What is the NDIS support worker hourly rate in 2026?

NDIS support worker rates in 2026 depend on the support type, time of day, and day of the week. Under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2026-27, which took effect on 1 July 2026, the national price limit for standard assistance with self-care activities on a weekday daytime is $73.58 per hour, up from $70.23 in 2025-26. The same $73.58 limit applies to standard community and social participation supports. These are the maximum amounts a provider can charge a plan — providers may charge less but cannot exceed the published limit, and remote and very remote loadings apply on top in some regions.

What are the NDIS weekend rates for support work?

The NDIS publishes separate Saturday and Sunday price limits that sit well above the weekday daytime limit. For standard assistance with self-care activities in 2026-27 the Saturday limit is $103.54 per hour and the Sunday limit is $133.50 per hour, against $73.58 on a weekday daytime — roughly 1.41 and 1.81 times the weekday figure. Work from the published dollar amounts rather than a multiplier, because each shift variant is published as its own rounded figure. These are price limits — the amount drawn from a participant's plan. They are not the same as the SCHADS Award penalty rates that determine what the support worker is actually paid, which are set separately by the Fair Work Commission.

What is the NDIS Saturday rate?

The NDIS Saturday price limit is published as its own line item and applies to all hours on a Saturday, not just evenings. For standard assistance with self-care activities the 2026-27 Saturday price limit is $103.54 per hour, compared with $73.58 on a weekday daytime — roughly 1.41 times the weekday figure. There is no separate Saturday evening rate. The loading is built into a distinct Saturday line item, so your provider claims against that item rather than adding a surcharge to the weekday rate.

What is the NDIS Sunday rate?

The NDIS Sunday price limit is published as its own line item and applies to all hours on a Sunday. For standard assistance with self-care activities the 2026-27 Sunday price limit is $133.50 per hour, against $73.58 on a weekday daytime — roughly 1.81 times the weekday figure. Because Sunday support draws almost twice as much from a plan as the same hour on a weekday, participants with fixed Core budgets often shift flexible supports such as cleaning or community access to weekdays and keep Sunday hours for supports that genuinely cannot move.

What are NDIS public holiday rates?

The NDIS public holiday price limit applies to all hours on a gazetted public holiday. For standard assistance with self-care activities the 2026-27 public holiday price limit is $163.46 per hour, against $73.58 on a weekday daytime — roughly 2.22 times the weekday figure, and the highest loading in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. Public holidays are gazetted state by state, so the rate that applies depends on where the support is delivered, not where the provider is based. A support delivered in Western Australia on WA Day attracts the public holiday rate even though that day is an ordinary working day elsewhere in Australia.

What is the NDIS sleepover rate?

A sleepover is claimed as a flat per-night support item rather than an hourly rate. The 2026-27 national price limit for a night-time sleepover is $311.79 per night, claimed as a single 'each' item rather than by the hour. It covers an overnight period — typically eight hours — during which the support worker sleeps at the participant's home and is available if needed. It is not the same as active overnight support. If the worker is woken and provides assistance beyond the allowance built into the sleepover item, that active time is claimed separately at the applicable hourly rate for the day and time it occurred.

What is the difference between a sleepover and active overnight support?

A sleepover means the worker is present and asleep, available to respond if something happens, and is claimed as a flat per-night amount — $311.79 a night under the 2026-27 price limits. Active overnight support means the worker is awake and working through the night — for example providing regular repositioning or clinical care — and is claimed at an hourly night rate, which for standard supports is $82.57 an hour on a weekday. An eight-hour active night therefore draws roughly twice what a sleepover does, so plans are usually funded for one or the other based on documented overnight need.

Why are SCHADS penalty rates different from NDIS weekend price limits?

They measure two different things. The NDIS price limits cap what a provider can charge a participant's plan — for standard self-care supports in 2026-27 that is $103.54 an hour on a Saturday, $133.50 on a Sunday and $163.46 on a public holiday, against $73.58 on a weekday daytime. SCHADS Award penalty rates, expressed as percentages of an employee's ordinary hourly rate, set the minimum a provider must pay the worker for those same hours. The NDIS dollar figures are price limits charged to a plan, never a support worker's wage. The two sets of percentages are decided by different bodies — the NDIA and the Fair Work Commission — and they do not move together. A provider's margin on weekend work is therefore different from its margin on weekday work, which is one reason some providers restrict weekend availability.

