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Employer guide

Hire an Early Childhood Teacher in Australia

To hire an early childhood teacher, confirm the approved teaching qualification, the teacher registration or accreditation your state requires, the working with children check and how many teacher hours your service needs for the number of children in attendance. CrossNation recruits early childhood teachers for employers across Australia. The fee is 12% of the annual salary, charged only on a successful placement.

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By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 6 October 2026.

  • 12% of annual salary

    Charged only when a placement succeeds. No placement, no fee.

  • 90-day placement guarantee

    See our terms.

Official data

Key facts from official sources

What you need to know

What qualification and registration must you confirm?

A teacher counted under the National Quality Framework must hold an approved early childhood teaching qualification, a former approved qualification that started before 1 January 2012, or a qualification that ACECQA has assessed as equivalent. Registration is not an NQF requirement, but state law differs. Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia require registration, New South Wales requires accreditation with the NSW Education Standards Authority, and Queensland does not require registration in NQF settings, although you may require it as a condition of employment. Record the teacher's registration number and expiry, and diarise renewals.

How many teacher hours does your service need?

The national rules depend on the number of children in attendance at any one time. A service with fewer than 25 children needs access to a teacher for at least 20 per cent of its operating time. A service with 25 to 59 children needs a full-time equivalent teacher, or a teacher in attendance for 6 hours a day when it operates 50 hours or more a week, or 60 per cent of the time when it operates fewer than 50 hours. Services with 60 or more children need a second teacher or suitably qualified person for part of the time, and larger services for more of it. Tell candidates the days and hours you need, because some teachers want fixed days and others want a full-time role.

How do you describe the role to teachers?

Teachers look for pedagogical leadership, protected planning time and a service that values the educational program. Say which approved learning framework you use, the age groups, the number of educators the teacher will coach, whether the teacher will act as educational leader, and what support you give for registration and professional development. State the rostered hours and whether the role includes a term-time or year-round pattern. If the position is a kindergarten on a school site, say so, because teacher registration rules can differ there.

Which award or agreement applies?

The Educational Services (Teachers) Award [MA000077] covers teachers in the children's services and early childhood education industry, which it defines to include long day care, kindergartens and preschools, and the Children's Services Award does not cover employees who are covered by the Teachers Award. Many providers and government services use enterprise agreements, which must leave the teacher better off overall than the award. Decide the instrument and classification before you write the offer, and record it in the contract. We do not publish pay figures here. Use the Fair Work Pay Calculator and the award or agreement text to cost the role.

What helps new teachers settle in?

A new teacher needs time to learn the service's program, documentation system and educators before leading them. Share the educational program, the current plans for each room, and the regulator's last assessment and rating. Agree planning time, pair the teacher with the director, and set a 90 day review of how coaching and leadership are going. Make sure the teacher's registration, check and child safety training are on file before the first shift.

Before you brief a recruiter: early childhood teacher checklist

Checklist

  • Check the teaching qualification against the ACECQA approved list
  • Confirm registration or accreditation for your state and record the number
  • Confirm the working with children check and child safety training
  • Work out the teacher hours your service needs for its number of children
  • Decide the award or agreement and the classification
  • State the days, hours and leadership duties in the brief

Tell us the role, location and start date

The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does every childcare centre need an early childhood teacher?

Centre-based services for children preschool age or under need access to a teacher or a teacher in attendance, depending on the number of children in attendance. Services that mainly care for school-age children are outside these rules.

Can a diploma-qualified educator be counted as a teacher?

Not under the standard rules, which need an approved teaching qualification. Some provisions let a person actively working towards one be taken to be a teacher, but they do not apply in every state, so ask your regulator.

Do teachers need registration in every state?

No. ACECQA lists registration in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, accreditation in New South Wales and no registration for NQF settings in Queensland, with other rules in the territories and Tasmania.

How does CrossNation charge to recruit an early childhood teacher?

The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds, and placements carry a 90-day placement guarantee. There is no charge to send a brief. CrossNation recruits early childhood teachers for employers across Australia, and you can send the role, location and start date through the employer enquiry form.

Can I recruit an overseas early childhood teacher through CrossNation?

CrossNation recruits sponsorship-ready overseas candidates for employers that want them. ACECQA qualification assessment and state teacher registration are separate from any visa, and each has its own timeline. The employer holds or obtains its own approval, and CrossNation cannot promise a visa, an approval or a job. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.

What should I verify before I offer a early childhood teacher the job?

Early childhood teachers do not register with Ahpra. Registration is held with the teacher regulatory authority in the state, and it is not required in every state for NQF settings. For an early childhood teacher, the award that commonly applies is the Educational Services (Teachers) Award (MA000077), but coverage depends on your industry and the person's duties, so confirm it with the Fair Work Ombudsman before you set the offer. Keep a copy of any licence, registration or check you sight for your early childhood teacher, and confirm their right to work in Australia before they start.

Related

Sources (accessed 6 October 2026)