Are you thinking of becoming an early childhood teacher in New Zealand?
Plenty of jobs
Chances of being employed as an early childhood teacher are high due to a shortage of teachers in the country. This demand is expected to continue growing and features on Immigration New Zealand’s Regional Skill Shortage List.
Pay opportunities
A career in early childhood education provides opportunities to earn more than New Zealand’s national average of $61,828 per year.
Pay for early childhood teachers varies depending on qualifications, experience and place of work.
Early childhood teachers usually earn $51,000 to $90,000
Assistant head early childhood teachers usually earn $74,000 to $77,000
Head early childhood teachers who are responsible for staff usually earn $77,000 to 94,000
Senior early childhood teachers who run centres or services can earn $77,000 to $101,000
Work variety
Early childhood services in New Zealand are varied and teachers can work across a wide range of areas including:
Privately owned and not-for-profit community-based services that provide both sessional and all-day programmes, such as a crèche or kindergarten
Teacher-led home-based childcare
Services with a specific set of beliefs about teaching and learning, e.g. Rudolph Steiner and Montessori
A unique curriculum
New Zealand’s inclusive early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, is a world-renowned curriculum organised into principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes. Te Whāriki is used by early childhood educators in New Zealand to support young tamariki (children) to develop the capabilities they need to be confident and competent learners.
Find out more about Te Whāriki here
Career progression
After gaining experience, early childhood teachers can move into more senior positions such as head teacher or centre manager.
Early childhood teachers may also progress into related fields such as:
Policy work in the education sector
Youth or community work
Teaching trainee teachers in tertiary institutions