Level 3 pay rates
| Pay point | Permanent (per hr) | Casual (per hr) | Annual (perm, 38hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay Point 1 | $38.65 | $48.31 | $76,372 |
| Pay Point 2 | $39.77 | $49.71 | $78,586 |
| Pay Point 3 | $40.62 | $50.78 | $80,265 |
| Pay Point 4 | $41.45 | $51.81 | $81,905 |
Rates are for the SACS stream, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025. Source: SCHADS Award MA000100.
Annual salary is based on 38 hours per week x 52 weeks. Most support workers do not work this pattern; most Level 3 workers are employed part-time or on a mixed permanent/casual arrangement.
These are base rates. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman P.A.C.T. tool for binding shift-specific calculations. See also: full SCHADS rate table.
Rates shown are indicative for the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award MA000100, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025. Always verify against the Fair Work Ombudsman Pay and Conditions Tool before processing payroll.
Rates and classification information last reviewed: May 2026. Next Fair Work Annual Wage Review: 1 July 2026.
The Level 2 to Level 3 gap: The difference between Level 2 PP4 ($37.73/hr) and Level 3 PP1 ($38.65/hr) is modest. But the gap between Level 2 PP3 ($36.75/hr) and Level 3 PP1 ($38.65/hr) is $1.90/hr base -- which compounds across penalty multipliers on every Saturday (150%), Sunday (200%), and public holiday shift. At scale, this is a material labour cost difference.
What Level 3 covers
Level 3 is for workers who exercise a substantial degree of autonomy, apply specialist knowledge, and work with reduced direct supervision. The key distinction from Level 2 is not complexity of tasks but the degree to which the worker independently adapts their support approach based on the participant's presenting needs, interprets the support plan rather than just follows it, and takes responsibility for identifying and responding to changes in the participant's situation.
Typical Level 3 work includes:
- –Complex personal care support for participants with high-intensity or variable needs
- –Work requiring independent judgement and initiative in supporting participants with high behavioural complexity, including implementing strategies within a positive behaviour support plan. Note: writing behaviour support plans is the role of a registered Behaviour Support Practitioner (typically Level 5+), not a support worker. Level 3 involves implementing support strategies, not authoring them.
- –Independently adapting support approach based on day-to-day participant presentation
- –Identifying changes in a participant's functioning and escalating appropriately without routine instruction
- –Working autonomously across multiple participants without regular check-ins from a supervisor
- –Contributing to support plan reviews based on direct observation
- –Mentoring or orienting Level 2 workers on an informal basis
Note on high-intensity supports: Delivering high-intensity supports under the NDIS Price Guide (personal care, complex bowel, enteral feeding, tracheostomy, etc.) requires specific NDIS-defined competency assessments. Meeting those competency requirements is a condition of being rostered for those supports -- but it does not automatically determine SCHADS classification. Classification depends on the overall nature and autonomy of the work, not individual support line items.
When should someone be reclassified from Level 2 to Level 3?
This is the question disability providers ask most often about SCHADS, and it does not have a formula answer. There is no rule that a Certificate IV equals Level 3, no minimum years of experience that triggers it, and no specific support type that mandates it. The classification must reflect the actual work performed and the autonomy exercised.
The practical test is to look at what the person does on a typical shift without a supervisor present. If they are following a support plan with limited independent judgement, they are Level 2. If they are interpreting the plan, making real-time decisions about how to provide support, and taking responsibility for the quality and safety of that support without checking in, they are likely Level 3.
Keep at Level 2 if the worker:
- –Follows the support plan as written and refers variations to a coordinator
- –Has a Certificate IV but is new to the role or performing straightforward personal care
- –Works with supervision or check-in points on most shifts
- –Does not adapt support approaches independently based on day-to-day presentation
Reclassify to Level 3 if the worker:
- –Makes independent professional judgements about how to deliver support in changing situations
- –Has a Certificate IV and is demonstrating Level 3 competency in practice
- –Works across complex participants with behavioural or high-physical needs without routine supervision
- –Is relied upon to identify and respond to participant needs beyond the documented plan
- –Mentors or directs other workers informally in how to approach a participant's support
Qualification requirements at Level 3
The Award does not prescribe a mandatory qualification for Level 3. The typical pathway is a Certificate IV in Disability (or the equivalent Certificate IV in Individual Support with a disability specialisation), combined with demonstrated competency in the role. A worker without a Certificate IV can be classified at Level 3 if they have substantial relevant experience and are performing Level 3 work in practice -- the classification is duties-based, not qualification-gated.
In practice, most providers use Certificate IV completion as a trigger for a classification review rather than an automatic reclassification. The review should look at the actual duties performed, the degree of autonomy exercised, and whether the work genuinely matches the Level 3 description. Awarding Level 3 to a Certificate IV holder who continues to perform Level 2 work is an overpayment. Keeping a Certificate IV holder at Level 2 who is performing Level 3 work is an underpayment risk.
Common classification disputes at Level 3
Senior functions at Level 2 pay
The most common Level 3 dispute: a worker who has been at Level 2 for several years and is now routinely providing informal guidance to newer workers, coordinating with participant families, and making independent decisions on shift -- but has never had a reclassification review. The employer is receiving Level 3 output at Level 2 pay. This is an underpayment risk and a retention risk. Workers in this position can request a classification review through the Award's dispute resolution procedure.
Certificate IV completion, no review triggered
A worker completes a Certificate IV and notifies HR. The provider records the new qualification but does not trigger a classification review. If the worker is now performing Level 3 work, they should be reclassified from the point at which they were performing that work -- which may predate the qualification completion if the work changed before the formal qualification was achieved.
Complex participant, Level 2 classification
A worker has been the primary support worker for a participant with significant behavioural support needs for two years. They have built a therapeutic relationship and make daily judgement calls about how to deliver support safely. The provider still has them classified at Level 2 because the support plan is formally in place. The existence of a support plan does not preclude Level 3 classification if the worker's actual practice requires Level 3 autonomy and skill.