
The most popular course is Master of Teaching (Primary). This course will help you with the needed professional skills to speed up your learning process.
Step 3: Get Registered
You must be registered with a Teachers Registration Authority in any state you wish to work at. This is a necessary step to take before you can be qualified to teach.
The need for registration is unique to the state where you intend to teach.
Step 4: Get your Working with Children Check
Before you step into the class to teach young children in a primary school, you might need to obtain a Working With Children Check, depending on the state and territory you are planning to work in.
In some states and territories in Australia, you might not need a separate Working with Children Check if you have got the Teacher’s Registration.
Top institutions to get a degree in Education in Australia
These are some of the most popular universities to get your degree in Education to become a primary school teacher in Australia.
- University of New South Wales
- University of Sydney
- The University of Queensland
- Monash University
- University of Adelaide
- Griffith University
- Deakin University
Future growth of the primary school teacher career in Australia
Teaching has a strong projected growth of up to 5.1% by 2026, making it a decent career path. This particular teaching specialty is necessary in the Australian educational system because it forms the foundation of development.
As a primary school teacher, you can work in a public school or private school. Sometimes, primary school teachers further specialise in tending to children with special needs or home-based learners.
And this is everything you need to know about becoming a primary school teacher in Australia. Let us know the next career you would like us to cover in the comment section below.
