Children’s Services Award pay rates
Award code MA000120, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 13 adult classifications under the Children’s Services Award 2010, from 1 July 2026: $26.44 to $46.12 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$26.44an hour
For Level 1.1. $1,004.90 for a full-time week. Up 5.97% from $24.95. Casuals get $33.05 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $26.44 an hour, the same as the National Minimum Wage. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 57 have a higher minimum. The dashed line is the minimum wage; each tick is another award.
Pay by classification
Dollars an hour, from 1 July 2026- Level 1, Introductory Educator$28.81
- Level 2, Educator$29.69
- Level 3, Qualified Educator$32.47
- Level 4, Experienced Educator$34.65
- Level 5, Advanced Educator$36.57
- Level 6, Room Leader$38.25
- Level 7, Assistant Director$40.00
- Level 8, Director$46.12
- Level 2.2After 1 year$27.82
- Level 1.1On commencement$26.44
- Level 2.1On commencement$26.93
- Level 3.1On commencement$29.45
- Children’s Services Employee, Level 6, Room Leader$34.65
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.
Children’s Services Employees (CSE)Clause 14.1(b)
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, Introductory Educator | $1,094.80 | $28.81 | $36.01 |
| Level 2, Educator | $1,128.40 | $29.69 | $37.11 |
| Level 3, Qualified Educator | $1,233.90 | $32.47 | $40.59 |
| Level 4, Experienced Educator | $1,316.70 | $34.65 | $43.31 |
| Level 5, Advanced Educator | $1,389.50 | $36.57 | $45.71 |
| Level 6, Room Leader | $1,453.50 | $38.25 | $47.81 |
| Level 7, Assistant Director | $1,519.90 | $40.00 | $50.00 |
| Level 8, Director | $1,752.70 | $46.12 | $57.65 |
Support WorkerClause 14.2
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| After 1 yearLevel 2.2 | $1,057.00 | $27.82 | $34.78 |
| On commencementLevel 1.1 | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| On commencementLevel 2.1 | $1,023.40 | $26.93 | $33.66 |
| On commencementLevel 3.1 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
Minimum Rates, Former Level 4A Children’s Services EmployeesClause I.3.2
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children’s Services Employee, Level 6, Room Leader | $1,316.70 | $34.65 | $43.31 |
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 10.5(a) of the award.
Allowances paid on top
4 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Broken shift allowanceClause 15.1 | $21.38 a day | |
| First aid allowance | ||
| First aid allowanceClause 15.4(a) | $12.65 a day | |
| Out-of-school-hours careClause 15.4(a) | $1.68 an hour | |
| Educational leader allowanceClause 15.7 | $4,784.28 a year | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry | ||
| No ironing required, per dayClause 15.2(b) | $1.23 a day | |
| No ironing required, per weekClause 15.2(b) | $6.14 a week | |
| Per dayClause 15.2(b) | $1.95 a day | |
| Per weekClause 15.2(b) | $9.74 a week | |
| Excess fares allowanceClause 15.3 | $17.22 a day | |
| Meal, overtime for more than 2 hours without prescribed noticeClause 15.5 | $16.12 each time | |
| Motor vehicleClause 15.6 | $1.01 a km | |
| MotorcycleClause 15.6 | $0.34 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.
Questions people ask
- What is the minimum pay rate under the Children’s Services Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $26.44 an hour ($1,004.90 a week full time), for Level 1.1. The highest adult classification is $46.12 an hour.
- How does the Children’s Services Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $26.44 an hour, the same as the National Minimum Wage. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 57 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Children’s Services Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 5.97%, from $24.95 to $26.44 an hour, 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 Children’s Services Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements (clause 10.5(a) of the award). For Level 1.1 that makes $33.05 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Children’s Services Award?
- 12 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a broken shift allowance of $21.38 a day, a first aid allowance of $12.65 a day and a first aid allowance, out-of-school-hours care of $1.68 an hour. 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.