Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer

An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer works within schools, education centres, or community organisations to support the academic achievement and cultural wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. They bridge gaps between students' home cultures and the mainstream education system, deliver culturally responsive teaching support, and advocate for the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners within educational settings. The role involves direct student support, liaison with families and communities, and collaboration with teachers to embed Indigenous perspectives and practices into learning programmes.

Provide one-on-one and small-group tutoring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in literacy, numeracy, and curriculum areas. Develop and deliver culturally appropriate learning materials that incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, languages, and knowledge systems. Support students' transition between year levels and into post-secondary education pathways through mentoring and guidance. Liaise with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to understand student circumstances, address barriers to attendance, and build home-school partnerships. Collaborate with classroom teachers to implement differentiated teaching strategies and accommodations that support student engagement and learning outcomes. Advocate for the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in curriculum planning and whole-school policies. Monitor and report on student academic progress, attendance patterns, and wellbeing using school data systems. Facilitate and contribute to Reconciliation Action Plan development and implementation within the school or organisation.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Pay is low and capped. Most positions are part-time or contract-based with irregular hours, making it hard to build stable income. You'll carry emotional weight supporting students facing systemic disadvantage and trauma, with limited resources. Career progression without teaching qualifications is slow.

Some positions in outer suburbs of major cities. Employment is tied directly to where Indigenous communities are located, not metro job markets.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 4221, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Assess studentscore
• Assess the development of youthcore
• Assist students in their learningcore
• Case Note Documentationcore
• Community Developmentcore
• Conflict Resolutioncore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Group Facilitationcore
• Handle children's problemscore
• Inclusive Practicecore
• Maintain relations with children's parentscore
• Participant or Client Advocacycore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Service Navigation and Referralcore
• Social developmentcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Trauma-Informed Communicationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliance
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Curriculum objectives
• Digital Literacy
• Encourage students to acknowledge their achievements
• Give constructive feedback
• Guarantee students' safety
• Learning difficulties
• Perform classroom management
• Policy and Procedure Adherence
• Professional Boundaries Maintenance
• Record Management
• Referral Coordination
• Report Writing
• Team Collaboration

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026