Early Childhood Educator

Early childhood educators care for and teach children from birth to school age in long day care, preschool and kindergarten rooms.

Median salary: $69,700; 3.6%vs last year, before tax
People employed: 123,800; 0.0%vs last year
Projected growth: +4.5%; to 2035
AI exposure*: Low; 2 out of 10
Average hours: 39/wk; −1h vs all jobs
Shortage status: In shortage; national

Early childhood educators work with children from birth to five in long day care centres, preschools, kindergartens and family day care, planning play-based experiences against the Early Years Learning Framework.
They observe each child's development, keep families informed and keep the room safe across a wide range of ages, temperaments and needs.
The role is often confused with early childhood teacher, which usually requires a teaching degree and registration, while educators typically hold a vocational qualification.

How much do early childhood educators earn?

The median full-time salary for an early childhood educator is $69,700 per annum, before tax, up $14,800 since 2018.

Pay varies mostly with the qualification you hold and the role you take in the room, because certificate III assistants, diploma-qualified room leaders and degree-qualified teachers sit at different award levels. Long day care, preschool and kindergarten services are funded differently, so an educator doing similar work can earn more under a state kindergarten program or a local council than in a private centre. Shift length, split shifts and whether you take on educational leadership also move the figure.

Median annual salary, 2018–2028

Median annual salary (AUD/year), Modelled trend anchored to a real ABS Employee Earnings figure, interim years are indicative, not a real yearly series. 2025-2028 is a projection from that anchor using the real ABS Wage Price Index annual growth rate (3.2%, June quarter 2026), not a role-specific forecast., Estimate
Period	Median annual salary (AUD/year)	Change
2018	54,900	-
2019	57,300	+2,400
2020	59,800	+2,500
2021	61,800	+2,000
2022	64,500	+2,700
2023	67,300	+2,800
2024	69,700	+2,400
2025estimated	71,900	+2,200
2026estimated	74,200	+2,300
2027projected	76,600	+2,400
2028projected	79,100	+2,500

The median salary rose by $14,800 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.

Full early childhood educator salary breakdown →

What does an early childhood educator do day to day?

The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.

Running play-based activities through the day and following whatever each child is currently interested in
Settling disputes over toys and helping children name and manage big feelings, often several at once
Writing up observations against the learning outcomes for families and for licensing
Talking with parents at pickup about a hard day, a new milestone or a concern that needs following up
Resetting and safety-checking indoor and outdoor spaces between activities, and keeping meal, rest and nappy routines on track

What skills do early childhood educators need?

Employers look for teaching and instruction, curriculum and lesson design, classroom and behaviour management, backed by Observations documentation software (e.g. Storypark, Kinderloop) fluency and strong written communication.

Specialist skills

Teaching and instruction
Curriculum and lesson design
Classroom and behaviour management
Student assessment and reporting
Pastoral care and wellbeing

Software and tools

Observations documentation software (e.g. Storypark, Kinderloop)
Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)
Child development assessment tools
Microsoft Office

General skills

Written communication
Empathy and interpersonal care
Problem solving

Specialist skills

Teaching and instruction: Educators teach through play rather than formal lessons: they drop into the block corner to extend a child's building, ask questions that push thinking further, and model language and turn taking. Much of it happens in the moment, with one child or a small group.
Curriculum and lesson design: Programming means planning experiences across the week that follow children's interests and the learning outcomes, then adjusting when the group loses interest or rain keeps everyone inside. Educators write this up room by room, so it stays flexible.
Classroom and behaviour management: Managing a room is mostly routine and transitions: nappy changes, meals, rest, and moving a full group outside without losing anyone. Educators keep limits consistent, coach children through big feelings and adapt when staffing is thin.
Student assessment and reporting: Assessment here is observational. Educators track each child against the learning outcomes, note what they can do now, and report to families through portfolios and conversations rather than tests or grades.
Pastoral care and wellbeing: A large part of the work is care: settling a child through separation anxiety, helping them rest, and noticing when a family is doing it hard. Educators are often the first to raise a developmental concern with parents.

Software and tools

Observations documentation software (e.g. Storypark, Kinderloop): Storypark, Kinderloop and similar apps are where educators record observations, attach photos and send learning updates to families, often between activities during the day.
Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF): The national framework shapes what educators plan and document, setting out the learning outcomes that programs and observations are written against.
Child development assessment tools: Milestone checklists and screening tools help educators decide whether a child's development needs a closer look, and give them something concrete to discuss with families and allied health professionals.
Microsoft Office: Word and email cover newsletters, incident reports and centre documents, while Excel turns up in rostering and excursion planning in some services.

General skills

Written communication: Observations, daily updates and incident reports have to be accurate and readable for families, and clear enough to hold up if a licensing officer or a court reads them.
Empathy and interpersonal care: Reading a child's mood, comforting them without fuss and speaking kindly to a parent worried about their child's first weeks are all part of the daily work.
Problem solving: When a child is unsettled, an activity falls flat or a colleague calls in sick, educators work out a fix on the spot rather than waiting for direction.

