A country with 8 state territories teaching in Australia provides a choice of 1,000’s of schools in cities, towns and rural areas. Vast majority of children attend government school, although fee paying independent and international schools are around Australia.
From nursery, early years, secondary high school competent qualified teachers from the UK, USA, Ireland, Canada, South Africa and other countries have a good chance finding and securing teaching jobs in Australia.
Check this evidence out where one in every 17 teachers in Australian schools was qualified in the UK.
Being a teacher in Australia means the school day is around 8 hours of teaching classes and other school roles such as tutor class, playground monitor, marking and lesson preparation. Some days you’ll attend department and after school meetings or continued professional development training.
The public school year runs from late January until December. Holidays are at the end of each term spaced about 10 weeks apart.
In Australia teaching is viewed as a good career choice, well respected professional job role, and it’s a stable life occupation that is fairly well paid for the country.
You’ll get to make a difference in young people’s lives through learning & teaching, also doing something that interests you.
You receive 12 weeks school holidays paid leave per annum.
Teaching in Australia requirements
You must have a 4 year undergraduate teaching degree such as a BA, BSC, bachelor of education BEd or a 3 year bachelor degree followed by a one year postgraduate teaching certificate PGDE, PGCE to teach in Australia and apply for skilled migration visa. Also you must be qualified to teach school age children in the country you completed initial teacher training at early years, primary or secondary level.
Basic steps how to become a teacher in Australia from UK, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand? Apply & secure a skilled migration visa, certificates/qualifications assessed, teacher registration and right teaching qualification to apply for a teaching job.
Teaching qualifications accepted in Australia
| PGCE Early Years/Primary/Secondary, BA Hons + teaching certification, or 4 year Bachelor of Education degree |
| Scotland: MEd, PGDE qualification and fully registered with the GTCS |
| Other teaching qualifications could be accepted from Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and United States |
| Additional requirements teaching in Australia |
| National criminal background check from your home country ((ACRO for UK)) |
| 2 good teaching references from present or former schools |
| Native English speaker or fluent English |
| Qualifications & certificate authenticated & legalised (Work visa and teacher registration requirements) |
| Meet immigration visa requirements to successfully obtain a skilled migrant |
| Full teacher registration in the state you will teach |
You also require a significant amount of finances to relocate including start up costs when in Australia and enough money to the first pay day.
Each of the 8 states has it’s own teacher employment & certification policies and guidelines for schools.
Qualified to teach in the UK at school and have a skilled working visa for Australia then you have a very good chance of obtaining a teaching position from early years to secondary teaching.
Migrating to Australia: Teaching in a school is on the Skilled Occupation List for a skilled migration visa for you and immediate family members.
Can you teach in Australia with QTS? The English teaching award is not recognised in Australia for state school teaching. Basically, if you are a fully qualified nursery, primary or secondary teacher QTS is not required for teachers from England, although helps to prove you’re a qualified school teacher from UK.
Australia school teacher salary
Salary you receive depend on the state or territory you teach in.
Primary & secondary teacher salary Australia $64,699 – $122,077 per year plus pension and possible other benefits according to location as at April 2023.
See this page: Teacher salaries in Australia by state
For example; New South Wales teachers are paid about the same as Northern Territories, although are on different salary scale for pay.
Western Australia Department of Education teacher pay scale.
Annual salary you are paid depends on the education department location, teaching experience, other factors, also covers holiday’s & summer with income taxes deducted from you’re wage each month by the employer.
Teacher salary level depends on successful years teaching and experience to gain further increases in salary scale. Qualifications & work experiences could count in determining a teachers starting salary.
Independent fee paying schools in Australia have they’re own salary scales.
Steps to become a teacher in Australia from overseas
| Assessment of qualifications (Part of Australian migration visa application process) |
| Obtain an Australian skilled migration visa |
| Overseas qualification assessment in the state you propose to teach (Western Australia for example) Must have an Australian work visa to apply |
| Full teacher registration in the state you wish to teach (Here is Western Australia) |
| Apply for teacher jobs, interview, secure & accept a job |
How to get sponsored visa to teach in Australia schools
Australian immigration for teachers and obtaining a long term skilled migrants visa for qualified teachers in Australia is possible should you qualify or a school sponsor is required for primary school teaching in popular locations.
A working migrant visa is age dependent, qualifications, and teaching experience are all taken into consideration in a persons visa application.
All prospective teachers for schools also have their application assessed formally for migration by the Australian Institute for Teaching and Schools Leadership (AITSL) as well as the Australian immigration department.
Good qualified school teachers have nothing to worry about.
Australia teacher registration authorities
Before you can teach in state schools in any of the 8 states in Australia you require registering as a teacher:
Queensland: Board of Teacher Registration.
Victoria: Teachers’ Registration Board.
For non government schools only Registered Schools Board.
For teachers looking to relocate to New South Wales (NSW) for example take a look at the official NSW teaching website for overseas trained teacher opportunities.
Teacher certification check from one of 8 Australian states
As a teacher from the UK, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, USA and other countries with overseas qualifications and experience. You’ll require your certificates and experience checked in the state you wish to teach, and this is completed by individual states in addition to your skilled migration visa application.
The checking process involves previous schools, General Teaching Council and verifies all qualifications are authentic.
- Western Australia: Overseas Qualifications Unit.
- Tasmania: Overseas Qualifications Unit.
- Northern Territory: Office of Ethnic Affairs.
