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Early Childhood Educator salary in Australia
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.
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.
Roles that pay more than early childhood educator
The largest typical pay rise is $46,100 a year, moving into Primary School Teacher.
- Primary School Teacher+$46,100/yr
- Childcare Centre Manager+$33,400/yr
- Early Childhood Teacher+$29,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher early childhood educator salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time early childhood educator salary is $69,700; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Early Childhood Educators are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Teaching and instruction and Curriculum and lesson design tend to command a premium over general early childhood educator experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Primary School Teacher pays a typical $46,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Early Childhood Educator salary questions
How much do early childhood educators earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an early childhood educator is $69,700 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is early childhood educator pay rising or falling?
The median early childhood educator salary is up $14,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than early childhood educator?
Primary School Teacher pays a typical $46,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to early childhood educator.
Related salaries
- Primary School Teacher salary
- Childcare Centre Manager salary
- Family Day Care Educator salary
- Early Childhood Teacher salary
- Out of School Hours Care Educator salary
- Teacher Aide salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.