JavaScript is required
Male teacher sitting with high school aged students around a table.

What teaching’s like as a career?

Salaries, benefits and stories from real teachers about life as a teacher in Victoria.

Teachers help to share the lives of young people. They inspire curiosity about the world and encourage students to reach their full potential. As a teacher in a Victorian government school, you have an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of your students.

Salaries and supports for teachers

The base salary for graduate teachers in Victorian government schools currently begins at $78,021 and with experience, it progresses up to $126,992 for a leading teacher. For a full breakdown of teacher salaries in Victorian government schools, visit the guide to salary rates.

Ongoing professional development and career progression is a key priority and there are many roles available to skilled teachers. From the moment they start in a new role, graduate teachers can unlock professional development opportunities to support their progression. To find out more, visit information and supports for graduate teachers.

Financial incentives for teachers

There are currently financial incentives available for:

Hard-to-staff positions - incentive payments to attract more teachers to hard to fill positions in Victorian government schools.

Graduate teachers - one-off payments to help you jump start your teaching career.

What it’s like to be a teacher in Victoria

Find out what a career in teaching is really like and hear from teachers who share their experiences.

Shelley Richardson, Maths Teacher and Inclusion Leader

Shelley is a maths teacher and Inclusion Leader at Elisabeth Murdoch College in Langwarrin. As a neurodivergent person herself, she knows the value in tailoring the classroom to the needs of students. Watch how she and her inclusion team focuses on the overall wellbeing of their students.

Stephanie Swain, Koorie Co-ordinator

Stephanie found out she is Indigenous when she was at university and is now a Koorie Co-ordinator at Berwick Secondary College. She is passionate about making her school a culturally safe space where her students can build cultural connections.

Alex Johnson, Physical Education Teacher

For Alex, physical activity and training for triathlons helps her be a better teacher. She also uses physical education to help her students build their skills and confidence at Yarra Me school in Preston.

Matt Brand, Assistant Principal

Matt always wanted to be a primary school teacher. Moving from the UK to Victoria allowed him to pursue his passion subjects like Information and Communication Technology and he’s now the Assistant Principal at Kingsley Park Primary School. He uses new and engaging technologies to connect with his students and motivate them to celebrate school life.

Trish Singh

Trish loves teaching the children at Glen Waverley Primary School. In this video Trish shares what gives her joy every day, and hears from her students about the impact she’s had.

Empowering First Nations educators

Created in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association, in this webinar we hear from Koorie teachers who talk about their experiences in the classroom and discuss the pathways and incentives available for Koorie teaching students.

Explore teaching in rural and regional Victoria

In partnership with Youthrive Victoria, we hear first-hand from teachers who talk about their experience of living and working in rural and regional Victoria. We explore the impact of becoming a teacher in a regional community and the incentives available to pursue a teaching career in rural and regional Victoria.

Unlock your pathway to teaching through TAFE

In this enlightening webinar, we hear from everyday teachers who have made the leap into teaching using TAFE as a pathway. They discuss their own pathways into teaching, and we discover how TAFE can support your journey into a career in teaching.

Teaching for Victoria's Youth

In partnership with Culture Spring, in this webinar we discuss the pathways into teaching for young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, focusing on the opportunities available for those having left school and sharing the pathways available into a career in teaching.

Pathways for Career Switchers

In this insightful webinar, we hear from inspiring individuals who have transitioned from diverse professions into the world of teaching. We discover their pathway into teaching and explore the impact that becoming a teacher has had on their lives.

Updated