Changing careers to teaching in Australia: routes, money and what your experience is worth

Your three realistic routes

If you don't have a degree, you'll need a 4-year Bachelor of Education. Queensland's Trade to Teach program is aimed at trade-qualified people. See teaching degrees in Australia and employment-based pathways for program detail.

Does your degree qualify you for secondary teaching?

For primary, almost any bachelor degree gets you into a Master of Teaching. For secondary, universities check that your degree has enough units in each subject you want to teach. An engineering degree usually covers maths and often physics. A commerce degree may cover business studies and economics. A science degree can cover two sciences. If you're a few units short, some universities let you add them before or during the course.

The money: what you give up and what you get

Be honest about the pay cut. A first-year teacher in a government school earns about $80,000 to $96,000 depending on the state (Victoria's $79,589 is the lowest until its proposed agreement is approved). If you earn more than that now, you'll take home less for the first few years. But teacher pay rises quickly: in NSW you move from $92,882 (Step 1) to $133,422 (Step 7) in about 6 years once you're accredited as Proficient, and employer super is 12% on top.

Will your previous work lift your starting salary?

This is the question career changers ask most, and the answer depends on the state. Pay steps are set by each state's agreement, and most count teaching experience, not general work experience.

If you have relevant industry experience, ask the employer in writing, before you accept, whether any of it counts. In the ACT it can. In most other government systems it won't, but your experience still counts heavily in selection for jobs and promotion.

Planning around placements

A Master of Teaching includes at least 60 days of supervised placement, about 12 weeks of school days. These are full-time and you follow the school's hours. If you keep a job while studying, you'll need leave for these blocks. The Prac Payment is worth $4,063.20 over 12 weeks at the 2026 rate, which helps but won't replace a professional salary.

What it's like starting as a mature graduate

You'll start on provisional or conditional registration like every other graduate, and move to full registration once you show you teach at the Proficient standard. Expect the first year to be demanding, however experienced you are elsewhere. Behaviour management, programming and assessment are new skills. Life experience still helps: working with parents and colleagues, managing time and planning ahead are skills you bring with you. Read our graduate teacher first-year guide and Proficient accreditation guide.

Super is worth a look too. Every government teacher gets at least 12% employer super on top of salary, and from 1 July 2026 it's paid with each pay under Payday Super. If you're taking a pay cut, check whether salary sacrifice still suits your budget. See salary sacrifice super for teachers.