Early Childhood, School and Specialist Education Teachers

How to become a Specialist Teacher

Official title: Specialist Teacher (Vision Impairment)

Promotes and supports equity, inclusion, learning and wellbeing of students who are blind or have low vision, deaf-blindness or multiple disability, by building teacher capacity and student strengths, and by promoting evidence-based practices across all aspects of the curriculum and learning environment.

Main tasks

Supports and promotes inclusion and equitable access, participation and engagement of vision impaired students in education and learning
Works in a multidisciplinary team with students, parents and carers, teachers, school learning and support staff, eye health and allied health professionals, and other stakeholders
Supports teachers to develop learning plans, and provides reasonable adjustments to the curriculum, teaching and learning strategies, assessment, educational materials and the learning environment for vision impaired students
Supports student acquisition of vision-specific skills, including skills in compensatory access to information, communication and literacy, sensory efficiency, technology, orientation and mobility, independent living, social interaction, recreation and leisure, career education and self-determination
Provides information and professional learning for school staff on evidence-based best practices in education for students with blindness and low vision
Supports school staff in interpreting assessments and recommendations for clinical and functional eye health, literacy and learning media, and optical and assistive technology for learning
Facilitates the timely provision of textbooks and instructional materials in alternative formats, including braille, large print and digital/audio
Contributes to school documentation of vision impaired student information

Ways in

University: Education & Teaching degrees, Offered by 37 universities in Australia
TAFE and VET: Graduate Diploma of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice (TAE80113); Graduate Diploma of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Leadership (TAE80213)
Licence or registration: Registration or licensing is required.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Typical full-time pay: $112,320 a year
About 29,600 people work in this job group now, and about 33,400 are projected by 2035. (+12.6%)
AI is likely to change parts of this job. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Specialist Teacher?

Ways in include: Education & Teaching degrees; Graduate Diploma of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice; Graduate Diploma of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Leadership.

How much does a Specialist Teacher earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $112,320 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Specialist Teacher a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 13% by 2035, from about 29,600 to about 33,400 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Specialist Teacher?

Usually. 92% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Specialist Teacher?

AI is likely to change parts of this job. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as medium.

Sources

Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04