SCHADS Award Pay Rates 2026: Disability Support Worker Pay by Level
The SCHADS Award sets the minimum pay for disability support workers: $27.55 to $43.42 an hour at Levels 1 to 3, or $34.44 to $54.28 an hour as a casual. If you've finished a relevant certificate and your job uses it, you're at least Level 2, which pays $36.22 an hour or $45.28 casual.
These are the rates for the award's social and community services stream. Home care workers supporting people with disability in their own homes may be in the home care disability stream instead, which pays $27.28 to $35.81 an hour now and rises by up to 15% from 1 December 2026.
Rates from the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 [MA000100], published 31 August 2026, which applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 September 2026. It carries the 1 July 2026 pay rates and a temporary vehicle allowance. December rates are from the pay guide published 18 September 2026. Last checked 4 November 2026.
SCHADS Award pay rates by level and pay point
The SCHADS Award covers employees of social and community services (including disability services), crisis accommodation, home care and family day care employers. Personal care and domestic and lifestyle support for people with disability in community or residential settings, including respite and day services, is in the social and community services stream. Support in a client's home can be in this stream too, or in the home care stream below. Your employer must tell you your classification in writing when you start and whenever it changes. Each level has 3 or 4 pay points, which are steps you move up over time.
| Classification | Weekly (full-time) | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, pay point 1 | $1,046.90 | $27.55 | $34.44 |
| Level 1, pay point 2 | $1,080.60 | $28.44 | $35.55 |
| Level 1, pay point 3 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 2, pay point 1 | $1,376.49 | $36.22 | $45.28 |
| Level 2, pay point 2 | $1,419.79 | $37.36 | $46.70 |
| Level 2, pay point 3 | $1,462.96 | $38.50 | $48.13 |
| Level 2, pay point 4 | $1,501.95 | $39.53 | $49.41 |
| Level 3, pay point 1 | $1,538.59 | $40.49 | $50.61 |
| Level 3, pay point 2 | $1,582.94 | $41.66 | $52.08 |
| Level 3, pay point 3 | $1,616.71 | $42.55 | $53.19 |
| Level 3, pay point 4 | $1,649.97 | $43.42 | $54.28 |
| Level 4, pay point 1 | $1,774.74 | $46.70 | $58.38 |
| Level 4, pay point 2 | $1,821.07 | $47.92 | $59.90 |
| Level 4, pay point 3 | $1,867.93 | $49.16 | $61.45 |
| Level 4, pay point 4 | $1,909.51 | $50.25 | $62.81 |
| Level 5, pay point 1 | $2,030.20 | $53.43 | $66.79 |
| Level 5, pay point 2 | $2,073.91 | $54.58 | $68.23 |
| Level 5, pay point 3 | $2,122.13 | $55.85 | $69.81 |
| Level 6, pay point 1 | $2,218.02 | $58.37 | $72.96 |
| Level 6, pay point 2 | $2,267.02 | $59.66 | $74.58 |
| Level 6, pay point 3 | $2,316.16 | $60.95 | $76.19 |
| Level 7, pay point 1 | $2,398.95 | $63.13 | $78.91 |
| Level 7, pay point 2 | $2,449.36 | $64.46 | $80.58 |
| Level 7, pay point 3 | $2,499.20 | $65.77 | $82.21 |
| Level 8, pay point 1 | $2,602.75 | $68.49 | $85.61 |
| Level 8, pay point 2 | $2,653.94 | $69.84 | $87.30 |
| Level 8, pay point 3 | $2,705.27 | $71.19 | $88.99 |
- Casual rates include the 25% casual loading, which is paid instead of the leave and other entitlements casuals don't get.
- Part-time workers get the same hourly rate, and the award's terms apply in proportion to their hours.
- Yearly: the full-time weekly rate times 52 is $54,438.80 at Level 1 pay point 1, $71,577.48 at Level 2 pay point 1 and $80,006.68 at Level 3 pay point 1, before tax. Super is paid on top.
- For Levels 2 to 8 these are the award's equal remuneration rates, from a 2012 equal pay order. They are your ordinary rates for all purposes, so penalty rates and leave are worked out from them.
- Covered by an enterprise agreement? Your pay and allowances come from the agreement, but its base rates can't be lower than the award's.
Different transitional rates apply to some Queensland employers that aren't constitutional corporations. The Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool has them.
