Southern Cross Care Pay Rates 2026: Carer, Nurse & Support Staff Pay
What Southern Cross Care workers should be paid in 2026 — the Aged Care Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Southern Cross Care enterprise agreements sit.
Small Business & Compliance Writer · Former small business owner · Cert IV in Small Business Management
Who covers Southern Cross Care workers — award or agreement?
Southern Cross Care is a family of separate Catholic not-for-profit aged care providers — SA, NT & Vic, NSW & ACT, Queensland, WA and Tasmania each run their own organisation — operating residential homes, retirement villages and home care. Personal carers, nurses, hospitality and lifestyle staff are the core workforce.
Each state body bargains its own enterprise agreements (our corpus lists several below), sitting above the Aged Care Award 2010 and the Nurses Award. Because the organisations are separate employers, check which Southern Cross Care entity is on your payslip before matching an agreement; the award ladder below applies to all of them.
The federal awards relevant to Southern Cross Care roles:
- Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018)
- Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034)
Workforce snapshot. In the 2024-25 Workplace Gender Equality Agency reports, the 3 Southern Cross Care organisations that report separately (Southern Cross Care (Sa, Nt & Vic) Incorporated; Southern Cross Care (Nsw & Act) Limited; Southern Cross Care (Qld) Ltd) declared 6,749 employees between them. Source: WGEA 2025 Public Data File, data.gov.au (CC-BY 3.0 AU).
Aged care award floor — direct care (1 July 2026)
After the aged care work value case, the Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018) direct-care ladder (personal care workers, assistants in nursing, care team leaders) is:
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Direct care level 1 — Introductory | $32.61/hr | $40.76/hr |
| Direct care level 2 — Direct Carer | $34.42/hr | $43.02/hr |
| Direct care level 3 — Qualified | $36.23/hr | $45.29/hr |
| Direct care level 4 — Senior | $37.68/hr | $47.10/hr |
| Direct care level 5 — Specialist | $39.13/hr | $48.91/hr |
| Direct care level 6 — Team Leader | $40.58/hr | $50.72/hr |
The FWC publishes these direct-care rates weekly; hourly figures are the weekly rate ÷ 38, matching the Fair Work pay guide presentation.
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
Aged care award floor — general stream (1 July 2026)
Catering, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, lifestyle and administration staff sit on the general stream:
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| General stream level 1 | $27.77/hr | $34.71/hr |
| General stream level 2 | $28.87/hr | $36.09/hr |
| General stream level 3 | $29.98/hr | $37.48/hr |
| General stream level 4 | $30.34/hr | $37.92/hr |
| General stream level 5 | $31.36/hr | $39.20/hr |
| General stream level 6 | $33.05/hr | $41.31/hr |
| General stream level 7 | $33.65/hr | $42.06/hr |
Weekend, shift and public holiday penalties apply on top — the aged care penalty schedule is not tabled here, so check a specific roster with the penalty rates calculator.
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
The Southern Cross Care enterprise agreements
Enterprise agreements set rates above the award, with their own classification structures and allowances. Current Southern Cross Care agreements in our corpus (4 in total):
- Southern Cross Care (WA) Inc Consolidated Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved October 2025, nominal expiry 30 June 2028.
- Southern Cross Care (Qld) - Aged Care Enterprise Agreement 2024 — approved September 2024, nominal expiry 31 August 2027.
- Southern Cross Care (QLD) and QNMU – Nurses Enterprise Agreement 2024 — approved July 2024, nominal expiry 31 August 2027.
- Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC) Inc Nursing Employees - ANMF (Aged Care) Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved November 2025, nominal expiry 30 June 2027.
We don't reproduce agreement dollar figures here — the agreement covering your site, state and stream is the document to read. Find your agreement, then your classification, then your pay point, and compare it with your payslip. The award tables on this page are the floor every one of these agreements must beat.
Common aged care pay issues at Southern Cross Care
The patterns worth checking on a Southern Cross Care payslip:
- Wrong direct-care level — Cert III personal care workers sit at direct care level 3, not level 1 or 2; medication-competent and senior carers higher again.
- Unpaid handover and documentation before and after the rostered shift.
- Sleepovers, broken shifts and short-notice changes paid without the award's allowances.
- Agreement rates frozen below the award's post-work-value floor — the award now overtakes some older agreement grids.
What to do if your pay looks wrong
Match your payslip to your classification in the agreement (or the award tables above), and price any gap with our back-pay calculator. Raise it in writing with payroll or your manager first — most underpayments are fixed at that step. Unresolved, the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) recovers underpayments at no cost, up to six years back, and your union can run the claim for you. Not sure which instrument covers you? Ask our AI advisor with your role and location.
FairWork Mate AI
Check your own pay with the advisor
“I work at Southern Cross Care. Am I being paid the right rate for my age and hours — and are my weekend and public holiday penalties correct?”
Cited answers grounded in the Fair Work Act, your award and the Fair Work Commission decisions behind them. Free to start.
Ask the advisor →Pro is $29.99/mo for 150 questions, or a $4.99 Day Pass covers 25 questions for 24 hours. See plans
Get pay and rights updates for your job
Free email updates when award rates, the minimum wage or workplace laws change.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Official resources
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
Related articles
What Opal HealthCare workers should be paid in 2026 — the Aged Care Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Opal HealthCare enterprise agreements sit.
Estia Health Pay Rates 2026: Carer, Nurse & Support Staff PayWhat Estia Health workers should be paid in 2026 — the Aged Care Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Estia Health enterprise agreements sit.
Regis Aged Care Pay Rates 2026: Carer, Nurse & Support Staff PayWhat Regis Aged Care workers should be paid in 2026 — the Aged Care Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Regis Aged Care enterprise agreements sit.
Blue Care Pay Rates 2026: Carer, Nurse & Support Staff PayWhat Blue Care workers should be paid in 2026 — the Aged Care Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Blue Care enterprise agreements sit.
Ran Kirkwood Landscaping in Bendigo for eight years before moving into trade supply operations. Writes about Modern Award compliance, employer obligations, and contractor classification from an operator's perspective. Cert IV in Small Business Management (La Trobe TAFE Bendigo, 2014). Based in Kangaroo Flat, Victoria.