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Early childhood educator

Find out more about working as an early childhood educator and the possible pathways to job opportunities.

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Early childhood teachers provide education and care for pre-school aged children. They support children’s emotional, intellectual and physical development before primary school.

Find out what an early childhood educator does and the related Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses and pathways you can take to secure a job.

What is an early childhood educator?

As an early childhood educator, you will help prepare children for primary school. For example, you may teach:

You’ll support play, and supervise activities to ensure safety. You may also write reports, and discuss progress with parents or guardians.

Find out more about early childhood educators(opens in a new window) and these related jobs on the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window):

Qualify as an early childhood educator

To become an early childhood educator, you’ll need to complete a Certificate III or Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care(opens in a new window) at a TAFE or training provider.

Qualify as an early childhood teacher

To become an early childhood teacher, you’ll need to complete a university degree in early childhood education, such as a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.

Further information

For more information on study and career pathways in early education in Victoria, visit the become an early childhood teacher or educator page.

You can also explore these related TAFE and training courses on the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window):

You may be eligible for government funding to help pay for your course.

Median salary

The median weekly earnings for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers in Australia is $1,660.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia(opens in a new window)

Note this salary is current as of January 2025 and is indicative only. A range of salaries apply to different roles across the industry.

Job demand in Victoria

Below is the projected employment for early childhood (pre-primary school) teacher jobs in Victoria. Figures show the number of workers in 2024 and the new workers expected to enter the workforce by 2027 and 2034.

‘New workers expected’ accounts for workers adding new jobs to the economy and replacing retirees over the next 3 and 10 years. These projections are estimates only. There will be additional jobs available as people move between jobs and industries.

Region Workers 2024 New workers expected by 2027 New workers expected by 2034
Victoria 7,944 1,099 7,086
Melbourne – inner metropolitan 605 73 536
Melbourne – inner south-east metropolitan 869 105 746
Melbourne – southern metropolitan 1,315 159 1,150
Melbourne – northern metropolitan 1,208 162 1,101
Melbourne – eastern metropolitan 1,097 132 950
Melbourne – western metropolitan 1,148 139 1,044
Ballarat and surrounds (Central Highlands) 227 37 207
Bendigo, Echuca and surrounds (Loddon Campaspe) 257 34 242
Geelong, Colac and surrounds (Barwon) 397 51 367
Gippsland 294 52 265
Horsham and surrounds (Wimmera Southern Mallee) 52 23 47
Mildura, Swan Hill and surrounds (Mallee) 96 19 77
Shepparton, Seymour and surrounds (Goulburn) 119 26 108
Wangaratta, Wodonga and surrounds (Ovens Murray) 159 64 172
Warrnambool, Hamilton and surrounds (Great South Coast) 101 23 74

Source: Victorian Skills Authority Employment Projections Dashboard

Career story

Amanda Bower case study

Supporting children in new ways: Amanda’s outside school hours care (OSHC) career

“A common misconception is that working with children only offers care-based work. While that is part of it, there is a range of opportunities. All of that coming out of one sector is pretty amazing.”

Resources to plan your next steps

Visit our working with children and young people industry profile to find out about:

Also visit our education and training services industry profile.

Explore growing industries in your region

Training and careers in your region

Explore training, skills and job opportunities in your area of Victoria. Find out where you could work, what kind of job you could do, and what training you’ll need.

Training and careers in growing industries

Learn about high demand industries in Victoria. Find out where you could work, what kind of jobs you could do, and what training you’ll need.

Updated 7 January 2025

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