SCHADS home care disability rates, and the 1 December 2026 rise
Home care employees give personal care, domestic help or home maintenance to a person in their own home. Those supporting people with disability are paid under the home care disability stream, which has 5 levels. Current rates:
| Home care, disability | Weekly (full-time) | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, pay point 1 | $1,036.80 | $27.28 | $34.10 |
| Level 2, pay point 1 | $1,096.60 | $28.86 | $36.08 |
| Level 2, pay point 2 | $1,104.10 | $29.06 | $36.33 |
| Level 3, pay point 1 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 3, pay point 2 | $1,153.70 | $30.36 | $37.95 |
| Level 4, pay point 1 | $1,221.00 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
| Level 4, pay point 2 | $1,245.40 | $32.77 | $40.96 |
| Level 5, pay point 1 | $1,309.20 | $34.45 | $43.06 |
| Level 5, pay point 2 | $1,360.80 | $35.81 | $44.76 |
From the first full pay period starting on or after 1 December 2026, home care disability rates rise by up to 15%. This is the first step of the Fair Work Commission's gender undervaluation decision for the award ([2026] FWCFB 232). Any remaining increase applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2027.
| From 1 December 2026 | Weekly (full-time) | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, pay point 1 | $1,192.30 | $31.38 | $39.23 |
| Level 2, pay point 1 | $1,261.10 | $33.19 | $41.49 |
| Level 2, pay point 2 | $1,269.70 | $33.41 | $41.76 |
| Level 3, pay point 1 | $1,287.00 | $33.87 | $42.34 |
| Level 3, pay point 2 | $1,326.80 | $34.92 | $43.65 |
| Level 4, pay point 1 | $1,404.20 | $36.95 | $46.19 |
| Level 4, pay point 2 | $1,431.70 | $37.68 | $47.10 |
| Level 5, pay point 1 | $1,505.60 | $39.62 | $49.53 |
| Level 5, pay point 2 | $1,541.90 | $40.58 | $50.73 |
- Social and community services rates don't change on 1 December 2026.
- A 24-hour care shift (home care only, and only by agreement) is paid as 8 hours at 155% of your rate for each 24 hours.
- Home care workers supporting older people are in the separate aged care stream, which has its own rates in the same pay guide.
SCHADS penalty rates: weekends, nights, public holidays and overtime
Penalty rates are a percentage of your ordinary hourly rate. The percentages below are for full-time and part-time staff. Casual rates include the 25% loading, so a casual gets 175% on Saturdays, 225% on Sundays and 275% on public holidays. Here are the dollar rates for two common levels.
Level 2, pay point 1
| When you work | Award rate | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, ordinary hours | 100% | $36.22 | $45.28 |
| Afternoon shift | plus 12.5% | $40.75 | $49.80 |
| Night shift | plus 15% | $41.65 | $50.71 |
| Saturday | 150% | $54.33 | $63.39 |
| Sunday | 200% | $72.44 | $81.50 |
| Public holiday | 250% | $90.55 | $99.61 |
| Overtime, Monday to Saturday, first 2 hours | 150% | $54.33 | $63.39 |
| Overtime, Monday to Saturday, after 2 hours | 200% | $72.44 | $81.50 |
| Overtime on a public holiday | 250% | $90.55 | $99.61 |
| Broken shift, work past the 12-hour span | 200% | $72.44 | $81.50 |
Level 3, pay point 1
| When you work | Award rate | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, ordinary hours | 100% | $40.49 | $50.61 |
| Afternoon shift | plus 12.5% | $45.55 | $55.67 |
| Night shift | plus 15% | $46.56 | $56.69 |
| Saturday | 150% | $60.74 | $70.86 |
| Sunday | 200% | $80.98 | $91.10 |
| Public holiday | 250% | $101.23 | $111.35 |
| Overtime, Monday to Saturday, first 2 hours | 150% | $60.74 | $70.86 |
| Overtime, Monday to Saturday, after 2 hours | 200% | $80.98 | $91.10 |
| Overtime on a public holiday | 250% | $101.23 | $111.35 |
| Broken shift, work past the 12-hour span | 200% | $80.98 | $91.10 |
- Shift loadings are for shiftworkers (your employer tells you in writing if you're engaged in shiftwork), and are paid for the whole shift. An afternoon shift finishes after 8pm and by midnight; a night shift finishes after midnight or starts before 6am, Monday to Friday.
- Day workers have ordinary hours between 6am and 8pm on any day. Work outside that span is overtime.
- Weekend and public holiday rates replace shift loadings. They aren't added on top.
- Overtime for part-time and casual staff starts after 38 hours a week (76 a fortnight), or after 10 hours in a day or shift (12 hours on an agreed shift around a sleepover). Full-time staff get overtime for work beyond their rostered hours. Sunday overtime is double time and public holiday overtime is double time and a half.
- Full-time staff doing social and community services work other than disability services get time and a half for the first 3 hours of overtime, not 2.