Can I ask my provider not to schedule supports on public holidays?

Yes. Your service agreement should set out which supports are rostered on public holidays and how much notice either party needs to change them. Because public holiday supports draw more than twice as much from your plan as the same hour on a weekday, it is reasonable to ask for a roster that moves flexible supports to weekdays. Supports tied to essential daily needs such as personal care usually cannot be moved, and should not be cancelled to save budget.

What is the difference between what a participant pays and what a support worker earns?

The NDIS price limits are the maximum rate a registered provider can charge a participant per hour. Support workers are paid according to the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry (SCHADS) Award, which sets minimum employee pay rates. The difference between the price limit and the worker's pay covers the provider's overheads — insurance, training, administration, supervision, and on-costs like superannuation.

Are NDIS support worker rates the same across all providers in Australia?

NDIS price limits set the maximum a registered provider can charge — not a fixed rate. Providers may charge less than the price limit. However, all registered providers must pay their employees at least the SCHADS Award minimum rates. Unregistered providers may set their own rates by negotiation in the service agreement, but only a self-managed participant can agree a rate above the published limit — a plan manager cannot pay one.

What is the SCHADS Award and how does it affect NDIS support worker pay?

The SCHADS Award (Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award) is the minimum pay standard for most disability support workers in Australia. It sets pay rates by classification level (Level 1 to Level 5), with casual, part-time, and full-time rates. Support workers must be paid at least the relevant SCHADS level for their role and qualifications. Support workers who feel they are being underpaid can check the Fair Work Commission website.

Do NDIS support worker rates change every year?

Yes, but not every item moves by the same amount. The NDIA reviews the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits each financial year, with the new version taking effect on 1 July. In the 2026-27 arrangements the standard disability support worker items rose — assistance with self-care activities on a weekday daytime went from $70.23 to $73.58 an hour and household tasks from $58.03 to $60.10 — while therapy and support coordination limits were held flat, with occupational therapy staying at $193.99 an hour, counselling at $156.16 and support coordination Level 2 at $100.14. That is why you cannot work out a current rate by applying a percentage increase to an older figure. The SCHADS Award minimum wages are updated separately by the Fair Work Commission, usually from the first pay period on or after 1 July.

Can I negotiate support worker rates as a self-managed participant?

Yes, and self-managed participants have the most freedom to do it. Self-managed participants are not bound by the NDIS price limits, so you can agree any rate in a service agreement — below the published limit to stretch your budget further, or above it if that is what it takes to secure the right worker. Plan-managed participants can also negotiate, but only downwards: your plan manager cannot process a claim above the published price limit, so the limit is an effective ceiling even when your provider is unregistered. In either case, if you engage the worker as an employee you must pay at least the SCHADS Award minimum rate for their classification.

What qualifications affect an NDIS support worker's pay rate?

Under the SCHADS Award, support workers with higher qualifications (e.g. Certificate III or IV in Individual Support or Disability) may be classified at a higher pay level, which means a higher hourly rate. Under NDIS pricing, higher-intensity supports (like High Intensity Daily Personal Activities) have a higher price limit to reflect the skills required.

What is a high-intensity NDIS support worker?

High-intensity NDIS supports are personal care activities that require a specifically trained support worker due to clinical complexity — for example, complex bowel care, tracheostomy management, enteral feeding, or ventilator care. The NDIS Pricing Arrangements have a separate, higher price limit for High Intensity Daily Personal Activities compared to standard personal care. Check the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits for the exact support item number and price limit that applies to the support you are arranging.

Can I hire a support worker directly as a self-managed participant?

Yes. Self-managed NDIS participants can hire support workers directly without going through a registered provider. You can employ a worker as an employee (in which case you must pay at least the SCHADS Award minimum and manage tax and super obligations) or engage them as a sole trader contractor. Many families use direct employment to get more hours from their budget and maintain consistency of care.

Are there NDIS support worker rates for group supports?

Yes. When a single support worker supports multiple participants simultaneously (for example, in a day program or group activity), the NDIS Pricing Arrangements publish specific group support line items. The per-participant cost is lower than 1:1 supports because the cost is shared. Group ratios of 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5 each have separate published price limits.

What is the difference between an NDIS registered and unregistered provider's rates?

