🌟 Your 60-Second Guide to NT Education Careers 🚀
The Northern Territory Department of Education (NT DoE) fuels learning across a landmass bigger than Spain and offers some of Australia’s most adventurous, well-resourced public-sector roles. Here’s the data-rich snapshot you need—no annual-report deep-dive required.
AT-A-GLANCE
• Name of Department / Council: Northern Territory Department of Education
• Location: Territory-wide (head office — Darwin)
• CEO: Karen Weston
• Total Revenue: $1.169 billion in 2023-24
• Total Number of Employees: 4,981 staff (4,548 FTE) as at 30 June 2024
DID YOU KNOW? 🤔
NT DoE educates 32,652 students across 153 government schools, 40 % of whom live in remote communities—making it one of the most geographically diverse education employers on earth.
THE QUALIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, TRADES, PROFESSIONS, WORK EXPERIENCES & SKILLS MOST SUITED TO NT DoE
• Top 5 academic qualifications most suited
Bachelor of Education – essential for classroom teaching.
Diploma of Early Childhood Education & Care – anchors preschool and FaFT programs.
Master of Educational Leadership – fast-tracks you into principal roles.
Certificate IV in School-Based Education Support – quick entry to assistant-teacher positions.
Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education – supports the department’s wellbeing and inclusion focus.
• Top 5 certifications most suited
NT Teacher Registration – legal requirement.
First Aid & CPR – critical when remote medical help is hours away.
Working With Children (OCHRE) Card – mandatory for all child-related roles.
Project Management Professional (PMP) – prized in ICT and capital-works projects.
Registered Psychologist – opens doors to school counselling and allied-health careers.
• Top 5 trades / professions most suited
Teachers & Senior Teachers – the largest cohort (2,433 FTE).
Administration Officers (AO1-7) – nearly 1,400 FTE keep schools running.
Principals & Executive Principals – 185 FTE lead urban and remote schools.
Allied-Health Professionals – speech pathologists, OTs and psychologists drive inclusion.
ICT Specialists – support the Student Administration & Management System.
• Top 5 skills most suited
Culturally Responsive Teaching – adapt pedagogy for multilingual classrooms.
Remote-Work Resilience – thrive in isolated settings or online delivery.
Data-Informed Instruction – use NAPLAN and attendance analytics to lift outcomes.
Stakeholder Engagement – collaborate with families and community leaders.
Project & Change Management – essential for curriculum reforms and ICT rollouts.
• Top 5 work experiences most suited
Leading literacy or numeracy improvement projects.
Managing multi-campus or distance-education programs.
Delivering VET pathways in remote areas.
Coordinating wellbeing or inclusion teams.
Implementing large-scale ICT or infrastructure upgrades.
THE KEY FACTS ✨
• Name of Department: Northern Territory Department of Education
• Name of CEO: Karen Weston
• Location: Territory-wide (regional offices in Darwin, Top End, Big Rivers, Central, Barkly & East Arnhem)
• Year Founded: Portfolio established at NT self-government in 1978.
• Mission & Purpose: Deliver equitable, high-quality education so every child becomes a confident, creative citizen. Example: the On-Country Learning Measure funds allied-health services so remote students receive speech therapy without leaving community.
• Main Duties: Operate government schools, regulate early-childhood services, set curriculum and drive student engagement. The Connected Beginnings program links health and early learning for Aboriginal families.
• Key Projects & Future Plans:
– Workload Reduction Action Plan – 18 actions to free teachers for core instruction.
– Central Region Division – targeted support already lifting attendance in Alice Springs area.
– Digital Equity Drive – laptop donations and improved connectivity for remote learners.
THE EMPLOYEES & REVENUE 💰
• Workforce Profile (FTE) – Teachers 1,855; Senior Teachers 578; Principals 124; AO1-4 956; AO5-7 426; Senior Admin 187; Assistant Teachers 179.
• Salary Bands – Classroom Teacher $92 k – $131 k; AO2-AO7 $60 k – $123 k; Principals up to $203 k.
• Average Salary (mid-point): ~$96 k.
• Total Revenue: $1.169 billion
• Average Revenue per Employee: ≈ $235 k (revenue ÷ headcount).
• Expenditure Snapshot: 95 % of spend flows directly to schools and early-childhood services.
GETTING A JOB AT NT DoE 🏆
Which Academic Subjects are in demand?
Certificate / Diploma Level: Education Support, Early Childhood, Community Services, ICT Support, Allied-Health Assistance.
Bachelor / Master Level: Education (all KLAs), Speech Pathology, Social Work, Cyber Security, Business Analytics.
PhDs: Remote-Area Pedagogy, Indigenous Education, Curriculum & Assessment, Educational Leadership.
Trades & Professions
Electricians, plumbers and carpenters for remote facilities; network engineers; speech pathologists; psychologists.
Work Experiences
NAPLAN improvement leadership; VET program delivery; multi-site budget management; capital-works coordination.
Skills
Soft skills: Cultural agility, resilience, community engagement, student-centred communication.
Technical skills: Power BI, LMS administration, project management, allied-health assessment.
General skills: 4WD safety, first aid, grant writing, public-sector governance.
Hobbies & Interests that align
Bushwalking, community sport coaching, language learning, sustainable gardening—activities valued in remote NT life.
WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THIS ORGANISATION?
Department of Education (Head Office)
Level 10, Mitchell Centre, 55-59 Mitchell St, Darwin NT 0800
GPO Box 4821, Darwin NT 0801
Phone: 08 8999 5659
Email: infocentre.det@education.nt.gov.au
Careers portal: jobs.nt.gov.au (filter “Department of Education”)
Teaching recruitment: teachintheterritory@education.nt.gov.au | 1800 646 391
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