Driving Instructor
A driving instructor teaches learner and provisional drivers the practical skills, road rules, and safe driving behaviours required to operate vehicles lawfully in Australia.
What this job is
A driving instructor teaches learner and provisional drivers the practical skills, road rules, and safe driving behaviours required to operate vehicles lawfully in Australia. They conduct one-on-one or small group tuition in dual-control vehicles, assess student progress against Australian road safety standards, and prepare students for licensing tests administered by state and territory authorities.
Are employers advertising this role?
Fewer than 50 vacancies were advertised nationally in the latest month. The numbers are too small to draw a reliable trend.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Conduct practical driving lessons in dual-control vehicles, demonstrating and correcting vehicle handling, positioning, and control techniques. Teach road rules aligned with Australian Road Rules and state-specific traffic legislation. Assess student competency in hazard perception, risk management, and defensive driving behaviours. Provide feedback on driving errors and develop individualised lesson plans based on student progress and learning needs. Prepare students for practical driving tests administered by relevant state or territory licensing authorities (e.g. VicRoads, Transport for NSW). Maintain accurate records of lesson content, student progress, and hours completed to meet licensing and insurance requirements. Perform pre-lesson vehicle safety checks including mirrors, brakes, tyres, and dual-control functionality. Manage student anxiety and build confidence through positive reinforcement and structured progression.
Who does this now
About 4,500 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Registration or licensing is required.
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
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.
The honest hard part
Your income depends entirely on how many hours you can book and how much you charge per lesson. Most instructors are self-employed or franchise operators, so you wear all the costs: vehicle maintenance, fuel, insurance, and certification renewal. Many struggle to fill their schedule, especially in quieter regions. The work is emotionally draining because you spend hours with anxious or frustrated students, and you can't escape if someone is rude or panics behind the wheel.
Where the jobs are
Capital cities have the most demand because that's where populations are densest and most learner drivers cluster. Regional and rural areas have fewer instructors but also fewer learners, so income is less reliable. Most work is based from home or small offices. Remote delivery is not an option.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 4512, 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.
Skills
- Active Listeningcore
- Adapt to new technology used in carscore
- Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
- Appointment Schedulingcore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Car controlscore
- Customer Needs Assessmentcore
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
- Feedback Collection and Actioningcore
- Goal Setting and Planningcore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Adapt teaching to student's capabilities
- Adult education
- Conflict De-escalation
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
- Inclusive Practice
- Invoicing and Billing Administration
- Policy and Procedure Adherence
- Record Management
- Written Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- 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.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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