Your Guide to Teaching in Tasmania

Teaching in Tasmania starts with two registrations: the Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania (TRB) and a Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP). Teachers in government schools earn between $74,869 and $119,989 a year, and relief teachers are paid hourly, from $41.13 up to $67.24 depending on experience. Most jobs are in Hobart and Launceston, with generous incentives for regional and hard-to-staff schools. Relief teachers find consistent work through the state relief register and ClassCover. Here is the full path, step by step.

How do you become a teacher in Tasmania?

Every teacher in a Tasmanian school needs the same two credentials, whether the school is government, Catholic or independent: registration with the Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania (TRB) and a current Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP). Here is the path from qualification to classroom.

• Complete an approved teaching qualification. The TRB requires an accredited initial teacher education (ITE) degree, such as a Bachelor of Education or a Master of Teaching. AITSL publishes the full list of accredited programs.
• Apply for your RWVP. This is Tasmania’s working with children check, and your teacher registration cannot be finalised without it. The Employment/Volunteer class costs $137.20 and the registration lasts five years, with processing taking up to six weeks. Apply early so it never holds up a job offer.
• Demonstrate English language proficiency, if it applies to you. Teachers who completed their qualification outside Australia, Ireland, the UK, New Zealand, Canada or the USA need to meet the TRB’s English language requirement through an approved test such as IELTS. Check the current score requirements with the TRB before booking a test.
• Register with the TRB. First-year registration costs $186.41, including the once-off application fee, then $121.32 a year to maintain (2026–27 fees). You can pay up to five years ahead. Already registered in another state? Mutual recognition lets you transfer without requalifying. Our guide to teacher mutual recognition between states walks through how it works.

How do Tasmanian government schools hire teachers?

The Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) runs Tasmania’s government schools, and hiring works through two channels.

Permanent and fixed-term roles are advertised through the DECYP teacher careers pages and the Tasmanian Government jobs site. Fixed-term contracts are common for early-career teachers and often lead to permanent positions.

Relief work runs through the Teacher Fixed-Term and Relief Employment Register. You record your availability, preferred regions and school types once, and schools contact you directly when they need cover. Joining the register is the first practical step for any relief teacher in Tasmania.

DECYP also suggests introducing yourself to schools in person: leave a copy of your resume with the front office, mention you are on the relief register, and ask to meet the principal or relief coordinator.

How much do teachers get paid in Tasmania?

Classroom teachers in Tasmanian government schools earn between $74,869 and $119,898 a year, moving up one salary level annually. A graduate with a four-year qualification starts at Band 1 Level 5, which is $82,828.

Relief teachers are paid by the hour. Under the current DECYP salary scales (as at May 2026), a four-year trained relief teacher earns between $41.13 and $67.24 an hour depending on their level. A new graduate starts at around $45.51 an hour.

Wondering how that compares with other states? Our teacher salary guide covers every state and territory.

Where are the teaching jobs in Tasmania?

Hobart has the largest share of the state’s schools, so it offers the steadiest flow of relief days and advertised roles. Launceston anchors the north with its own cluster of government, Catholic and independent schools, and the North-West (Devonport, Burnie and surrounds) has consistent demand with fewer teachers competing for it.

The further you go from the cities, the stronger the incentives become:

• Hard-to-staff schools. Nine schools, including Smithton High School, New Norfolk High School and Montrose Bay High School, attract lump sum payments of $1,000 after six weeks of Term 1 and a further $2,275 after six weeks of Term 3 under the incentive program that began in 2025.
• Isolated schools. Tasmania’s eight remote schools, including King Island, Flinders Island and the west coast schools, offer a $5,000 settling-in payment for a two-year commitment, additional annual payments starting at $3,138, and a higher starting salary (Band 1 Level 8 instead of Level 5 for beginning teachers). At four west coast schools, department accommodation costs $10 a week.

DECYP has more on teaching in regional Tasmania, and if you are weighing up a move, our piece on why you should go bush as an educator shares stories from teachers who have done it.

Should you look at Catholic and independent schools too?

Yes. Catholic Education Tasmania operates Catholic schools across the state and advertises teaching and relief opportunities directly. Independent schools hire individually, and Independent Schools Tasmania lists the sector’s schools so you can approach the ones near you.

The same TRB registration and RWVP apply across all three sectors, so once you are registered you can work anywhere in the state.

What about professional development?

All registered teachers in Tasmania, including relief teachers, need to complete professional learning each year to maintain their registration. Relief teachers rarely get paid PD days, which is where ClassCover Learn helps: over 150 hours of on-demand, online PD you can complete around your bookings.

How do relief teachers get consistent bookings in Tasmania?

The relief register makes you visible to DECYP schools. Consistent work comes from being easy to find and easy to book.

Around 50% of Tasmania’s public schools use ClassCover to find and book relief teachers. Create your free teacher profile, then use Find New Schools to browse schools in your area and request to join their lists. Schools can also find you and send an invite, so a complete profile works for you even while you sleep.

A few habits make the difference between occasional days and a full calendar:

• Keep your availability up to date. Schools book the teachers they can see are free.
• Turn on push notifications. Booking requests land on your phone the moment a school sends them.
• Join more school lists. The more schools you are connected to, the more requests come your way.
• Keep your profile complete. A photo, qualifications and an up-to-date resume help schools book you with confidence. Our free relief teacher resume template is a good starting point.

Looking beyond day-to-day relief? ClassCover Jobs lists casual, part-time, contract and permanent teaching roles across Tasmania, with new opportunities posted regularly.