- Australian Capital Territory: National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition.
- New South Wales: Overseas Qualifications Officer.
- Queensland: Skills Recognition Branch.
- Victoria: Overseas Qualifications Unit.
- South Australia: Immigration Promotion and Settlement Unit.
Useful websites for teachers moving to Australia
High demand teaching areas Australia
Each territory in Australia has locations in towns and rural areas where not enough qualified teachers are relocating. Queensland has regional, remote or rural community teaching initiative where they’re looking to attract certain teachers to fill school vacancies.
High demand teaching also extends to teacher subject disciplines that each Australian state is looking to attract teachers from physics, biology, computing, mathematics and other subjects.
Primary teacher demand
- Rural and remote communities all age levels.
- Teacher of special education.
- Teaching languages.
Secondary school teacher demand
High school English teachers.
Language teacher.
Special education.
Design & technology teacher.
A teacher is offered incentives by state and local government to relocate and teach at a school in that state. You could receive a relocation & financial package and subsidized housing accommodation.
New South Wales (NSW) public schools also have high demand areas for teachers including western Sydney and south-western Sydney.
Australia teaching jobs advertised
Nursery, primary, secondary schools advertise school jobs for class teacher, heads of department and leadership vacancies on a full time permanent bases or part time.
See https://www.teachers.on.net for a list of available Australian school teacher jobs. Other job listings are also located elsewhere.
How do I apply for a teaching job in Australia? You’ll require a full CV/resume for any position, apply online, go along to an interview and deliver a mini teach or teach a class as part of the interview process.
Teaching jobs in Australia for foreigner from UK, USA, South Africa, and Ireland in primary & secondary teaching in popular locations or big cities will see more competition for each role.
You should have 2-3 location areas where you are prepared to locate to in Australia and secure a teaching position at a state public school.
A school teacher’s day in Australia can also be challenging and rewarding from a school in a city or a small school in a rural area.
There are opportunities to do supply teaching or you can accept a full time or part time permanent teaching position.
Is it easy to get a teaching job in Australia? Yes, if you’re qualified and teach one of the shortage school subjects. There’s a good amount of jobs in teaching at nursery, primary and secondary schools each year. Australia job market is more competitive for physical education, history, RE, geography and English teachers, especially in Perth (AUS), Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Personal qualities of teachers in Australia
- Confidence & professional presence in the classroom and around the school.
- Approachable and helpful to students, fellow teachers.
- Empathy and understanding for school pupils of all ages concerning needs, wishes and issues.
- Respectful to students and all school employees.
- Self motivated to complete all required duties & participate working as part of a team.
- Skilful classroom practitioner with in depth knowledge of the teaching subject.
- Uses a firm, but fair teaching approach where each student knows the rules, boundaries and remedies.
- Teaches in a way where all students have equal opportunity to learn, ask question and receive answers.
- Continues to look for ways to improve as a teacher through continues professional development.
Teacher exchange programme Australia
For a number of years teacher exchange programs have been in place for teachers to swap places with teachers in the UK and Australia, providing a chance for you in Australia for one year.
Individual schools and school networks exchange teachers for a year to experience school and share educational experiences.
Australia country guide
Teachers are in high demand for state schools and Australia has a steady employment market, stable economy, sun and excellent beaches.
Obtaining a working visa requires you to qualify through a points system and the application takes months of gathering the appropriate paperwork to teach.
A country that provides a host of opportunity attracts many potential migrants each year, and the Australian government is at present trying to attract skilled workers and other suitable permanent residents.
Australia is a land of contrasts: sweeping golden beaches, coral reefs rich with marine life, tropical rain forests, mountain ranges, vast grazing lands and sparse deserts.
Country facts of Australia
Population: 25.7 million approximately 2022.
Languages: English & native languages.
Politics system: Democratic, federal-state system, British monarch as sovereign. Well developed and excellent education system.
Culture: Outgoing.
Geography: A large country that is no attached to any other. Continent, but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and south-eastern coasts tropical sea.
Climate: Generally arid to semiarid, temperate in south and east; tropical in north.
Major cities: Adelaide, South Australia; Brisbane, Queensland; Melbourne, Victoria; Perth, Western Australia; Sydney, New South Wales.
When to migrate to Australia
Travelling to Australia anytime of the year is good, although certain months are warmer than others.
People age under 45 have the right to obtain certain work visas and stay for a prolonged period, and of course, holiday visitors are welcome from all walks of life for short and long stays.
Attractions in Queensland’s rain forests and coral reefs are good to visit all year round and major cities and beaches.
Australian nature
Australia is home to the Great Barrier Reef, desert, and hosts thousands of animals, birds and other exotic creatures on land and in the ocean surrounding Australia.
Crocodiles in salt water rivers, poisonous snakes, koala bears and a few kangaroos having a nap.
Many unique natural features throughout Australia can be seen from beaches, outback, cities and the ocean as a whole.
Getting around Australia
Options for getting around, towns, cities and transnational travel are varied from cars, bus, trains, planes and cruises.
Australia is a large country and flying is the quickest and easiest method of transport for long journeys.
Seeing the country by land is a great way to see the sights and experience adventures on the way.
Of course being well prepared when driving in the outback of Australia is a must and professional guidance should be sought before you start your journey.
UK driving license holders can exchange their license generally without taking any driving or theory tests.
Each state again has they’re own rules on foreign licensed drivers and exchange of driving licenses.