Is the job growing?

About 123,800 people work as early childhood educators in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 4.5% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.

Employment, 2015–2024, projected to 2035

Employment (workers), Modelled trend anchored to a real Jobs and Skills Australia employment figure, interim years are indicative, not a real yearly series, Estimate
Period	Employment (workers)	Change
2015	120,000	-
2016	119,700	−300
2017	120,600	+900
2018	120,300	−300
2019	121,300	+1,000
2020	122,200	+900
2021	121,900	−300
2022	122,900	+1,000
2023	123,800	+900
2024	123,800	+0
2027projected	125,500	+1,700
2029projected	126,600	+1,100
2031projected	127,800	+1,200
2033projected	128,900	+1,100
2035projected	130,100	+1,200

Employment rose by 3,800 between 2015 and 2024; the dashed line shows the official projection to 2035.

How do you become an early childhood educator?

Here's the path most early childhood educators take, step by step.

1
Get the entry qualification
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30125) is the standard way in, usually six months to a year at TAFE or a private RTO, and it includes a work placement in a service.
2
Clear the checks before you start
Every state and territory requires a Working with Children Check or its equivalent, and centres also expect current first aid training covering anaphylaxis and asthma.
3
Start in a room and build experience
Most educators begin as an assistant or a float across rooms, and the hours you accumulate with children are what the next employer looks at.
4
Add a diploma for room leadership
The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50125) qualifies you to lead a room and usually comes with higher pay, and many services support staff to study while they work.
5
Consider a degree if you want to teach
Leading a kindergarten program or moving into school teaching means a bachelor degree plus registration with your state or territory teacher authority.

Study routes we have checked

Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
A recognised route into this role
Verify ACECQA approval for this award and intended work, complete required placement, child-safety training and screening, and meet the service and jurisdiction requirements. This is an educator route, not an early-childhood-teacher qualification. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
A recognised route into this role
Verify ACECQA approval, meet diploma entry requirements, complete required placement, child-safety training and screening, and meet service and jurisdiction requirements. This is not an early-childhood-teacher qualification. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.

Ready to apply as an early childhood educator?

Whether you're working toward becoming an early childhood educator or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.

Resume templateExample bullet points grounded in this role's real tasks.View & download →Cover letter templateA structured letter with role-specific example content.View & download →Interview questionsWhat people are actually asked, and why.View & download →

What jobs can an early childhood educator move to?

Moving into Primary School Teacher typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $46,100 a year more on average.

Early Childhood Educator

$69,700

Primary School Teacher

$115,800+$46,100

Childcare Centre Manager

$103,100+$33,400

Early Childhood Teacher

$99,100+$29,400

Out of School Hours Care Educator

$59,800−$9,900

Middle School Teacher

$126,000+$56,300

English Language Teacher

$123,000+$53,300

Secondary School Teacher

$120,700+$51,000

Primary School TeacherRecorded move
$115,800+$46,100
Childcare Centre ManagerRecorded move
$103,100+$33,400
Early Childhood TeacherRecorded move
$99,100+$29,400
Out of School Hours Care EducatorRecorded move
$59,800−$9,900

Recorded in tax dataSuggested from skill overlap

Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.

Move to	Typical pay change	Overlap	Retraining
Primary School Teacher Early childhood educators bring child development knowledge and room experience to primary teaching, but need a teaching degree and registration.Known move	+$46,100	89%	requalify
Childcare Centre Manager Early childhood educators bring practical room leadership and compliance knowledge to centre management, with a diploma adding business and staff oversight.Known move	+$33,400	17%	reskill
Early Childhood Teacher Early childhood educators bring hands-on care and child development knowledge to early childhood teaching, but need a teaching degree and registration.Known move	+$29,400	89%	requalify
Out of School Hours Care Educator Early childhood educators bring play-based learning and supervision skills to school-aged care, with a short course adjusting to the setting.Known move	−$9,900	55%	short course
Family Day Care Educator Early childhood educators bring curriculum and child safety skills to home-based family day care, needing a short course for approval.Known move	−$14,600	55%	short course

Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.

Who works as an early childhood educator?

The typical early childhood educator is 34 years old; 97% are women, 46% work full-time, and full-timers average 39 hours a week.

34
Median age: 97%
Female share: 46%
Full-time: −1h
vs all-jobs avg

What's it like being an early childhood educator?

Days run to the children's rhythm rather than a clock: arrivals and breakfast, morning play, lunch and rest, then the long stretch after nap when energy dips and pickup begins. The work is physical and relational at once, so you often notice a change in a child's speech or mood well before anyone else does. It suits people who stay steady in noise, take routine seriously and are genuinely curious about how young children learn.

