Minimum pay rates for home care workers under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010, including base rates, casual rates, penalty rates, and classification levels.
Last verified: 21 May 2026Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100)
Home care workers provide personal care, domestic assistance, and social support to people in their homes under the home care stream of the SCHADS Award (MA000100). The rates shown are the general home-care (disability and community care) ladder. Home care workers delivering aged care — Home Care Packages or Commonwealth Home Support Programme clients — are on a separate, higher direct-care ladder under the same award, starting at $32.61/hr (Level 1 Introductory) up to $40.58/hr (Level 6 Team leader).
$28.86
Base rate/hr
$36.08
Casual rate/hr
Hourly (Full-Time)
$28.86
Hourly (Casual)
$36.08
Weekly (38hrs)
$1,096.68
Annual (Full-Time)
$57,027.36
Home Care Workers in Australia are generally covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100). This Modern Award sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment including pay rates, hours of work, rosters, breaks, allowances, penalty rates, and overtime.
Some home care workers may be covered by an enterprise agreement instead, which must provide conditions that are at least as favourable as the award overall (the Better Off Overall Test).
View full Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award pay rates →
| Level | Description | Base Rate/hr | Casual Rate/hr | Weekly (38hrs) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Home care worker (entry level, home care stream) | $27.28 | $34.10 | $1,036.64 | $53,905.28 |
| Level 2 | Home care worker | $28.86 | $36.08 | $1,096.68 | $57,027.36 |
| Level 3 | Experienced home care worker / team leader | $29.45 | $36.81 | $1,119.10 | $58,193.20 |
| Level 4 | Senior home care worker / coordinator | $32.13 | $40.16 | $1,220.94 | $63,488.88 |
Rates effective from 1 July 2026. Casual rate includes 25% loading.
Casual home care workers receive a 25% casual loading on top of the base hourly rate, increasing the minimum from $28.86/hr to $36.08/hr.
The casual loading compensates for not receiving paid annual leave, personal leave, notice of termination, or redundancy pay. Over a full year, a casual home care worker working 38 hours per week would earn $71,294.08 (before tax and penalty rates).
From 1 July 2024, casual employees who have worked regular hours for at least 6 months can request conversion to permanent employment. Check your casual conversion eligibility →
Part-time home care workers receive the same hourly rate as full-time employees ($28.86/hr) but work fewer than 38 hours per week on a regular, agreed pattern. Part-time employees receive all the same entitlements as full-time employees (annual leave, personal leave, notice, redundancy) on a pro-rata basis.
Penalty rates apply when home care workers work on Saturdays, Sundays, or public holidays. Rates shown are for Level 1 permanent employees ($28.86/hr base).
Saturday
$43.29/hr
1.5x base
Sunday
$57.72/hr
2x base
Public Holiday
$72.15/hr
2.5x base
Casual employees may receive different penalty rate multipliers. Check the full award pay rates for detailed penalty rate tables.
Home care workers frequently travel between clients without being paid for travel time. Other common issues include unpaid overnight shifts and missing broken shift allowances. If you care for aged-care clients and are being paid the general home-care rates, check the aged-care direct-care ladder — it starts at $32.61/hr, well above the general Level 1 rate.
If you earn less than $28.86/hr as a full-time or part-time home care worker, or less than $36.08/hr as a casual, you may be underpaid. You can claim up to 6 years of back pay.
| Job Title | Base Rate | Casual Rate | Annual (FT) | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Care Worker | $28.86/hr | $36.08/hr | $57,027.36 | MA000100 |
| Disability Support Worker | $36.22/hr | $45.28/hr | $71,570.72 | MA000100 |
| Social Worker | $40.49/hr | $50.61/hr | $80,008.24 | MA000100 |
| Retail Worker | $27.81/hr | $34.76/hr | $54,952.56 | MA000004 |
The minimum hourly rate for a home care worker in Australia is $28.86/hr for full-time/part-time employees and $36.08/hr for casuals (including 25% loading) under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010. Actual rates may be higher depending on classification level, experience, and any enterprise agreement that applies.
Under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100), the minimum wage for a home care worker starts at $28.86/hr (Level 1 adult rate). This equates to $1,096.68/week or $57,027.36/year for a standard 38-hour week. The national minimum wage is $26.44/hr.
Home Care Workers in Australia are generally covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100). This award sets out minimum pay rates, penalty rates, allowances, and other working conditions. Some home care workers may be covered by an enterprise agreement instead, which must meet or exceed the award.
A casual home care worker receives $36.08/hr, which includes the 25% casual loading on top of the $28.86/hr base rate. The casual loading compensates for not receiving paid leave and other permanent employment benefits.
Under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010, home care workers receive: Saturday 1.5x ($43.29/hr), Sunday 2x ($57.72/hr), and Public Holiday 2.5x ($72.15/hr) at Level 1 rates.
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