Aged Care Award pay rates
Award code MA000018, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 17 adult classifications under the Aged Care Award 2010, from 1 July 2026: $1,055.40 to $1,541.90 a week before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$1,055.40a week
For Aged care employee, general, level 1. Up 4.75% from $1,007.50. Casuals get $34.71 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $1,055.40 a week, 5.0% above the National Minimum Wage of $1,004.90 a week. Of the 25 awards that set weekly rates, 4 have a higher minimum. The dashed line is the minimum wage; each tick is another award.
Pay by classification
Dollars a week, from 1 July 2026- Aged care employee, general, level 1$1,055.40
- Aged care employee, general, level 2$1,097.20
- Aged care employee, general, level 3$1,139.40
- Aged care employee, general, level 4$1,152.80
- Aged care employee, general, level 5$1,191.80
- Aged care employee, general, level 6$1,256.00
- Aged care employee, general, level 7$1,278.60
- Aged care employee, general, level 4$1,287.00
- Aged care employee, general, level 5$1,330.70
- Aged care employee, general, level 6$1,402.50
- Aged care employee, general, level 7$1,427.50
- Aged care employee, direct care, level 1, Introductory$1,239.00
- Aged care employee, direct care, level 2, Direct Carer$1,307.80
- Aged care employee, direct care, level 3, Qualified$1,376.70
- Aged care employee, direct care, level 4, Senior$1,431.80
- Aged care employee, direct care, level 5, Specialist$1,486.80
- Aged care employee, direct care, level 6, Team Leader$1,541.90
Hover or tap a row for last year's rate. Every rate, in every unit, is in the tables below.
Minimum pay by classification from 1 July 2026
Weekly rates are for a full-time week; hourly rates apply to full-time and part-time hours. Casual hourly adds the 25% loading.
Aged care employee, generalClause 14.1
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged care employee, general, level 1 | $1,055.40 | $27.77 | $34.71 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 2 | $1,097.20 | $28.87 | $36.09 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 3 | $1,139.40 | $29.98 | $37.48 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 4 | $1,152.80 | $30.34 | $37.93 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 5 | $1,191.80 | $31.36 | $39.20 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 6 | $1,256.00 | $33.05 | $41.31 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 7 | $1,278.60 | $33.65 | $42.06 |
Aged care employee, general, most senior food services employeeClause 14.2
| Classification | Weekly |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee, general, level 4 | $1,287.00 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 5 | $1,330.70 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 6 | $1,402.50 |
| Aged care employee, general, level 7 | $1,427.50 |
Aged care employee, direct careClause 14.3
| Classification | Weekly |
|---|---|
| Aged care employee, direct care, level 1, Introductory | $1,239.00 |
| Aged care employee, direct care, level 2, Direct Carer | $1,307.80 |
| Aged care employee, direct care, level 3, Qualified | $1,376.70 |
| Aged care employee, direct care, level 4, Senior | $1,431.80 |
| Aged care employee, direct care, level 5, Specialist | $1,486.80 |
| Aged care employee, direct care, level 6, Team Leader | $1,541.90 |
The Commission's pay database has no penalty or overtime rates for this award, so they aren't shown here; they're in the award itself, linked below. The 25% casual loading is from clause 10.4(b) of the award.
Allowances paid on top
7 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 8 cover costs you'd otherwise pay yourself, like meals, laundry or travel. The amounts are the Commission's, in force today; the award sets out exactly who gets each one and when.
For the work
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Leading hand allowance: 11 to 15 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 15.3(b) | $60.41 a week |
| Leading hand allowance: 16 or more employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 15.3(b) | $73.85 a week |
| Leading hand allowance: 2 to 5 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 15.3(b) | $33.54 a week |
| Leading hand allowance: 6 to 10 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 15.3(b) | $47.85 a week |
| Nauseous work allowance: Minimum payment per weekClause 15.5(a) | $3.39 a week |
| Nauseous work allowance: Per hour or part thereofClause 15.5(a) | $0.63 per hour or part thereof |
| Sleepover allowanceClause 22.9(d) | $65.31 a night |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry | ||
| Per shift or part thereofClause 15.2(b) | $0.33 per shift or part thereof | |
| Per weekClause 15.2(b) | $1.53 a week | |
| Uniform allowance | ||
| Per shift or part thereofClause 15.2(b) | $1.26 per shift or part thereof | |
| Per weekClause 15.2(b) | $6.41 a week | |
| Meal allowance, overtimeClause 15.4(a) | $17.30 each time | |
| Further 4 hours’ overtimeClause 15.4(a)(ii) | $15.60 each time | |
| Tool allowance, chefs and cooks who are not provided with necessary tools by employerClause 15.6 | $13.41 a week | |
| Temporary vehicle allowance, from 1 September 2026 to 28 February 2027Clause 15.7(aa) | $1.05 a km | |
The award is the final word
These are the minimum rates the Fair Work Commission publishes for the award. Shift rules, rostering and who each classification covers are in the award itself, and an enterprise agreement can set different pay. Employees no award or agreement covers get the National Minimum Wage: $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026.
Health and care
Questions people ask
- What is the minimum pay rate under the Aged Care Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $1,055.40 a week, for Aged care employee, general, level 1. The highest adult classification is $1,541.90 a week.
- How does the Aged Care Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $1,055.40 a week, 5.0% above the National Minimum Wage of $1,004.90 a week. Of the 25 awards that set weekly rates, 4 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Aged Care Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.75%, from $1,007.50 to $1,055.40 a week, in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review. The table shows each classification's rate before and after.
- What is the casual loading under the Aged Care Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements (clause 10.4(b) of the award). For Aged care employee, general, level 1 that makes $34.71 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Aged Care Award?
- 15 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a leading hand allowance: 11 to 15 employees of $60.41 a week, a leading hand allowance: 16 or more employees of $73.85 a week and a leading hand allowance: 2 to 5 employees of $33.54 a week. The full list, with the clause each comes from, is on this page.
- Where do these rates come from?
- The Fair Work Commission's Modern Awards Pay Database, which publishes every award's minimum rates; we read it when the Commission changes an award. The award itself prevails if the two ever differ, and an enterprise agreement can set different pay.
Source: Fair Work Commission, Modern Awards Pay Database, licensed CC BY 4.0, read 27 Oct 2026 and arranged by The Finance Algorithm. Not endorsed by the Fair Work Commission. Read with the award: if they differ, the award prevails. General information, not legal or payroll advice.