SCHADS Award

SCHADS Level 6 and Level 7 pay rates

Levels 6 and 7 are management classifications under the SCHADS Award. They cover service managers, program managers, and senior management with organisational or multi-program responsibility. Most frontline disability operations employ few if any workers at these levels.

Level 6 pay rates

Pay pointPermanent (per hr)Casual (per hr)Annual (perm, 38hrs)
Level 6, Pay Point 1$55.72$69.65$110,103
Level 6, Pay Point 2$56.95$71.19$112,533
Level 6, Pay Point 3$58.19$72.74$114,983

Level 7 pay rates

Pay pointPermanent (per hr)Casual (per hr)Annual (perm, 38hrs)
Level 7, Pay Point 1$60.27$75.34$119,094
Level 7, Pay Point 2$61.53$76.91$121,583
Level 7, Pay Point 3$62.79$78.49$124,073

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. Management roles at Level 6 and 7 are typically salaried; salary packages often exceed Award minimums significantly.

Verify entitlements using the Fair Work Ombudsman P.A.C.T. tool. See also: full SCHADS rate table (all levels).

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.

Level 6: service and program management

Level 6 covers workers in service or program management roles with responsibility for a defined organisational unit -- a service, a program, or a geographic region. At Level 6, the worker is accountable for outcomes across a team or program, not just for their own work. Budget accountability, staff management, and reporting to senior leadership are typical features of a Level 6 role.

Qualified professionals in a senior coordinating or management role also sit at Level 6 in some structures. An experienced social worker, registered nurse, or occupational therapist taking on a service management role with delegated organisational responsibility may be appropriately classified at Level 6.

Level 6 roles typically include:

  • Service managers or house managers responsible for a program or residential site
  • Program managers with budget accountability and staff management responsibility
  • Senior allied health professionals in a management or clinical lead role
  • Regional coordinators overseeing multiple service sites or program areas
  • Roles with direct accountability to a general manager or executive

Level 7: senior management

Level 7 is for senior managers responsible for multiple programs, significant workforce size, or organisation-wide functions. In practice, Level 7 applies to a relatively small number of roles in disability and community services organisations. It sits above service or program management and below executive or CEO level.

Many organisations with senior management roles at this level will negotiate remuneration above the Award minimum, either through enterprise agreements or individual contracts. The Award minimum is the floor, not the typical market rate for a senior manager in a medium-to-large disability services organisation.

A practical note for most providers

The vast majority of SCHADS classification decisions in disability care happen at Levels 2, 3, and 4. Levels 6 and 7 apply to a small number of roles in larger organisations. If you are building out a new service and working out how to classify your operational roles, the most commercially significant decisions are the Level 2 vs Level 3 call and the Level 3 vs Level 4 call for team leaders. Those pages have more detail on the criteria involved.

Related

Teiro applies the correct SCHADS level at rostering

Classification levels and pay points are applied at the rostering layer in Teiro. No manual rate lookup required before confirming a shift.