Registered providers must charge within the NDIS price limits regardless of who the participant is. For unregistered providers it depends on how the plan is managed. A self-managed participant is not bound by the price limits at all and can agree any rate with an unregistered provider, including one above the published limit. A plan-managed participant cannot: plan managers are required to pay within the published price limits and cannot process a claim above them, so an unregistered provider working with a plan-managed participant still has to charge within the limit. This is why it is worth confirming your management type before agreeing a rate.

Do NDIS support worker rates include travel time?

Under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements, providers can claim travel time and transport costs in addition to the hourly support rate, subject to limits. Providers may claim up to 30 minutes of provider travel time per session (charged at the applicable support rate), and reasonable kilometres for vehicle running costs. These additional travel charges should be disclosed in the service agreement before support starts.

NDIS Support Worker Rates 2026

A plain-language guide to NDIS support worker pay rates and hourly rates — what participants are charged, what workers are paid, and how time of day and day of week affects the rate.

Last updated: July 2026 · Based on NDIS Pricing Arrangements 2026-27

Two Different Rates — Participant Price vs Worker Pay

When people search for "NDIS support worker rates", they are usually asking one of two different questions.

For Participants

What does my NDIS budget get charged?

The NDIS price limit is the maximum hourly amount a registered provider can claim from your plan. It varies by support type, time of day, and day of week.

For standard assistance with self-care activities — the most common support — the 2026-27 price limit is $73.58 per hour on a weekday daytime, rising to $163.46 on a public holiday. Providers can charge less, but not more.

For Workers

How much does a support worker earn?

Support workers are paid under the SCHADS Award (Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award). This sets the minimum pay rate by classification level.

The worker's pay is always less than the NDIS price limit — the difference covers the provider's overheads: insurance, training, admin, super, and travel.

NDIS Weekend, Evening and Public Holiday Rates

The NDIS price limits use the weekday daytime rate as the base. Evening, weekend, and public holiday supports each have their own, higher price limit, published as a separate line item.

These are NDIS price limits, not SCHADS penalty rates. The dollar figures below are what comes out of a participant's plan for weekend and public holiday support; the ratios beside them are approximate, since each shift variant is published as its own rounded figure. What the worker is paid for those same hours is set by the SCHADS Award and uses completely different percentages — see the next section.

Dollar figures are the **national price limits** for **Assistance With Self-Care Activities — Standard** and its shift variants under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2026-27, effective 1 July 2026. Other disability support worker items — community and social participation, for example — follow the same shift ladder at their own dollar levels. Therapy and support coordination items are single-rate and do not carry shift loadings. Remote and very remote loadings are additional. These are amounts charged to a plan, not support worker wages.
Time Period	Price Limit 2026-27	NDIS Price-Limit Loading	When It Applies
Weekday daytime (Mon–Fri)	$73.58 / hr01_011_0107_1_1	Base rate	6am–8pm Monday to Friday. Every other loading is measured against this rate.
Weekday evening	$81.07 / hr01_015_0107_1_1	≈ 1.10×	After 8pm and before midnight, Monday to Friday.
Night (active)	$82.57 / hr01_002_0107_1_1	≈ 1.12×	Midnight–6am with the worker awake and working. Sits above the evening rate, below Saturday.
Saturday	$103.54 / hr01_013_0107_1_1	≈ 1.41×	All hours Saturday — there is no separate Saturday evening rate.
Sunday	$133.50 / hr01_014_0107_1_1	≈ 1.81×	All hours Sunday.
Public holiday	$163.46 / hr01_012_0107_1_1	≈ 2.22×	All hours on a public holiday gazetted in the state where support is delivered.
Sleepover	$311.79 / night01_010_0107_1_1	Flat per-night item	Not an hourly loading. Claimed as a single overnight amount — see below.

The full schedule of dollar rates for every support item is published in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2026-27. Use our NDIS price guide calculator to estimate what different supports will cost from your plan.

Not every price limit moved on 1 July 2026

The 2026-27 arrangements did not apply a single across-the-board increase. Disability support worker items rose — the standard weekday daytime limit for assistance with self-care activities went from $70.23 to $73.58 an hour, and community and social participation moved by the same amount. Household tasks went from $58.03 to $60.10 an hour, and delivery of health supports by a registered nurse from $123.65 to $128.05.

