Childcare educator and early childhood educator jobs in Australia

There are no open childcare educator roles listed with CrossNation right now. New roles are added as employers brief us, so create a profile to be matched when one opens.

An educator plans and runs play-based learning, looks after children's routines such as meals, rest and toileting, keeps children safe and supervised, and records what each child is doing for the service's educational program. Educators also talk with families at drop-off and pick-up and follow the service's health, safety and child protection policies. Diploma-qualified educators are often asked to help plan and evaluate the program, and room leaders coordinate a room. Rosters follow the centre's opening hours, so early starts and closing shifts are common, and ordinary hours under the Children's Services Award fall between 6.00 am and 6.30 pm.

Services use several titles for similar work. Childcare educator, early childhood educator, early childhood educator (ECE), lead educator, assistant educator, room leader and trainee educator all appear in job ads, and ANZSCO lists the occupation as Child Care Worker. Outside school hours care uses OSHC educator or coordinator, and family day care uses family day care educator. Early childhood teacher is a separate role that needs an approved teaching degree, and has its own page. Read the position description for the qualification, the room and the roster rather than relying on the title.

In centre-based services for children preschool age or under, at least half the educators counted in the ratios must hold or be working towards an approved diploma, and all others must hold or be working towards an approved certificate III, so the certificate III is the common entry point. ACECQA keeps the approved lists. Outside school hours care follows state rules in the ACT, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Every educator needs the working with children check for their state, and since 27 February 2026 everyone in NQF-regulated education and care must complete national child safety training. A service also needs a staff member on site with current first aid, anaphylaxis and asthma training at all times.

Many educators are covered by the Children's Services Award [MA000120], or by an enterprise agreement that must leave them better off overall. From 1 March 2026 the award uses eight Children's Services Employee levels: introductory educator, educator, qualified educator (certificate III), experienced educator, advanced educator (diploma), room leader, assistant director and director. Cooks who must hold an approved qualification and may work on the floor are classified in the same structure. Our childcare educator pay guide shows the weekly and hourly minimums, read from the award text, with the date they apply from. Check Fair Work for the latest rates.

Search the live roles on the jobs page, then register with CrossNation and upload your CV so a recruiter can consider you when a service briefs us. Put your qualification or enrolment, your working with children check number and state, your first aid certificate, your child safety training date and the age groups you have worked with at the top. Say which shifts you can cover and whether you can work in outside school hours care. Trainees and people working towards a certificate III should say when they expect to finish, because services count them towards staffing only when they meet the rules.

The award describes the ladder. A new educator with under 12 months of experience starts at the introductory level and moves to the educator level after 12 months. A certificate III makes you a qualified educator, and four years of experience after qualifying makes you an experienced educator. A diploma makes you an advanced educator. From there services appoint room leaders, assistant directors and directors, and a teaching degree opens the early childhood teacher pathway. Each step depends on the duties the service gives you, so ask how progression works at an interview.

Registration: An ACECQA-approved qualification (or evidence you are actively working towards one) and the working with children check for your state, for example the Victorian WWC Check, the Queensland blue card or the NSW WWCC. Educators do not register with Ahpra. Services need approved qualifications, and every educator needs the working with children check for their state.

Pay and conditions: usually the Children's Services Award [MA000120] or an enterprise agreement. Check current minimum rates with the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Award rates: Childcare educator salary in Australia: what the award sets.

ANZSCO: 421111 Child Care Worker