Federal government chips in for early childhood educator pay rise

The federal government has chipped in to relieve cost of living pressures with a conditional pay bump for early childhood educators. Here’s how it will work.

Early childhood educators are set to receive a 15 per cent pay bump over the next two years.

Funded by the federal government, the increase will see educators in the nationwide sector paid 10 per cent more from December 2024.

An additional five per cent increase – announced during Early Learning Matters Week – will kick in from December 2025.

The increase amounts to an additional $103 and $155 per week respectively for workers paid at award rates.

Solomon MP Luke Gosling. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Solomon MP Luke Gosling said the pay bump would help Territorians who worked and used the sector’s services to tackle the cost of living.

He said the pay bump was conditional that services could not increase their fees by more than 4.4 per cent over the next 12 months from August 8.

Mr Gosling said the announcement was “great” for “everyone who cares about child care”.

“Early educators shape lives and change lives – we can never thank them enough for what they do, but we can make sure they are properly valued and fairly paid,” he said.

“Properly valuing the early childhood education and care workforce is crucial to attracting and retaining workers and vital to achieving the quality universal early learning sector Territory families deserve.

“A quality early childhood education sector is necessary to support children’s learning and development as well as workforce participation in the broader economy.”

Mr Gosling said the investment would deliver “even more cost of living relief” thanks to existing child care subsidies.

It comes after the NT government committed to a 13 per cent pay rise for teachers over the next three years.