Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
Only About Children
Its casual educator page provides registration routes for these cities. Check the qualification criteria and the centres you can reach before registering your interest.
AUSTRALIA · JOB GUIDE
Childcare educator jobs in Australia
Already trained in early childhood education? Check how your qualification is recognised, then look for casual educator roles in the city where you plan to stay.
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This could suit you if…
You have suitable early-childhood training and enjoy helping children learn through a structured daily routine.
The trade-offs
This is regulated care with ongoing responsibility. Overseas qualifications may need assessment, and the work includes documentation and routines as well as play.
What does the work involve?
Educators help children learn through play, support meals and routines, keep children safe and communicate with families. The age group and your qualification level affect the responsibilities you can take on.
Casual work can mean covering different rooms or centres. Ask how you receive the day’s information, who supervises you and how far you may need to travel.
Will it fit my trip?
Work out your realistic travel radius before joining a casual pool. A shift starting early in an outer suburb may be difficult from a city hostel without a car.
Be clear about your planned stay. Casual employment can offer flexibility, but being registered with a centre group does not guarantee a set number of hours each week.
What do I need before applying?
Check ACECQA’s approved qualifications lists first. If your qualification is not listed, review its individual assessment route; overseas training is not automatically recognised at the same level in Australia.
Confirm the child-safety screening required in the state and the employer’s first-aid and safeguarding requirements. State the exact qualification you hold rather than describing yourself simply as a teacher.
You need to understand routines and safety instructions, communicate with children and families, and write useful observations. A qualification assessment can have its own English-evidence requirements; check the criteria for your assessment type.
Which training is worth doing?
Qualification recognition before retraining
Use ACECQA’s checker before buying another qualification. If assessment is needed, prepare the documents it requests and allow time for a decision.
Education and care first aid
HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting is St John’s education-and-care course. It includes practical assessment, with sessions offered through state organisations.
St John Victoria: education and care first aid
HLTAID012: $245, one day in class with no pre-learning. Victorian venues include Melbourne CBD, Clayton and Dandenong; the booking calendar shows sessions. This provides first-aid training for care duties, not a childcare qualification.
Course and Victorian booking locations · checked 23 October 2026.
Companies and application routes
Direct employer and agency application routes, checked 17 October 2026.
Search centres across Australia
Goodstart Early Learning
Use the official job search for educator and casual educator roles. Match your recognised qualification to the advertised position; traineeships have separate eligibility and study commitments.
Australian early-learning centres
G8 Education
Direct educator recruitment with qualification-based pathways and centre vacancies. Includes casual roles; trainee and qualified educator routes are distinct.
How to apply
Attach your qualification and ACECQA recognition status, the ages you have worked with, current child-safety clearance and first-aid certificates. Include contactable childcare referees.
State your available weekdays, earliest start, travel radius and planned end date. Casual pools can cover several centres, so name the suburbs you can reliably reach.
What can you earn?
The Children’s Services Award separates Certificate III educators from experienced educators and diploma-level roles. These are permanent ordinary-hour minimums, before tax and excluding super.
| Qualification and classification | Hourly minimum |
|---|---|
| Certificate III — Level 3 qualified educator | $32.47 |
| Certificate III plus four years at Level 3 — Level 4 | $34.65 |
| Diploma — Level 5 advanced educator | $36.57 |
Rates from 1 July 2026. Levels 3–5 receive the adult rate regardless of age. Casual pay adds loading; early childhood teachers use a separate classification and may be covered by another award or agreement.
Sources and further reading
ACECQA individual qualification assessment
Only About Children casual recruitment
Sources checked 17 October 2026.
G8 Education — official recruitment · checked 17 October 2026