Several other limits were held flat. Occupational therapy stayed at $193.99 an hour, counselling at $156.16, and support coordination (Level 2) at $100.14. This is why you cannot estimate a current rate by applying last year's percentage increase to a figure you have on file — look the item up.

What the weekend loadings mean for your budget

Because the loadings are large, the day you schedule a support on has a real effect on how far a Core budget stretches. One hour of support on a Sunday draws almost twice as much from a plan as the same hour on a Tuesday morning, and a public holiday hour draws more than twice as much.

In practice this matters most for supports that can move. Cleaning, community access, and social activities can often be rostered on weekdays without any loss of benefit. Supports tied to essential daily routines — personal care, medication prompting, getting up and going to bed — usually cannot move, and should never be cut simply to avoid a loading.

If your plan was built assuming weekday delivery but your supports are actually being delivered on weekends, the budget will run down faster than the plan anticipated. That is a common reason participants run short before their plan review, and it is worth raising early rather than at the end of the plan.

SCHADS Penalty Rates — What the Worker Is Paid

The table above covers what a participant is charged. This one covers the other half of the question: what a support worker earns for weekend and public holiday shifts under the SCHADS Award.

**Indicative only — verify before relying on these for pay or payroll.** Percentages are for **social and community services employees** under Award MA000100 and are expressed as a percentage of the ordinary hourly rate (150% means one and a half times ordinary pay, not a 150% loading on top). Entitlements vary by classification level, employment type, and whether the shift is rostered as shiftwork or overtime. Confirm every figure against the current Fair Work pay guide before using it.
Shift	Permanent (full/part-time)	Casual (incl. 25% loading)	Notes
Saturday	150%	175%	Of the ordinary hourly rate for the employee's classification level.
Sunday	200%	225%	Of the ordinary hourly rate.
Public holiday	250%	275%	Of the ordinary hourly rate.
Ordinary hours (casual loading)	100%	125%	The 25% casual loading is paid in place of leave entitlements.

Worked example — a casual working a Saturday

Most disability support workers are engaged as casuals, and the headline penalty percentages understate what a casual is actually entitled to. A casual social and community services employee working ordinary hours on a Saturday receives the 150% Saturday penalty plus the 25% casual loading — 175% of the ordinary hourly rate, not 150%.

The same applies across the board: Sunday is 225% for a casual rather than 200%, and a public holiday is 275% rather than 250%. If you are checking a payslip or setting up payroll, use the casual column above and confirm the dollar figure for the relevant classification level with the Fair Work pay calculator ↗. Do not rely on this page alone for a payroll decision.

Why the two sets of numbers do not match

It is tempting to assume the NDIS weekend loading and the SCHADS weekend penalty are the same number described two ways. They are not. They are set by two different bodies for two different purposes: the NDIA sets a cap on what can be charged to a plan, and the Fair Work Commission sets a floor on what must be paid to an employee.

Because the two move independently, a provider's margin on a Sunday shift is not the same as its margin on a Tuesday shift. This is why some providers limit weekend availability, charge the full price limit on weekends while discounting weekdays, or decline public holiday work altogether. None of that is improper — but it is worth understanding when you are comparing quotes or wondering why weekend rosters are harder to fill.

NDIS Sleepover Rates and Overnight Support

Overnight support is priced differently from every other support type, and the distinction between a sleepover and active overnight support is one of the most common sources of confusion in NDIS pricing.

Sleepover

Worker present and asleep

A sleepover is claimed as a flat per-night amount, not an hourly rate. The 2026-27 price limit is $311.79 per night (item 01_010_0107_1_1, claimed as "each" rather than by the hour). It covers an overnight period — typically eight hours — during which the support worker stays at the participant's home, sleeps, and is available to respond if something happens.

If the worker is woken and provides assistance beyond the allowance built into the sleepover item, that active time is claimed separately at the hourly rate applicable to the day and time it actually occurred. A call-out at 2am on a Sunday is claimed at the Sunday rate.

Active overnight

Worker awake and working

Active overnight support is claimed hourly, at the night rate, for every hour the worker is awake and working — for example providing regular repositioning, seizure monitoring, or continence support through the night.

The 2026-27 weekday night price limit is $82.57 an hour, so eight active hours draws roughly twice what the $311.79 sleepover item does for the same night. Plans are normally funded for one or the other based on documented overnight need, so evidence about how often assistance is genuinely required at night matters at plan review.

