Early Childhood Teachers
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Assessment requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher equivalent qualifications + IELTS Reading and Writing score of 7, Speaking and Listening score of 8
In recent years, the demand for teachers in Australia has been increasing. With the rise of the Chinese language in Western countries, there will be great competition among education major graduates that possess bilingual ability in Chinese and English. The demand for early childhood teachers is also increasing. Job openings for early childhood teachers are among the highest in the entire education industry.
Currently, there are more than 20,000 vacancies in the job market. According to the Australian official data, early childhood teachers currently earn $1,007 per week and $52,364 per year.
The occupation ceiling for early childhood teachers is maintained at a steady level. However, the language requirements are high, and is suitable for students with a good foundation in English. Early childhood programs are offered at many institutions in Australia.
Social Workers
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Assessment requirements: AASW approved academic qualifications + IELTS score of 7 in each four components
Social work has become one of the fastest growing professions in Australia. It includes family counsellors, child protection workers and school counsellors. They are employed in youth centres, community service centres, immigration and refugee service centres, and policy making agencies.
Currently, the shortage of social workers continues to grow at an annual rate of 18%, with up to 7,000 vacancies in the current job market. Australia’s occupation ceiling for social workers is almost similar as the occupation ceiling allocated to accountants. The annual gross salary of social workers is around $57,200 per year.
Social work programs are mainly conducted through scenario stimulations, group discussions, and case studies, including a certain period of internship. Most social work programs do not involve much theoretical courses.
Law
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Assessment requirements: An Australian bachelor’s degree or Juris Doctor program + legal traineeship + legal practitioner registration certificate
Solicitors are highly regarded and are well-paid professions in Western society. The average gross salary of a full-time solicitor is currently $83,200. There are currently nearly 2,000 vacancies in the job market.
Chinese bachelor’s degree graduates can immediately undertake a 3-year Juris Doctor program in Australia to complete their law course. Students with a bachelor’s degree in law can also apply for credit exemption. Then, after 20 weeks of traineeship, they can directly apply for a practising certificate without taking a bar exam.
Actuarial Science
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Assessment requirements: Completion of a relevant degree program + one year of work experience
In recent years, due to the economic growth and financial internationalisation trend, there has been an increasing demand for actuaries. Actuaries are “the gold collar of the gold collars”, one of the top professions with the highest value and status. Actuaries are classified as the niche in skill shortage, but “the pay is promising”.
Currently, there are only around 5,000 actuaries in Australia. Although there are only 290 vacancies per year, but with no more than 300 actuarial graduates from Australian universities every year, employment is not a problem. The average gross salary of a newly qualified actuary is $100,000 per year, and salary rises quickly. If promoted to senior actuary, the annual salary can easily reach $250,000 per year.
Quantity surveying
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Assessment requirements: Completion of an AIQS accredited Australian bachelor’s degree of master’s degree course; 2 years of relevant work experience is required for non-AIQS accredited courses
Quantity surveying is different with other engineering programs in that it does not require a high-level of engineering skills, the scope of study is in between engineering and business, and students who have a good command of Mathematics and English can apply. Quantity surveyors work on a wide range of projects, including offices, schools, hospitals, factories, bridges, railways, oilfields and mines. They provide the best professional advice from project tendering, project construction, to the final completion.
Quantity surveyor has always been an occupation in short supply in Australia. The average gross salary is $72,449. There are currently over 3,000 vacancies in the job market.
Architecture
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Assessment requirements: Master’s degree (A 5-year bachelor’s degree in architecture is required for domestic application for a master’s degree in Australia)
Architecture is a highly specialised profession in Australia, which has both migration and employment advantages. If you want to study architecture in Australia, you need to have a relevant bachelor’s degree background. Therefore, international students will not flock together, and there is a good language environment. Moreover, because there is a shortage of architecture professionals in Australia, the employment pressure is small, the market demand is high, and the employment rate is high. Even if you return to your home country, you will still have a high starting point and be of high demand.