What people like

You see the progress happen. A child who could not hold a pencil in February writes their name by November, and you watched every step in between.
Rooms are small, familiar teams. Ratios mean you work shoulder to shoulder with the same few people every day, covering for each other through nappy runs and tough afternoons.
Play is the curriculum. Building a cubby or sorting shells is the learning, so the most interesting parts of the day are the job rather than the break from it.
You know families over years. Many children stay with a service from first words to school, and parents come to rely on your read of how their child is going.

What people find hard

Ratios leave no slack. If a colleague calls in sick or one child needs one-to-one attention, the rest of the room still needs the same level of supervision.
Paperwork waits for the children to leave. Observations, portfolios and compliance records rarely fit inside the day, so they get pushed into breaks or into time after close.
Illness moves quickly through a room. Colds, gastro and hand, foot and mouth spread among children who share every toy and are still learning to cover a cough.
Behaviour can be complex. Some children arrive with big needs and little support at home, and a biting or scratching incident is upsetting for everyone involved, including you.

Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.

Which industries employ early childhood educators?

Health Care and Social Assistance employs the largest share of early childhood educators, followed by Education and Training.

Top employing industries

1Health Care and Social Assistance
2Education and Training

Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.

Highest qualification held
Diploma / Advanced Diploma		28.8%
Certificate III/IV		23.1%
Postgraduate		18.9%
Bachelor degree		13.4%
Year 12 or below		11.8%

Will AI replace early childhood educators?

2out of 10

Low exposure. Unlikely. AI will change some of the work around this job, not the job itself.

This is a low-exposure job. Most of the work is physical care, supervision and relationship building with children and families, which has to happen in the room with a person present. Software helps with the admin around it, from observation and portfolio apps to rostering and compliance records, but it changes how quickly the paperwork gets done rather than who does the caring.

How a typical week splits

AI already does a lot of this

of a typical working week

None of the main tasks in this job.

30%

AI helps, you still do it

of a typical working week

Observing children and writing learning stories
15% of the week
Apps such as Storypark and Kinderloop can turn your notes and photos into a draft summary, but deciding what a child was actually doing and why is your call.
Planning and setting up the day's experiences
15% of the week
Planning tools and activity libraries suggest ideas quickly, and you still adjust them for the children in front of you and what the room allows.

70%

Stays with people

of a typical working week

Meals, naps, nappy changes, first aid and supervision
40% of the week
Ratios require an adult present for every one of these, and none of it can be done from a screen.
Talking with families and coordinating with your team
30% of the week
A concern raised at pickup or a handover to the next room depends on reading a parent's face and knowing how the child's week has gone.

How we work this out

We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.

Common questions about becoming an early childhood educator

Straight answers to the questions people ask most.

How much do early childhood educators earn?

Early childhood educators earn a median of $69,700 per annum, before tax. That is a national figure covering the whole occupation, from certificate III assistants to degree-qualified teachers, so treat it as a guide to the middle of the range rather than a rate for any one centre.

How do you become an early childhood educator?

The usual entry is the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30125), about six months to a year at TAFE or a private RTO with a work placement built in. From there you can study the diploma to lead a room, or a degree if you want to teach, and every state requires a Working with Children Check before you start.

Is there demand for early childhood educators?

Early childhood educators are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 4.5% over the decade to 2035. For someone looking for work, the practical effect is that services must staff rooms to legal ratios, so vacancies come up regularly even when enrolments dip.

Will AI replace early childhood educators?

AI exposure in this job is low, because most of the work is physical care, supervision and relationships with children and families, which needs a person in the room. Where it shows up is the paperwork: observation and portfolio apps such as Storypark and Kinderloop help draft learning stories and keep compliance records, so less of your evening goes on write-ups.

What can early childhood educators move into?

Moving into early childhood teaching or primary school teaching means requalifying with a degree and registration, and the pay step is about $29,400 more and $46,100 more respectively. Stepping up to centre management adds about $33,400 more, and running your own family day care is another route where earnings can grow, though the business side becomes yours. Educators who move to out of school hours care for school-hours work take about $9,900 less.

What are the hours like?

Full-time early childhood educators average 39 hours a week, and 46% of the workforce works full time. The rest is part time or casual, and because centres open early and close late, rosters commonly include opening, closing and split shifts with a long break in the middle of the day.

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How much do early childhood educators earn?

What does an early childhood educator do day to day?

What skills do early childhood educators need?

Specialist skills

Software and tools

General skills

Specialist skills

Software and tools

General skills

Is the job growing?

How do you become an early childhood educator?

Study routes we have checked

Ready to apply as an early childhood educator?

What jobs can an early childhood educator move to?

Who works as an early childhood educator?

What's it like being an early childhood educator?

What people like

What people find hard

Which industries employ early childhood educators?

Top employing industries

Will AI replace early childhood educators?

How a typical week splits

Common questions about becoming an early childhood educator

Related roles

Career advice