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Become a teacher in QLD

How to become a teacher in Queensland

Become a teacher in Queensland: degree options, Turn to Teaching and Trade to Teach, Commonwealth payments, QCT registration and a $90,164 graduate salary.

✓ Fact-checked against official sources Updated 16 October 2026 3 min read

Graduate salary

$90,164

Regulator

QCT

Registration fee

$101

Check

WWCC

On this page (5 sections)
  1. Step by step: becoming a Queensland teacher
  2. Money while you study
  3. Queensland programs for career changers
  4. Your first job and first pay
  5. FAQs

The short answer

To teach in a Queensland state school you need an accredited initial teacher education degree (a four-year bachelor or a two-year master after another degree), registration with the Queensland College of Teachers, and a job offer. A four-year-trained graduate starts on $90,164 a year from 1 September 2026 (Band 2 Step 1).

Queensland has strong demand for teachers, especially in regional and remote schools and in subjects like maths, science and technologies. The path is the same as most states: study, register with the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT), then apply for work. What's different here is a set of state programs for career changers and tradespeople, and rural incentives aimed squarely at new graduates.

Step by step: becoming a Queensland teacher

From student to classroom

  1. 1

    Choose an accredited degree

    A four-year Bachelor of Education, or a two-year Master of Teaching if you already have a degree in a teaching area. The course must be accredited for Queensland registration.

  2. 2

    Pass LANTITE and placements

    You'll need to pass the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education and complete supervised professional experience. See LANTITE explained.

  3. 3

    Register with the QCT

    Graduates apply for provisional registration, then move to full registration once they show they meet the Proficient standard. Details on our Queensland registration page.

  4. 4

    Apply for jobs

    Apply for Department of Education roles through Teach Queensland, and to Catholic and independent schools directly. Being open to regional and remote locations improves your chances of a permanent start.

Money while you study

  • Commonwealth Prac Payment: $338.60 a week in 2026 (before tax) during eligible mandatory placements, means-tested. Apply through your university. See the Commonwealth Prac Payment.
  • Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships: $10,000 a year, capped at $40,000 for an undergraduate or $20,000 for a postgraduate degree, plus $2,000 for a final placement in a remote school. You commit to teaching in government schools afterwards. See Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships.
  • HELP debt: your course fees go on HECS-HELP, repaid through tax once you earn over $69,528 in 2026-27. Use the HECS-HELP calculator to see repayments on a teacher salary.

Queensland programs for career changers

Amounts come from university pages and search extracts and weren't confirmed on a current Department fact sheet. Check teach.qld.gov.au before applying.

Turn to Teaching Internship

  • For people with a degree who want to switch careers
  • Reported $20,000 scholarship in year 1
  • Then a paid internship and a guaranteed permanent position
  • 2026 intake closed 21 Sep 2025; register interest for 2027

Trade to Teach

  • For trade-qualified people
  • Reported $20,000 (taxed) scholarship in year 1, in four instalments
  • Then a 50%-load paid internship, reported at about $2,842 a fortnight
  • For study starting early 2026

Interns and people teaching on Permission to Teach are paid on Band 1: $80,615 to $83,302 from 1 September 2026. That's well above most student incomes, but below the graduate rate. Our guide to employment-based teaching pathways compares these with national programs.

Your first job and first pay

Worked example

First-year graduate on Band 2 Step 1

Salary from 1 Sep 2026
$90,164
Take-home with no HELP debt
$70,792 a year ($2,723 a fortnight)
Take-home with a HELP debt
$67,696 a year ($2,604 a fortnight)
HELP repayment at this salary $3,095 a year

2026-27 tax rules incl. Medicare. Employer super of about $11,496 (reported 12.75%) is on top.

If you take a job at a transfer-rating 4-7 school, you also get a one-off beginning teacher payment of $1,000 to $2,000, RoRRS of up to $3,000 a year and possibly locality allowance. The QCT application fee can be reimbursed for rural and remote teachers. See Queensland rural and remote incentives and our graduate teacher salary page.

Free calculator

Teacher take-home pay calculator

See your fortnightly pay on any Queensland step, with or without a HELP debt.

Open the calculator

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a teacher in Queensland?
Usually four years through a Bachelor of Education, or two years through a Master of Teaching if you already have a relevant degree. Employment-based programs like Turn to Teaching let you earn while you finish.
What does a graduate teacher earn in Queensland?
A four-year-trained graduate in a state school earns $90,164 a year from 1 September 2026 on Band 2 Step 1. After tax that's about $2,723 a fortnight with no HELP debt.
Can I teach in Queensland without a teaching degree?
Only in limited cases. The QCT can grant Permission to Teach, for example when a school can't fill a role with a registered teacher, and interns in programs like Turn to Teaching teach while studying. Both are paid on Band 1 ($80,615-$83,302).
What is Trade to Teach in Queensland?
Trade to Teach is a Queensland program for trade-qualified people to become teachers. It reportedly pays a $20,000 scholarship in the first year, then a paid internship; check the current terms on Teach Queensland because the fact sheet wasn't available.
Do I need a Blue Card to teach in Queensland?
Generally no, if you're registered with the QCT, because registered teachers are usually exempt from needing a separate Blue Card. We couldn't confirm this on the QCT site, so check before you start prac or work.
Are there scholarships for teaching students in Queensland?
Yes. Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships pay $10,000 a year (up to $40,000 undergraduate), and the Commonwealth Prac Payment pays $338.60 a week during eligible placements in 2026. Queensland's own programs focus on career changers and tradespeople.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.DoE Salary Schedule (xls, updated 1 Sep 2026)
  2. 2.QTU Updated Salary Schedule flyer (1 Oct 2026)
  3. 3.QTU: Salaries under CA2022
  4. 4.QTU: EB referred to arbitration (QTJ Vol 131 No 1)
  5. 5.QTU: Pathway to arbitration and QTU submissions (QTJ Vol 131 No 4)
  6. 6.Teach Queensland: Pay and benefits
  7. 7.Teach Queensland: Beginning teacher incentives and support
  8. 8.QIRC: CA2022 certificate CB/2022/135

About this page

Written and fact-checked by the TeacherPay AU editorial team against the enterprise agreements, awards and official pages listed in the sources. It is general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually within a day. See our editorial policy and how we calculate.