Primary School Teacher
Teach and support primary school students across core subjects while helping them grow academically, socially and emotionally.
What They Do
Primary School Teachers teach children across a broad range of subjects including literacy, numeracy, science, humanities, creative activities and physical education.
They prepare lessons, explain new concepts, assess student progress, maintain classroom routines and adapt learning activities for students with different abilities and needs.
Teachers also communicate with parents, maintain student records, participate in school activities and work alongside other teachers and support professionals. JSA identifies these among the core responsibilities of the occupation.
Who This Career Suits
Primary teaching suits people who enjoy working with children and are comfortable explaining ideas in different ways.
Strong teachers combine patience and empathy with organisation, creativity and leadership. They need to manage an entire classroom while recognising that individual students learn at different rates and may require different forms of support.
Key Skills
Communication, Teaching, Organisation, Creativity, Leadership, Problem Solving, Compassion & Empathy, Adaptability
Work Environment
School, Classroom, Indoor, Team-Based
Education & Training
The standard pathway is an accredited initial teacher education qualification.
For school teaching in Australia, the two most common routes are a Bachelor of Education or, for someone who already holds an undergraduate degree, a Master of Teaching. A full-time Master of Teaching commonly takes around two years. AITSL
Initial teacher-education programs are accredited by state and territory teacher regulatory authorities against nationally agreed standards. Programs appearing on AITSL's accredited-program list satisfy the teacher-education qualification requirement for teacher registration across Australia, although additional registration requirements apply within each jurisdiction.
Career Changer Pathway
Primary teaching can be a realistic career change for people from business, healthcare, science, community services, childcare and many other professional backgrounds.
Someone who already holds a bachelor's degree may be able to complete an accredited Master of Teaching (Primary) rather than undertaking another full undergraduate degree.
Previous career experience can also become useful in the classroom, particularly when bringing practical knowledge, communication skills and different perspectives into teaching.
Early Career
Graduate teachers build confidence in lesson planning, classroom management, assessment and communicating with students and families.
After graduation, teachers normally begin with provisional registration and work towards full registration by demonstrating performance against the Proficient career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
Mid Career
Experienced Primary School Teachers take greater responsibility for curriculum planning, mentoring graduate teachers and supporting broader school programs.
They may specialise in areas such as literacy, numeracy, learning support, wellbeing, digital learning or curriculum leadership.
Senior / Veteran Career
Experienced teachers can progress into positions such as Leading Teacher, Learning Specialist, Curriculum Leader, Assistant Principal or Principal.
Other pathways include education consultancy, teacher training, curriculum development, policy, education technology and school-system leadership.
Salary Guide
Early Career
80000
Mid Career
105000
Senior / Veteran
125000
Indicative annual salary (AUD)
Indicative annual salary (AUD)
Indicative annual salary (AUD)
Salary data source:
Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS
Salary data source URL:
Date :
5 October 2026 at 12:00:00 am
Career Outlook
Primary teaching is one of Australia's largest professional occupations. JSA currently records approximately 165,900 Primary School Teachers, with employment increasing by roughly 1,600 over the latest year. The occupation has a median workforce age of 41 and around 82% of workers are women. Jobs and Skills Australia
Primary School Teachers also appear in JSA's 2025 shortage-driver analysis, indicating that recruiting sufficient teachers remains a workforce issue in Australia.
Job Outlook :
Outlook Source :
Strong
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