Minimum pay rates for social & community services 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 social & community services workers is $26.30/hr under the SCHADS Award. Casuals receive $32.88/hr (base + 25% loading). Rates effective from 1 July 2025.
Social workers, case managers, community development workers, and youth workers are covered by the SCHADS Award (Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services). This award covers a broad range of roles across the community sector. Pay rates vary significantly depending on your qualification level.
| 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 social & community services. 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 under SCHADS starts at $24.95/hr (Level 1). Social workers with a degree typically come in at Level 4 or above, earning around $28.96/hr base ($36.20/hr casual). Pay points increase with experience.
Yes. Saturday pays 1.5x, Sunday pays 2.0x, and public holidays pay 2.5x your base rate. Shift workers also get a 10% afternoon loading and 12.5% night loading.
SCHADS has 8 levels across different streams (social and community services, home care, disability services). Level 1 is entry-level support ($24.95/hr). Level 4 is a degree-qualified professional ($28.96/hr). Level 8 covers senior managers and directors.
Underpayment is common in the community sector, particularly around unpaid travel time between clients, incorrect classification, and failure to pay overtime for after-hours crisis work. All travel between clients during work hours must be paid.
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