Early Childhood Education Job Outlook in Victoria: What the Numbers Say
What Is Early Childhood Education in Victoria?
Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Victoria refers to structured learning, development, and care programs delivered to children from birth to eight years old. Qualified early childhood educators and teachers support children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth across long day care centres, kindergartens, family day care settings, and outside school hours care services. In Victoria, this sector operates under the National Quality Framework and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), making it one of Australia’s most regulated and professionally recognised education and care fields.
The State of Early Childhood Education in Victoria Right Now
Victoria’s early childhood education sector is growing at a pace that the current workforce simply cannot match.
According to the Victorian Skills Authority Employment Projections Dashboard, Victoria currently has 7,944 early childhood teachers active in the workforce as of 2024. Yet demand for qualified educators continues to outpace supply across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria alike.
The ECEC Workforce Capacity Study 2024, published by Jobs and Skills Australia, confirms that Australia currently needs approximately 21,000 more qualified early childhood educators and teachers to meet existing service demand. On top of that, an additional 36,000 workers will be needed in the coming years as government reforms expand access to early learning services.
This is not a short-term gap. It is a structural workforce shortage — and for anyone considering a career in early childhood education in Victoria, it represents a significant, long-term employment opportunity.
Early Childhood Education Job Outlook Victoria — Employment Projections
The Victorian Skills Authority projects the following employment figures for early childhood teachers across Victoria:
Region | Workers 2024 | New Workers Expected by 2027 | New Workers Expected by 2034 |
Victoria (Total) | 7,944 | 1,099 | 7,086 |
Melbourne Inner Metropolitan | 605 | 73 | 536 |
Melbourne Northern Metropolitan | 1,208 | 162 | 1,101 |
Melbourne Western Metropolitan | 1,148 | 139 | 1,044 |
Melbourne Southern Metropolitan | 1,315 | 159 | 1,150 |
Melbourne Eastern Metropolitan | 1,097 | 132 | 950 |
Geelong and Barwon | 397 | 51 | 367 |
Ballarat and Central Highlands | 227 | 37 | 207 |
Bendigo and Loddon Campaspe | 257 | 34 | 242 |
Gippsland | 294 | 52 | 265 |
Source: Victorian Skills Authority Employment Projections Dashboard, 2024
These figures account for both new jobs added to the economy and roles created by retirees leaving the workforce. The actual number of available positions will be higher as workers move between roles and services.
What Is Driving the Early Childhood Workforce Shortage in Victoria?
Several interconnected factors are fuelling the growing skills shortage across Victoria’s early childhood education sector:
- Best Start Best Life Reform :- The Victorian Government’s Best Start Best Life initiative is expanding funded kindergarten access to all three and four year old children across the state. This reform alone is creating thousands of additional educator and teacher positions annually across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
- 50 New Government-Owned Early Learning Centres :-Â Early Learning Victoria is currently building 50 new government-owned early learning centres across the state between 2025 and 2032. Each centre requires qualified educators, teachers, directors, and support staff from opening day.
- Historic Underpayment Driving Workforce Exit :- Low wages have historically pushed qualified workers out of the early childhood sector. Heavy workloads combined with limited career advancement opportunities have made workforce retention difficult across childcare centres and kindergarten programs.
- Qualification Timeframes :- Entry into the early childhood workforce requires completion of nationally recognised VET qualifications. The time needed to complete a Certificate III or Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care slows the rate at which new workers can enter the sector.
- Childcare Deserts Across Victoria :- Research from Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute identifies significant childcare deserts across Victoria — areas where more than three children compete for every single childcare place. These gaps are most pronounced in outer Melbourne suburbs and regional Victoria, where workforce shortages are most acute.
Early Childhood Educator Salary Victoria — What Can You Earn in 2025?
Salary is one of the most searched questions in this niche — and the numbers in 2025 are more competitive than at any previous point in the sector’s history.
Median Salary Overview
The median weekly earnings for early childhood pre-primary school teachers in Australia is $1,660 per week, according to Jobs and Skills Australia data current as of January 2025. This translates to an annual salary range of approximately $80,000 to $95,000 depending on qualification level, experience, and location.
Salary by Qualification Level
Qualification | Typical Annual Salary |
Certificate III Educator | $55,000 – $62,000 |
Diploma Qualified Educator | $62,000 – $72,000 |
Bachelor Qualified ECE Teacher | $80,000 – $95,000 |
Centre Director | $95,000 – $105,000 |
Victoria’s Highest Paying Regions
Bendigo, Goldfields, and the Macedon Ranges record the highest average early childhood teacher salaries in Victoria at $110,000 per year — the highest average in the country according to Seek data. High demand in regional areas, combined with workforce shortages, is directly pushing salaries above metropolitan averages.