SCHADS allowances: sleepover, broken shift, vehicle and on call
Allowances are paid on top of your hourly rate. These are the amounts in the pay guide from 1 September 2026.
| Allowance | Amount | When you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Sleepover | $62.87 a night | You're required to sleep overnight where your client is (a continuous 8 hours). Work during the sleepover is paid at overtime rates, with at least 1 hour's pay. |
| Broken shift, 1 unpaid break | $21.81 per broken shift | Disability services work and home care only: 2 periods of work with an unpaid break that isn't a meal break. |
| Broken shift, 2 unpaid breaks | $28.87 per broken shift | 3 periods of work with 2 unpaid breaks, only if you agree to it. |
| Vehicle | $1.05 a km until 28 February 2027, then $1.01 | Your employer requires and authorises you to use your own car for work, such as driving between clients or taking a client out. Generally not paid for travel between home and work. |
| First aid | $21.43 a week full-time; $0.56 an hour part-time or casual, up to $21.43 a week | Your employer requires you to hold a current first aid certificate and to do first aid at work. Home care workers get it in weeks they're responsible for first aid for other staff. |
| On call, Monday to Friday | $25.66 per 24 hours | Each 24 hours (or part) on call from finishing work on Monday to finishing work on Friday. |
| On call, other times | $50.81 per 24 hours | Any other 24 hours (or part) on call, or a public holiday. |
| Meal (overtime) | $17.30, plus $17.30 more after 4 hours of overtime | More than 1 hour of overtime, if you aren't given a meal. |
The vehicle allowance rose from $1.01 to $1.05 a km from the first full pay period on or after 1 September 2026, because of higher fuel costs. It goes back to $1.01 from 1 March 2027.
What is the minimum shift under the SCHADS Award?
Part-time and casual employees must be paid for at least 2 hours for each shift when doing disability services work, and in home care. Other social and community services work has a 3-hour minimum. In a broken shift, the minimum applies to each period of work.
- Travel time between clients doesn't break your shift, and you may be entitled to be paid for it.
- Broken shifts are only allowed for disability services work and home care. They can have 1 unpaid break, or 2 if you agree, and must fit within 12 hours. Work past 12 hours is paid at double time, and you get at least 10 hours off between broken shifts on consecutive days.
- Client cancellations: if a client cancels a home care or disability service within 7 days, a full-time or part-time worker rostered for it must be paid for the time, given other work in those hours, or, if told at least 12 hours ahead, given make-up time within 6 weeks.
- Sleepovers: if you work right before or after a sleepover, you must be rostered or paid for at least 4 hours for one of those periods, on top of the sleepover allowance.
What does each SCHADS level mean?
Your level depends on your duties, how much responsibility you have and the skills or qualifications the job needs. In the social and community services stream, the award's examples of disability services work appear at Levels 1 to 3.
Level 1: $27.55 to $29.45 an hour
Entry level: routine work under close direction, with lots of on-the-job training. In disability services, that's personal care and domestic work under direct or routine supervision. Cleaning, food service and helping residents with personal care under general supervision is at least pay point 2. If you mainly do supervised personal care or domestic work, you move to pay point 2 after 12 months' industry experience (1,976 hours if part-time).
Level 2: $36.22 to $39.53 an hour
You work under general guidance and plan your own work. In disability services, that's a wide range of personal care, or running client skills and activity programs, with limited supervision. A relevant certificate that your job uses puts you here (at least pay point 2 with a Certificate IV), and a diploma starts at pay point 2. A Certificate IV holder who supervises or rosters others is also Level 2.
Level 3: $40.49 to $43.42 an hour
You work under general direction and may supervise staff or volunteers. In disability services, that's overall responsibility for residents' personal care, training and supervising staff, scheduling and liaising with other services, which can include running a group of disability residences day to day. Ways in include an associate diploma or relevant certificate plus experience. A 3-year degree starts at pay point 3, a 4-year degree at pay point 4.
Level 4: $46.70 to $50.25 an hour
Specialist or supervising roles using qualifications or experience in a discipline. Ways in include a 4-year degree and 1 year's experience, a 3-year degree and 2 years', an associate diploma with experience, or lesser qualifications with substantial experience. An organisation's only employee starts at Level 4.
Levels 5 to 8 ($53.43 to $71.19 an hour) are senior roles: running programs, projects and budgets at Level 5, contributing to managing the organisation at Level 6, managerial or specialist responsibility at Level 7, and managing an organisation's activity or advising as a senior specialist at Level 8.
Home care disability levels
- Level 1: less than 12 months in the industry, doing domestic help such as cleaning, shopping and meals.
- Level 2: personal care, help with dressing and meals, monitoring medications and taking clients on outings. A Home Care Certificate, or equivalent experience, is typical.
- Level 3: personal care for clients who need extra help, and coordinating up to 4 support staff. A Certificate 3 is typical.
