Education and training: how the industry looks
This page gathers the figures we hold on education and training. Each section names its own source.
Each source groups industries its own way, so the edges of education and training differ a little from section to section.
- EBITDA margin10.5%share of sales, 2024-25
- Still trading after four years60.3%of businesses trading in June 2022
- Days to pay small suppliers14July to December 2025
- Wage change+2.9%the year to June 2026
The figures at a glance
- In July to December 2025, the typical large business paid small suppliers in 14 days in the industry and 23 days across all industries.
- Of businesses trading in June 2022, 60.3% in the industry and 61.9% across all industries were still trading four years later.
Where a line gives a figure across all industries, it comes from the same source and period as the industry's. The sections below name each source.
Use these figures
Set your own EBITDA margin beside the industry's on industry margins.
Set the days your own invoices take beside the industry's on payment times.
What businesses sold for
- Early learning and childcare4.0 times EBITDA, 5+ deals
Deal details
Early learning and childcare: median 4.0 times EBITDA (5+ deals of A$10 million to A$500 million, announced 2015 to 2021).
Source: deals in our database with a published value. Counts by onestepright.
How deal activity has moved
2015-19 against 2020-26, among the deals in our database.
These count deals in our database, not every deal in the market.
Source: deals in our database. Counts by onestepright.
Margins
In 2024-25, EBITDA was 10.5% of sales across the industry, and operating profit 6.0%.
- Purchases7.5%
- Labour58.4%
- Other costs
- EBITDA10.5%
Every business in the industry together, 2024-25.
Private providers only.
What is the average profit margin in education and training?
Across every education and training business added together, EBITDA was 10.5% of sales in 2024-25, and operating profit 6.0%.
Every business in the industry is added together, so the figures are not a typical business.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Industry (8155.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Compare margins across industries.
How many businesses are still trading
About 60 in every 100 were still trading four years later.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Compare survival across industries.
Businesses that started and stopped
Each is a share of the businesses trading at the start of the year.
Few exits are insolvencies.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Compare exits across industries.
How fast large businesses pay small suppliers
- This industry14
- All industries23
The typical large business in this industry, against all industries.
In July to December 2025, the typical large business in the industry paid small suppliers in 14 days, and paid 87% of its invoices within 30 days.
Source: Payment Times Reporting Register. © Commonwealth of Australia. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Compare payment times across industries.
What costs did
What wages and input prices did in this industry, and what businesses in it announced. Each comes from its own source and grouping of industries.
Each bar comes from its own source, named below.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Wage Price Index, Australia (6345.0), private sector, total hourly rates excluding bonuses. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
No ABS price series measures this industry's inputs closely enough to show.
Businesses in universities that announced a price rise stated a median of 3.8% across 2020 to 2024.
Source: businesses' own stated price rises, in our database. Medians by onestepright.
Price rises businesses announced
Universities: a median stated rise of 3.8%, from 10+ statements by 5+ businesses.
Source: businesses' own stated price rises, in our database. Medians by onestepright.
Small business cost ratios
The ATO publishes cost ranges for these small business industries in the sector.
Show the 4 industries
Source: Australian Taxation Office, Small business benchmarks 2023-24. © Australian Taxation Office for the Commonwealth of Australia. Not endorsed by the ATO.
See education and training in New Zealand.
See education and training in the United Kingdom.
See education and training in Canada.
See education and training in the United States.
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