The architectural profession has gone unnoticed for a long time on the Australian Skilled Occupation List. Every year, the Department of Home Affairs generously shares over 1,000 places for architects, but the applications received are very, very, very little (it has to be said three times as it is really little).
The average gross salary for a fresh architecture graduate is currently $52,200, while an experienced architect can earn at least $99,600. If an architect is involved in real estate projects, they will certainly earn even more. Architects with 2 years of experience can earn an average of $58,000 per year, while project managers in the real estate industry can earn over $80,000 per year.
Nursing
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Assessment requirements: Completion of approved programs of study (Usually a bachelor’s degree) + IELTS score of 7 in each four components
Nursing has always been a sought-after profession in Australia. It has high employment rates, high work benefits and good social status. There is an increasing demand for nursing professionals in Australia, and there are many job openings as well. Nurses are listed in Skilled Occupation List of the Australian Department of Home Affairs every year. The employment scope of graduates is not limited to hospitals, but also in airports, schools and the community. Private nursing care is also a very good choice, with nearly a 100% employment rate. The bachelor’s degree program in nursing offered by Australian institutions are usually 3 years in length, with a strong emphasis on the combination of theory and practice.
Currently, there is a large shortage of registered nurses in Australia. However, if you do not meet the language requirements, you will not be able to obtain the registered nurse certificate after graduation. Usually, public health care systems and private hospitals will open new graduation programs at the second half of each year. This is a good transition option for students who temporarily have not passed the IELTS exam.
There are currently more than 1,000 job openings in the Australian job market. The average gross weekly salary for a registered nurse is $1,289, and the annual salary is $67,028.
Medicine
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Assessment requirements: AHPRA approved programs of study (Usually at least 5 years) + IELTS score of 7 in each four components
Doctors are the highest paid professions in Australia. However, the long length of studies and the high tuition fees discourage students from pursuing a medical degree. For example, a bachelor’s degree in medicine at the University of Western Sydney lasts 5 years, while a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in the University of Sydney takes a total of 7 years, with an annual tuition fee of $43,000.
It is more complicated for Chinese students who want to study medicine abroad. Medical relevant programs in China are not recognised in Australia, so admission is different from other programs. A foundation program is required for this program before admission. Not only that, admission to medical programs require high academic scores (basically perfect scores, most schools currently do not accept scores from college entrance exams), and an extremely strict interview where decisions are determined by multiple examiners (with a very low passing rate). The study of medicine requires a higher level of English, reading and comprehension level, complex problem solving and decision-making skills.
There have been international students in Australia who became doctors just by completing their studies, but only a few have managed to do so. In actual practice, many students take a slightly indirect path. For example, they apply for nursing or physiotherapist programs, obtain permanent residence and professional qualification, then only do they take their time to obtain their medical license.
Let’s take a General Practitioner (GP) for example. The average weekly salary of a GP is $2,100, with an annual gross salary of $109,200. There are currently more than 3,000 vacancies for GPs in the job market.
Physiotherapy
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Assessment requirements: Completion of a certified course (Usually a bachelor’s degree) + IELTS score of 7 in each four components
The job prospects for physiotherapists are very promising. Many students have already secured their jobs during their internships. However, due to the relatively high requirements of the program and the limited number of places available, only students with excellent academic foundations have the opportunity to enter the program.
Currently, the average gross salary of a physiotherapist is $1375, with an annual salary of $71,500. There are nearly 3,000 job openings for physiotherapists.
Information Technology (IT)
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Assessment requirements: Australian Computer Society (ACS) accredited course + one-year work experience/Professional Year Program
The computing industry is also one of the industries with strong momentum in Australia at the moment. Survey shows that those in the 23-25 age group who are working in the computing industry earn significantly higher salaries than those in other industries. IT is widely used in Australia and is in demand by both government and business to varying degrees. IT is highly skills-based, so students who are weaker in English can strongly consider it.
The starting salary for IT professions are not high, currently around $40,000 per year, but will rise quickly with the accumulation of experience. The annual gross salary of a software programmer can reach $83,720, while the annual gross salary of a systems analysist is $87,256. The annual gross salary for a computer networking specialist is $749.84 million per year.