Aged care pay rates from 1 July 2026
Aged Care Award [MA000018]. Covers: residential and in-home aged care, including support, kitchen and gardening staff. Pay depends on your classification and when you work.
Rates effective 1 July 2026, last checked 17 October 2026. Source: Fair Work pay guides effective 1 July 2026.
Check a shift. These are the ordinary hourly rates only. The pay checker works out weekend, evening, overtime and public holiday pay for this award. For allowances and special rules, use the official pay guide (PDF) or the Fair Work Pay Calculator.
Aged care - General employees, full-time and part-time hourly rate
Ordinary hours.
| Classification | Adult |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee - level 1 | $27.77 |
| Aged care employee - level 2 | $28.87 |
| Aged care employee - level 3 | $29.98 |
| Aged care employee - level 4 | $30.34 |
| Aged care employee - level 5 | $31.36 |
| Aged care employee - level 6 | $33.05 |
| Aged care employee - level 7 | $33.65 |
Aged care - General - Most senior food services employees, full-time and part-time hourly rate
Ordinary hours.
| Classification | Adult |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee - level 4 | $33.87 |
| Aged care employee - level 5 | $35.02 |
| Aged care employee - level 6 | $36.91 |
| Aged care employee - level 7 | $37.57 |
Aged care - Direct care employees, full-time and part-time hourly rate
Ordinary hours.
| Classification | Adult |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 1 - Introductory | $32.61 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 2 - Direct carer | $34.42 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 3 - Qualified | $36.23 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 4 - Senior | $37.68 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 5 - Specialist | $39.13 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 6 - Team leader | $40.58 |
Aged care - General employees, casual hourly rate
Includes the 25% casual loading. Ordinary hours.
| Classification | Adult |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee - level 1 | $34.71 |
| Aged care employee - level 2 | $36.09 |
| Aged care employee - level 3 | $37.48 |
Aged care - General - Most senior food services employees, casual hourly rate
Includes the 25% casual loading. Ordinary hours.
| Classification | Adult |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee - level 4 | $42.34 |
| Aged care employee - level 5 | $43.78 |
| Aged care employee - level 6 | $46.14 |
| Aged care employee - level 7 | $46.96 |
Aged care - Direct care employees, casual hourly rate
Includes the 25% casual loading. Ordinary hours.
| Classification | Adult |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 1 - Introductory | $40.76 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 2 - Direct carer | $43.03 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 3 - Qualified | $45.29 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 4 - Senior | $47.10 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 5 - Specialist | $48.91 |
| Aged care employee - direct care - level 6 - Team leader | $50.73 |
These are minimum rates. An enterprise agreement or contract can pay more but not less. Some rows in the pay guide are not shown here when we could not confirm them against the other figures. The pay guide has the full list.
Common questions
Where do these rates come from?
The Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for the Aged Care Award [MA000018], effective 1 July 2026. The award itself applies if there is any difference.
Are weekend, evening, overtime and allowance rates included?
This page shows ordinary hourly rates only. The pay checker works out penalty rates and overtime for a shift. Allowances, apprentice and trainee rates are in the official pay guide, which is linked below.