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ANZSCO 2412Skill level 1Education and social services

Primary teacher

Plan and deliver curriculum-aligned teaching in primary schools from Foundation to Year 6.

Registration: State teacher registration (NESA, VIT, QCT, TRBSA, TRBWA, TRB TAS, TQI)

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Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1900Job Outlook (2025-06-01)
Graduate starting salary$75,000QILT (2025-03-01)

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What a primary teacher actually does

Primary teachers are with the same class most of the day, every day, which is the joy and the grind of the job. A normal day starts with pre-bell prep (printing, setting up the room, chasing up absences) from about 8am. Teaching blocks run from roughly 9am to 3pm with a literacy block in the morning, numeracy after first break, then integrated units, specialist rotations or sport in the afternoon. Lunch and recess are duty rosters, so about one in three breaks is supervision, not a break. After the bell goes there's at least an hour of marking, planning, parent emails and team meetings. Reporting periods (end of Term 2 and Term 4) and parent-teacher interview weeks add evening hours. Most primary teachers work 45-50 hours in term and use the holiday breaks for unit planning, marking and a real rest. The room itself is loud, physical and emotionally close. You will be on your feet, kneeling at low tables, and managing 25 separate human beings before lunch.

Typical tasks

  • Plan units and lessons aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
  • Assess and report student progress.
  • Engage with families and support staff.

Skills you'll use

  • Australian Curriculum (F-6) planning across all eight learning areas
  • Explicit teaching of phonics, reading, writing and numeracy
  • Formative and summative assessment plus data tracking
  • Behaviour management and trauma-informed practice
  • Differentiation for students with disability, EAL/D and giftedness
  • Working with families and external specialists
  • Working in year-level teams and following whole-school programmes

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 12 with strong English. Some unis ask for HSC English Standard band 3 minimum or VCE equivalent
  2. 2Complete a 4-year accredited Bachelor of Education (Primary), or a 3-year undergrad degree followed by a 2-year Master of Teaching (Primary)
  3. 3Sit and pass the LANTITE (Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education) before your final professional experience
  4. 4Complete the required supervised teaching practicum days during your degree (60 days plus is standard)
  5. 5Apply to your state registration authority (NESA in NSW, VIT in Vic, QCT in Qld, TRBSA in SA, TRBWA in WA, TRB in Tas, TQI in ACT, TRB in NT) and get a Working With Children Check
  6. 6Apply for graduate teacher roles. State systems advertise centrally each year and Catholic and independent schools recruit through their own networks
  7. 7Complete the provisional-to-full registration process in your first 1-2 years, which requires evidence against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Where you can work

  • State government primary schools
  • Catholic systemic primary schools
  • Independent primary schools (AIS and ISV networks)
  • Rural and remote schools (often with location incentives)
  • Department of Education central and regional offices
  • International schools using the Australian Curriculum
  • Casual relief teaching across multiple schools

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Graduate
    0-2 years
    Typical roles: Graduate primary teacher, Provisional registered teacher
    Salary band: $75,000 - $85,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Proficient teacher
    3-7 years
    Typical roles: Classroom teacher, Mentor teacher, Year-level coordinator
    Salary band: $90,000 - $115,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Highly accomplished or lead
    8-15 years
    Typical roles: Lead teacher, Curriculum coordinator, Assistant principal
    Salary band: $115,000 - $140,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  4. School leadership
    15+ years
    Typical roles: Deputy principal, Principal, Director of teaching and learning

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You genuinely like spending all day around 7 to 12 year olds
  • You can hold a room of 25 students without raising your voice all day
  • You're patient with families who are anxious about their child
  • You can plan a unit, mark assessment, and still have energy for a parent meeting
  • You're comfortable with public-sector pay scales rather than fast bonuses

This might not suit you if

  • You want a job where you can close your laptop at 5pm and not think about it
  • You find repeating instructions and routines exhausting
  • You can't sit with the emotional load of a child's home situation
  • You want a quiet, fully solo workspace
  • You expect to be able to specialise quickly (the first 5 years are generalist)

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for primary teacher. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

No direct TAFE pathway to this career.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.