- Level 4: rostering and directing care staff, training them and developing client care plans.
- Level 5: care coordinator and similar roles, needing skills beyond a TAFE certificate, such as a degree or diploma, or equivalent experience.
How do you move up a pay point?
- After each 12 months of continuous employment you can move up one pay point within your level, if you've shown competency and satisfactory performance.
- Your employer can also require that you've gained and used new or better skills, or passed its performance appraisal.
- Pay point moves aren't automatic unless your classification description says so, like the Level 1 move to pay point 2 after 12 months' industry experience.
- Moving up a level only happens through promotion or reclassification. If your duties have grown, ask your employer to review your classification.
What changed in the SCHADS Award on 1 July 2026?
The Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review 2026 raised award minimum wages by 4.75% from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. SCHADS pay rates rose, for example:
| Hourly rate | From 1 July 2025 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1, pay point 1 | $26.30 | $27.55 |
| Level 2, pay point 1 | $34.58 | $36.22 |
| Level 3, pay point 1 | $38.65 | $40.49 |
| Level 4, pay point 1 | $44.58 | $46.70 |
Casual rates rose the same way: Level 2 pay point 1 went from $43.23 to $45.28 an hour. The sleepover allowance went from $60.02 to $62.87 a night, and the broken shift allowance from $20.82 to $21.81.
Other changes in 2026, and what's next
- 1 June 2026, new sleepover rules: by agreement, a shift with work before and after a sleepover can be up to 12 hours. A sleepover isn't a break between shifts, and shift loadings are worked out separately for the work before and after it.
- 1 September 2026: the vehicle allowance went up to $1.05 a km until 28 February 2027.
- 1 December 2026: home care disability rates rise by up to 15%.
- 1 October 2027: most of the gender undervaluation changes start, including new definitions, a new classification structure, new pay point progression rules and changes to minimum pay rates.
Worked example: a casual Saturday shift at Level 2
A casual disability support worker at Level 2 pay point 1 works a 4-hour shift on a Saturday.
- 1
Find the casual Saturday rate
The pay guide's casual Saturday rate for Level 2 pay point 1 is $63.39 an hour. That's 175% of the $36.22 ordinary rate: the 150% Saturday rate plus the 25% casual loading.
- 2
Multiply by the hours worked
4 hours × $63.39 = $253.56 for the shift, before tax. The shift is longer than the 2-hour minimum, so the minimum doesn't change the total.
- 3
Compare it with a weekday
The same 4 hours on a weekday daytime pays 4 × $45.28 = $181.12, so the Saturday shift pays $72.44 more.
- 4
Add any allowances
If your employer has you use your own car for work during the shift, add $1.05 a km (until 28 February 2027). Your employer pays super on top.
Is SCHADS pay the same as NDIS support worker rates?
No. An NDIS price limit is the most a provider can charge for an hour of support when the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or a plan manager pays. The SCHADS Award is the least an employer must pay the worker who delivers it. The NDIA publishes the price limits and the Fair Work Commission sets award rates, so one doesn't automatically change when the other does.
A provider's price has to cover more than the hourly wage, such as the super and leave that employees must get. For the current price limits, see our NDIS support worker rates guide or the NDIS price guide.
Self-employed? The award covers employers and their employees, so it doesn't set the price an independent support worker charges. If you're thinking about registering, see how NDIS provider registration works.
SCHADS Award pay guide PDF and pay calculator
The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the official pay guide, a summary of the award's rates, penalties and allowances:
- SCHADS pay guide from 1 September 2026 (PDF): the rates on this page.
- SCHADS pay guide from 1 December 2026 (PDF): adds the home care disability rise.
- Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool: works out your pay for your level, hours and shifts.
- The full award (MA000100): classifications, rules and conditions.
- All Fair Work pay guides, in PDF and Word.
Not sure you're being paid correctly? The Fair Work Infoline is 13 13 94.
Independent support worker or provider? Get local requests
Registered and unregistered NDIS providers and private support businesses can join Help Alliance. You only see requests that match your services and area, and you see the support needed, suburb, start date and hours before you choose which to accept. The first 14 days are free, with no fee per request and no contract.
See how it works for providersSCHADS Award questions
Sources: Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides for the SCHADS Award [MA000100] from 1 July 2025, 1 July 2026, 1 September 2026 and 1 December 2026; the award text consolidated to 1 September 2026; Fair Work Ombudsman pages on the 2026 Annual Wage Review, sleepover changes, the temporary vehicle allowance and the gender undervaluation review; Fair Work Commission decision [2026] FWCFB 232. These are minimum rates, not legal or payroll advice. Help Alliance doesn't employ support workers or provide care.