The 15% Wage Increase
The Australian Government’s Worker Retention Payment program, rolled out between December 2024 and December 2025, provides a 15% wage increase above modern award rates for eligible early childhood educators and teachers. This is the most significant structural wage reform the sector has seen and directly improves the financial case for entering or staying in the early childhood workforce.
Career Pathways in Early Childhood Education Victoria
Early childhood education offers a clear, structured career progression from entry level through to senior leadership. Each qualification step brings higher pay, greater responsibility, and broader employment options.
Step 1 — Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- Duration: 12 months full time
- Entry requirement: No prior qualification needed
- Roles available: Early childhood educator, childcare room assistant
- Government funding: Available through Victoria’s Skills First program
- Pay rate: $55,000 – $62,000 per year
The Certificate III is the minimum qualification required to work as an early childhood educator in a regulated childcare centre or kindergarten in Victoria. It covers child development, play-based learning facilitation, safety, health, and working with families.
Step 2 — Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
- Duration: 12 months full time
- Entry requirement: Certificate III or equivalent experience
- Roles available: Room leader, educational leader, co-educator
- Pay rate: $62,000 – $72,000 per year
The Diploma qualification opens pathways to leadership roles within childcare centres and kindergartens. Diploma-qualified educators can plan and implement educational programs, supervise Certificate III educators, and take on Room Leader responsibilities.
Read More : https://melmc.edu.au/what-can-you-do-with-early-childhood-diploma/
Earn While You Learn — The Traineeship Pathway
For career changers, parents re-entering the workforce, and international students seeking immediate employment, the early childhood traineeship model offers a highly practical pathway into the sector.
A traineeship allows you to:
- Work in a registered childcare service while completing your Certificate III qualification
- Complete your qualification in as little as 12 to 15 months
- Earn a wage from day one of your traineeship
- Build real workplace experience alongside formal study
- Access government wage subsidies available to traineeship employers
This earn while you learn model directly addresses two of the biggest barriers to entering the early childhood workforce — income loss during study and slow qualification timeframes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Early childhood education in Victoria refers to structured education and care programs for children from birth to eight years old. It includes long day care, kindergarten, family day care, and outside school hours care services. Educators work under the National Quality Framework and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework.
A Certificate III qualified educator earns approximately $55,000 to $62,000 per year. A Diploma qualified educator earns $62,000 to $72,000. A Bachelor qualified early childhood teacher earns $80,000 to $95,000 annually. The 15% Worker Retention Payment has lifted wages further above these base award rates.
Yes. Victoria currently needs 1,099 new early childhood workers by 2027 and 7,086 by 2034 according to the Victorian Skills Authority. Nationally, Australia requires 21,000 more qualified educators immediately to meet existing service demand.
A Certificate III takes approximately 12 months full time. A Diploma takes a further 12 months. A Bachelor degree takes 3 to 4 years. The traineeship model allows you to complete your Certificate III in 12 to 15 months while working in a childcare service.
Yes. The early childhood traineeship model allows you to work in a childcare service and study simultaneously. Melbourne Metro College offers flexible study pathways designed for working adults, parents, and career changers.
The minimum qualification is a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. This is an ACECQA approved VET qualification that allows you to work as an early childhood educator in a regulated childcare centre or kindergarten in Victoria.
Start Your Early Childhood Education Career at Melbourne Metro College
Victoria’s early childhood sector needs qualified educators — and Melbourne Metro College provides the training pathway to get you there.
At Melbourne Metro College, we offer nationally recognised early childhood education and care qualifications designed for career changers, upskilling workers, parents re-entering the workforce, and international students building their future in Australia.
Our courses include:
- Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Why choose Melbourne Metro College:
- Experienced industry trainers with active sector knowledge
- Practical placement in real childcare and kindergarten environments
- Flexible study options built around work and family commitments
- Government funding options available for eligible students
- Clear career pathway support from enrolment through to employment
Victoria’s childcare workforce shortage is real. The government is investing heavily in the sector. Salaries are rising. And qualified early childhood educators are in demand across every Melbourne suburb and regional area of Victoria.
The right time to start is now.
Enquire at Melbourne Metro College today and take the first step toward a stable, meaningful, and well-paid career in early childhood education in Victoria.