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Discover High-Paying International School Teaching Jobs in Australia
Launch an extraordinary career with international school teaching jobs in Australia, where you can combine a top-tier educational environment with the world-famous Australian lifestyle. Qualified teachers are in high demand across the country, from the vibrant, cosmopolitan hubs of Sydney and Melbourne to the stunning coastal communities and unique regional towns. Teaching in Australia offers some of the highest teacher salaries globally (typically AUD $70,000 - $130,000+ per annum), competitive benefits, and a celebrated work-life balance that prioritises leisure, outdoor exploration, and professional growth through exposure to diverse international curricula. If you hold a recognised qualification (PGCE, QTS, B.Ed) and seek full relocation support with a clear pathway to a rewarding long-term career, securing a role in an Australian international school is your chance to embrace the sun-drenched beaches, world-class education system, and welcoming culture of the land Down Under.
Australia has one of the largest English language teaching industries in the world. Hundreds of thousands of international students arrive every year to study English before university, work or migration, and the colleges that teach them, known as ELICOS providers, are regulated by the federal government and pay some of the highest hourly rates in TEFL. The catch is that the sector is regulated on the teacher side too: to teach English in Australia you need a degree plus a recognised TESOL qualification, so choosing the right TEFL course matters more here than almost anywhere else.
British teachers have the easiest route in. Under the UK–Australia free trade agreement, UK passport holders can apply for the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) up to the age of 35, and since July 2024 can take a second and third year without doing any regional farm work. That gives you up to three years in Australia with full work rights and no employer sponsorship needed.
Citizens of Ireland, Canada and most of Western Europe are also eligible for the 417 visa; age limits and the regional work rule vary by nationality, so check the Department of Home Affairs website before applying.
The ELICOS Standards set three requirements for every teacher: a degree or diploma of at least three years' full-time study in any subject, a suitable TESOL qualification, and either TESOL teaching experience or formal mentoring from a senior colleague once you start. In practice colleges look for a TESOL certificate of at least 100 hours that sits at graduate level, and many, particularly in Victoria and New South Wales, also want to see a supervised teaching practicum. A short online-only TEFL of 120 hours or fewer with no practicum is regularly turned down.
That is why we recommend the Level 5 TEFL for Australia rather than an entry-level course. It is the only TEFL UK qualification regulated by Ofqual, it sits at the same level on the UK framework as a CELTA, and it gives you the methodology depth that an Australian academic manager expects to see on a CV.
Our 168-hour Level 5 TEFL is regulated by Ofqual, the UK government's qualifications regulator, and awarded through TQUK. For a regulated market like Australia, that distinction is what separates a qualification a college will accept from one it won't.
Already have a degree and want the strongest possible application for ELICOS work? Level 5 plus the practicum is the combination we recommend.
High wages come with high living costs, especially rent in Sydney and Melbourne, so most teachers aim for 20 or more teaching hours a week and share accommodation for the first few months. In return you get an outdoor lifestyle that is hard to match anywhere else: surf beaches within a bus ride of the classroom, national parks on the doorstep, and the whole of Asia-Pacific within reach for the long summer break.
International school teaching positions in Australia for teachers with a PGCE, QTS or BEd, paying AUD $70,000–130,000 with full relocation support and a pathway to long-term residency.
View the Teach in Australia jobGet the regulated TESOL qualification Australian colleges recognise. Most learners complete the 168-hour Level 5 course in 8–12 weeks alongside work, in time for the February or July intake.
Start the Level 5 TEFL courseYes, provided you also hold a degree and your TEFL qualification is substantial enough to satisfy the ELICOS Standards. Colleges look for a recognised TESOL qualification of 100 hours or more at graduate level, and many prefer one with a supervised practicum. A regulated Level 5 TEFL, ideally combined with a teaching practicum, meets that bar; a short online-only certificate usually does not.
Casual ELICOS teachers typically earn AUD $35–70 an hour depending on the college, city and experience, with university language centres and government-funded migrant programmes at the top of the range. Qualified teachers in international schools earn AUD $70,000–130,000 a year.
The 168-hour Level 5 TEFL. It is regulated by Ofqual and sits at Level 5 on the UK qualifications framework, the same level as a CELTA, which is what Australian academic managers benchmark against. Adding the 20-hour Teaching Practicum covers colleges that ask for observed teaching practice.
UK citizens aged 18 to 35 can use the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417), which gives full work rights for 12 months and can be renewed twice for up to three years without regional work. Outside that age range you would need an employer-sponsored or skilled visa, which is realistic for experienced ELICOS teachers and qualified school teachers.
Australia rewards teachers who arrive properly qualified: the pay and conditions are excellent, but the entry requirements are stricter than in most of Asia or Latin America. If you want to gain experience first, destinations such as Vietnam, Thailand or Spain are easier first postings, and a year there plus a Level 5 TEFL makes a strong Australian application.
