Minimum pay rates for home care workers in Australia under the SCHADS Award. Updated 1 July 2025.
Last verified: 21 May 2026Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100)
$26.30
Base rate/hr
$32.88
Casual rate/hr
The minimum pay rate for home care workers is $26.30/hr under the SCHADS Award. Casuals receive $32.88/hr (base + 25% loading). Rates effective from 1 July 2025.
Home care workers providing domestic assistance, personal care, and support to people in their homes are covered by the Home Care Award. This includes workers in home care packages and Commonwealth Home Support Programme services. Travel between clients and split shifts are key pay issues in this sector.
| Level | Classification | Base Rate/hr | Casual Rate/hr | Annual (38hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | SCHADS Level 1 | $26.30 | $32.88 | $51,968.80 |
| Level 2 | SCHADS Level 2 | $31.77 | $39.71 | $62,777.52 |
| Level 3 | SCHADS Level 3 | $34.82 | $43.53 | $68,804.32 |
| Level 4 | SCHADS Level 4 | $39.17 | $48.96 | $77,399.92 |
| Level 5 | SCHADS Level 5 | $45.15 | $56.44 | $89,216.40 |
| Level 6 | SCHADS Level 6 | $53.27 | $66.59 | $105,261.52 |
| Home Care L1 | Home Care Employee Level 1 | $24.95 | $31.19 | $49,301.20 |
| Home Care L2 | Home Care Employee Level 2 | $25.52 | $31.90 | $50,427.52 |
| Home Care L3 | Home Care Employee Level 3 | $26.65 | $33.31 | $52,660.40 |
| Home Care L4 | Home Care Employee Level 4 | $28.51 | $35.64 | $56,335.76 |
Rates effective from 1 July 2025 under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010. Casual rates include 25% loading.
Casual workers get a 25% loading on top of the base rate. This compensates for no paid leave, no notice period, and no redundancy pay. Here's what that looks like for each level:
| Level | Base Rate | + 25% Loading | Casual Rate/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $26.30 | +$6.58 | $32.88 |
| Level 2 | $31.77 | +$7.94 | $39.71 |
| Level 3 | $34.82 | +$8.71 | $43.53 |
| Level 4 | $39.17 | +$9.79 | $48.96 |
| Level 5 | $45.15 | +$11.29 | $56.44 |
| Level 6 | $53.27 | +$13.32 | $66.59 |
| Home Care L1 | $24.95 | +$6.24 | $31.19 |
| Home Care L2 | $25.52 | +$6.38 | $31.90 |
| Home Care L3 | $26.65 | +$6.66 | $33.31 |
| Home Care L4 | $28.51 | +$7.13 | $35.64 |
Penalty rates are calculated on the base rate (Level 1: $26.30/hr). Casual employees receive penalty rates on their base rate before casual loading is applied.
Saturday
$39.45/hr
1.5x base
Sunday
$46.03/hr
1.75x base
Public Holiday
$65.75/hr
2.5x base
| Penalty Type | Multiplier | Level 1 Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 1.5x | $39.45/hr |
| Sunday | 1.75x | $46.03/hr |
| Public Holiday | 2.5x | $65.75/hr |
| Evening (8pm–midnight) | 1.15x | $30.24/hr |
| Night (midnight–6am) | 1.15x | $30.24/hr |
| Overtime (first 2 hours) | 1.5x | $39.45/hr |
| Overtime (after 2 hours) | 2x | $52.60/hr |
View the complete SCHADS Award including all classification levels, break rules, allowances, and more.
View Full SCHADS Award Pay Rates →If your payslip shows less than $26.30/hr (or $32.88/hr casual), you might be getting underpaid. It happens more than you'd think in home care. Use our underpaid checker to calculate what you're actually owed.
Check If You're Underpaid →Real Fair Work decisions and Federal Court penalties in this industry.
The minimum base rate for home care workers is $24.95/hr (Level 1) under the Home Care Award. Casual workers receive $31.19/hr. Level 3 (qualified personal care workers) earn around $26.88/hr base.
Yes. All travel time between clients during a shift must be paid at your base rate. Travel costs (fuel, tolls, public transport) must also be reimbursed. Unpaid travel time is one of the most common underpayment issues in home care.
Saturday pays 1.5x, Sunday pays 2.0x, and public holidays pay 2.5x your base rate. Afternoon shifts (after 6pm) attract a 12.5% loading. Night shifts get 15%.
Under the Home Care Award, full-time and part-time workers must receive a minimum of 2 hours per engagement. Casual workers also have a 2-hour minimum. If your employer rossters you for a 1-hour visit, they must pay you for 2 hours.
Embed this calculator on your site — free
One line of HTML. Auto-updates with the latest Australian rates. Click to copy the code.
Copy & paste into any HR blog, payroll docs, intranet, or CMS.
<iframe
src="https://fairworkmate.com.au/embed/pay-rates?partner=YOUR_NAME"
width="100%"
height="700"
frameborder="0"
loading="lazy"
title="Home Care Pay Rates 2025-26 by FairWork Mate"
style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:8px;max-width:680px;"
></iframe>YOUR_NAME with your site identifier for attribution (optional).“I'm using the Home Care Pay Rates 2025-26 on FairWork Mate. Walk me through what this typically tells me and what I should do next.”
Ask FairWork Mate AI →
Get notified when rates change
Free alerts when minimum wage, award rates, or workplace laws are updated.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stuck on your numbers?
Ask our AI advisor — it'll talk you through your specific situation in seconds.
FairWork Mate is an independent commercial service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, or any Australian Government agency. Content is general information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.
Complete guide to modern award pay rates for 2025-26. Covers the 3.75% increase, how to find your award, minimum wage levels, penalty rates, overtime, and allowances under the Fair Work system.
KFC Australia Pay Rates 2026: Crew Member to Manager PayKFC Australia hourly rates 2026 — crew member, cook, team leader, and manager pay under the Fast Food Industry Award. Junior rates and weekend penalties.
Coles Pay Rates 2026: Award Rates by Age, Casual & Penalty RatesWhat Coles workers should be getting paid in 2026. Full breakdown of hourly rates by age, casual loading, weekend and public holiday penalty rates under the General Retail Industry Award.
Free tools surface the issue. Our partners help you solve it.
Authorised Employment Hero Partner
Australian HR, payroll, rostering and award interpretation in one platform. Used by 300,000+ businesses. Fixes the underlying payroll/compliance issues our calculators surface.
Best for: SMEs that have outgrown spreadsheet payroll or want automated award interpretation.
See Employment HeroAuthorised Lawpath Partner
Register an ABN, form a Pty Ltd, or grab an ongoing legal plan. 400,000+ Australian businesses use Lawpath for fast, fixed-price legal admin without the $400/hr solicitor bill.
Best for: contractors, sole traders, scaling businesses, anyone forming a company.
See LawpathAffiliate partners — commissions fund the free tools on this site. We only recommend partners we've vetted as a good fit for Australian workplaces.