Secondary School Teachers

ANZSCO ID 2414

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
144,000
Future Growth
3.7%
Weekly Earnings
$2,052
Full-Time Share
76%
Female Share
62%
Average age
43

Summary

Secondary School Teachers teach one or more subjects within a prescribed curriculum to secondary school students and promote students' social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.

Specialisations: Secondary School Teacher-Librarian.

A bachelor degree in education majoring in secondary education is usually needed to work as a Secondary School Teacher. An alternative pathway is a degree in a relevant field followed by a postgraduate qualification in secondary education.

Tasks

  • presenting prescribed curriculum using a range of teaching techniques and materials

  • developing students' interests, abilities and coordination by way of creative activities

  • guiding discussions and supervising work in class

  • preparing, administering and marking tests, projects and assignments to evaluate students' progress and recording the results

  • discussing individual progress and problems with students and parents, and seeking advice from Student Counsellors and senior teachers

  • maintaining discipline in classrooms and other school areas

  • participating in staff meetings, educational conferences and workshops

  • liaising with parent, community and business groups

  • maintaining class and scholastic records

  • performing extra-curricular tasks such as assisting with sport, school concerts, excursions and special interest programs

  • supervising student teachers on placement

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Creative
  • Enterprising
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow moderately
  • is likely to reach 160,100 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
3.7%
(or 5,800 jobs)
From
154,300
in 2021
To
160,100
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 120,300
2012 147,100
2013 126,600
2014 122,900
2015 135,400
2016 140,800
2017 135,600
2018 131,400
2019 146,900
2020 147,100
2021 154,300
2026 160,100

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 76% of people employed as Secondary School Teachers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 10 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than half of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $2,052 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,846
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $2,180

    Median hourly earnings are $56, this is more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Secondary School Teachers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 2,052 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Education and Training
99.5%
2
Public Administration and Safety
0.4%
3
Health Care and Social Assistance
0.1%
  • Most Secondary School Teachers work in the Education and training industry.

    Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.


Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.5% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

26.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.7% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Secondary School Teachers All Jobs Average
NSW 33.5 31.6
VIC 26.4 25.6
QLD 19.0 20.0
SA 6.3 7.0
WA 10.2 10.8
TAS 2.2 2.0
NT 0.7 1.0
ACT 1.7 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
43
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
62%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Secondary School Teachers is 43 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 62% of the workforce. This is 14 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Secondary School Teachers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.2 5.0
20-24 4.2 9.3
25-34 25.8 22.9
35-44 23.9 22.0
45-54 23.5 21.6
55-59 11.1 9.0
60-64 7.8 6.0
65 and Over 3.6 4.2
Median Age 43 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in education majoring in secondary education is usually needed to work as a Secondary School Teacher. An alternative pathway is a degree in a relevant field followed by a postgraduate qualification in secondary education.

Registration or licencing is required.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Secondary School Teachers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 37.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 57.6 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 3.1 11.6
Certificate III/IV 0.2 21.1
Year 12 1.2 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.1 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Secondary School Teachers who can communicate and connect with others, who are caring, compassionate and empathetic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 63%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 55%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 54%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 54%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 54%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 52%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 50%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 50%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 50%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 48%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 46%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 45%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 43%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 43%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 41%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 78%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 69%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 62%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 60%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 59%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 58%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 56%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 54%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 54%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 52%

    History and archeology

    Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.

  • 46%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 46%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 45%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 44%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 41%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 40%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 38%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 35%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 27%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 27%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 64%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 59%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 55%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 54%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 54%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 52%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 50%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 48%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 46%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

  • 39%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 39%

    Speed of recognition

    Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 37%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 74%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 71%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 71%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 69%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 69%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 66%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 65%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 59%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 57%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 56%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 56%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 55%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 55%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 54%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 53%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 51%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 51%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 49%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 46%

    Providing office support

    Doing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 67%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 57%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 43%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 24%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 100%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 57%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 95%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 89%

    Public speaking

    Talk to a group of people.

  • 85%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 84%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 83%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 81%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 80%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 80%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 79%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 79%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 79%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 79%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 76%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 74%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 74%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 68%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-2031.00 - Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education.


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