Which one should be in your plan? If a worker is regularly woken several times a night, a sleepover item may not reflect what is actually happening, and continuing to claim it can leave the support under-funded and the roster hard to staff. A support coordinator or occupational therapist can help document overnight need so the right item is funded. The sleepover figure above is the 2026-27 national price limit effective 1 July 2026 — check the current published amount rather than relying on a rate quoted to you in an earlier plan year.

NDIS Public Holiday Rates Explained

Public holidays carry the largest loading in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. For standard assistance with self-care activities the 2026-27 public holiday price limit is $163.46 an hour, against $73.58 on a weekday daytime — roughly 2.22 times the weekday figure.

Public holidays are gazetted state by state

The public holiday rate applies based on where the support is delivered, not where the provider is registered. A support delivered in Perth on Western Australia Day attracts the public holiday rate even though that day is an ordinary working day in every other state.

Western Australian public holidays

WA gazettes New Year's Day, Australia Day, Labour Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Western Australia Day, the King's Birthday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. WA observes Labour Day in March and Western Australia Day in June, and schedules the King's Birthday later in the year than most other states — so a WA roster will not line up with an east-coast one.

It applies to all hours of the day

There is no separate daytime and evening public holiday rate. Every hour delivered on a gazetted public holiday attracts the public holiday price limit, including supports that start the night before and run past midnight into the holiday.

Check your service agreement

Your service agreement should state which supports are rostered on public holidays and how much notice is needed to change them. If a support can reasonably move, ask. If it cannot — personal care does not pause for Christmas — plan for the higher draw rather than cancelling it.

SCHADS Award Classification Levels

Support worker pay under the SCHADS Award increases with qualifications and experience. Higher classification levels attract a higher minimum hourly rate.

Level 1

Entry-level support worker — no formal qualifications required

Basic community participation, social support, companionship

Level 2

Experienced worker or Certificate III in Individual Support

Personal care, daily living assistance, medication prompting

Level 3

Certificate IV in Disability or significant experience

Complex personal care, behaviour support, high-needs clients

Level 4

Diploma or above, specialist skills

Specialist disability support, team leader, complex case management

SCHADS Award pay rates are updated each July by the Fair Work Commission. Check the Fair Work Commission website for the current minimum rates per level.

What Sits Between the Price Limit and Worker Pay?

The gap between the NDIS price limit and the support worker's hourly pay is not profit — it funds the costs of running a compliant NDIS provider:

Superannuation — 12% superannuation guarantee on top of wages

Insurance — Workers compensation, public liability, professional indemnity

Training and compliance — NDIS worker orientation, first aid, mandatory training

Administration — Rostering, payroll, NDIS portal claims, plan management

Travel and vehicle costs — Getting workers to and from participant homes

Management and supervision — Team leaders, support coordinators, quality oversight

NDIS Support Worker Rates 2026 — What's Changed?

The current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits are the 2026-27 version, which took effect on 1 July 2026 and replaced the 2025-26 arrangements. If you are working from a saved copy of the pricing document or a rate quoted to you earlier in the year, check it against the current version before relying on it.

The SCHADS Award minimum rates are reviewed by the Fair Work Commission each year, with updates typically taking effect from the first pay period on or after 1 July. Support worker pay rates usually increase in line with or above the national minimum wage decision.

The two reviews are separate. A change to the NDIS price limits does not automatically change what workers are paid, and a Fair Work wage decision does not automatically change what providers can charge. Percentages quoted for one should never be applied to the other.

The 2026-27 update was not a uniform rise. Disability support worker items increased — the standard weekday daytime limit for assistance with self-care activities moved from $70.23 to $73.58 an hour, household tasks from $58.03 to $60.10, and nursing supports from $123.65 to $128.05. Therapy and support coordination limits were held flat: occupational therapy remains $193.99 an hour, counselling $156.16, and support coordination (Level 2) $100.14.

The ratios between the weekday, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday price limits have been stable across recent pricing arrangements, but the underlying dollar figures do not all move together. Never estimate a current rate by applying a percentage increase to an older figure — use the official NDIS Pricing Arrangements document for exact current amounts.

NDIS Support Worker Rates — FAQ

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NDIS Support Hours Calculator →Support Worker Interview Questions →NDIS Price Guide 2026 Calculator →NDIS Funding Categories Explained →NDIS Self-Management Guide →Meet Our Support Workers →

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