Aged Care Workers Pay Rates
Direct-care pay under the Aged Care Award — current rates, penalties & allowances
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Roles & Wages
| Role | Pay Point | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Aged Care Worker Direct Care AINs, personal care assistants and other direct-care workers in residential aged care. | Level 1 — Introductory (first 3 months) | $32.61 $64,634.5 / yr |
| Level 2 — Direct Carer (3+ months) | $34.42 $68,223.57 / yr | |
| Level 3 — Qualified (Cert III Individual Support) | $36.23 $71,817.85 / yr | |
| Level 4 — Senior (Cert III + 4 years at Level 3) | $37.68 $74,692.23 / yr | |
| Level 5 — Specialist (Cert IV Ageing Support) | $39.13 $77,561.4 / yr | |
| Level 6 — Team Leader (Cert IV, supervises carers) | $40.58 $80,435.78 / yr |
Allowances
| Allowance | Unit | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Leading hand — 2–5 employees In charge of 2–5 employees; all-purpose, 2.67% of the standard rate (auto-adjusts). Clause 15.3(b). | per week | $33.54 |
Leading hand — 6–10 employees In charge of 6–10 employees; all-purpose, 3.81% of the standard rate. Clause 15.3(b). | per week | $47.85 |
Leading hand — 11–15 employees In charge of 11–15 employees; all-purpose, 4.81% of the standard rate. Clause 15.3(b). | per week | $60.41 |
Leading hand — 16+ employees In charge of 16 or more employees; all-purpose, 5.88% of the standard rate. Clause 15.3(b). | per week | $73.85 |
Nauseous work $0.63 per hour or part thereof, minimum $3.39 per week. Clause 15.5(a). | per hour | $0.63 |
Sleepover 8–10 hour sleepover span, plus free board and lodging. The award has no on-call provisions — sleepovers are the closest equivalent. Clause 22.9(d). | per night | $65.31 |
Uniform allowance $1.26 per shift, or $6.41 per week — whichever is the lesser. Clause 15.2(b). | per week (max) | $6.41 |
Laundry allowance $0.33 per shift, or $1.53 per week — whichever is the lesser. Clause 15.2(b). | per week (max) | $1.53 |
Meal allowance — overtime When overtime exceeds 1 hour and no adequate meal is supplied. Clause 15.4(a). | per occasion | $17.30 |
Meal allowance — additional A further amount where overtime exceeds a further 4 hours. Clause 15.4(a)(ii). | per occasion | $15.60 |
Tool allowance Chefs and cooks not provided with all necessary tools (general stream). Clause 15.6. | per week | $13.41 |
Vehicle allowance Authorised use of own vehicle on duty. Clause 15.7(a). | per km | $1.01 |
Penalty Rates
Ordinary hours worked on a Saturday. Casual: 175% absolute — replaces the 25% loading, not on top of it.
Ordinary hours worked on a Sunday. Casual: 200% absolute.
Ordinary hours worked on a public holiday (casual: 275% absolute). Permanent staff may instead elect equivalent time added to annual leave.
Whole-of-shift loading chosen by the shift’s start time (casuals: added to the 25% loading).
Afternoon shift — whole-of-shift loading.
Night shift — whole-of-shift loading.
Early-morning night shift — whole-of-shift loading.
Casual: 187.5% — the 25% loading is compounded into casual overtime.
Casual: 250%.
All weekend overtime (casual: 250%).
Overtime worked on a public holiday (casual: 312.5%).
Part-time/casual broken shifts worked beyond the maximum 12-hour daily span (casual: 225%).
On ordinary hours. Weekend, public-holiday and overtime casual rates above are absolute substitutes; shift loadings are additive.
Notes
- •Aged Care Award 2010 [MA000018] direct-care classifications (levels 1–6), effective the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 (Annual Wage Review 2026). The next change is expected 1 July 2027.
- •Covers AINs, personal care assistants and other direct-care workers in residential aged care. Since 1 January 2025, nursing assistants in residential aged care are classified under this award — ENs, RNs and NPs in aged care remain on the Nurses Award 2020 aged-care scales (see the Federal page).
- •Home-care employees are covered by the SCHADS Award, not this award. The award’s general stream (food services, cleaning, maintenance and administration, levels 1–7) is not shown here — see the FWO pay guide.
- •Shift allowances are a whole-of-shift loading chosen by the shift’s start time. Employees working fewer than 38 hours per week only qualify when the shift starts before 6am or finishes after 6pm.
- •This award has no on-call provisions, so MyRoster shows no on-call entry for it — that’s the award, not a gap. Sleepovers (allowance above) are the closest equivalent.
- •Weekly rates shown are the ordinary (base) rate; hourly and annual figures are derived from a 38-hour week. Verified against the FWO Pay Guide and the FWC consolidated award, current as at July 2026.
- •Schedule I preserved rates for some employees classified before 1 January 2025 are not shown — use the FWO Pay & Conditions Tool.
- •Source: Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018), Fair Work Commission consolidated award — awards.fairwork.gov.au
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