Secondary School Teacher

A secondary school teacher plans, delivers and assesses curriculum-based lessons to students aged 12-18 across one or more subject areas within an Australian secondary school. The role involves designing learning activities aligned to the Australian Curriculum, managing classroom behaviour and student engagement, and reporting on student progress to parents and the school community.

Design lesson plans and learning sequences that align with the Australian Curriculum and state-based syllabus documents for assigned year levels and subject specialisations. Deliver structured classroom instruction using a range of pedagogical approaches including direct teaching, inquiry-based learning, and collaborative group work. Create and administer formative and summative assessments (tests, assignments, practical tasks) to measure student understanding against curriculum achievement standards. Mark student work and provide written or verbal feedback that identifies strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps in learning. Maintain detailed records of student attendance, behaviour, and academic progress using school management systems. Generate semester and annual reports documenting student achievement levels, working habits and conduct in accordance with school policy and state regulatory requirements. Conduct parent-teacher interviews and communicate student progress through written reports, email and formal meetings. Manage student behaviour through consistent application of school discipline policies, including detention, restorative practices and referrals to year-level coordinators.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). 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.

You'll spend 10 to 15 hours a week on marking and planning outside school hours, often unpaid. Pay is modest compared to other professions requiring a degree, and doesn't rise much after 10 years. Behaviour management in under-resourced schools can be draining. You're also exposed to significant emotional labour dealing with struggling or disruptive teens daily.

Most jobs are in metropolitan areas where student populations are largest. Regional and remote schools struggle to fill positions, especially in maths and science. Private schools concentrate in affluent suburbs. Demand is highest in growing outer suburbs and lowest in declining regional towns.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2413, 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
• Adapt teaching to student's capabilitiescore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Conflict Resolutioncore
• Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Digital Literacycore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Group Facilitationcore
• Inclusive Practicecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Report Writingcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliance
• Feedback Collection and Actioning
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Policy and Procedure Adherence
• Professional Boundaries Maintenance
• Record Management
• Research and Analysis
• Trauma-Informed Communication

• 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