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SCHADS Pay Rate Calculator 2026‑27
Calculate the correct minimum pay rate for social and community services employees (clause 15) or home care employees (clause 17) under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS Award MA000100). Select a classification level, employment type, and shift times to get the loaded hourly rate and total shift cost, including penalty rates and casual loading. Pick the stream first: clause 17 itself splits by whether the client is an aged person or a person with a disability, and a Certificate III worker is paid $36.23 an hour on one and $29.45 on the other.
Update for 1 July 2026
SCHADS Award minimum rates rose 4.75% in the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Every rate, penalty, and allowance on this page reflects the new figures.
Teiro keeps SCHADS rates current automatically, so your rosters, quotes, and pay never run on last year’s figures.
The award pays these three streams differently. Picking the wrong one is the single most common way a roster gets underpaid.
Clause 15. Centre-based, community access, case management and coordination work — including at a provider that calls itself a home care provider.
Broken shift allowance does not apply to this stream. Clause 25.6 covers home care employees and social and community services employees only when they are undertaking disability services work.
Shift details
Most disability support workers are Level 2 or Level 3.
For overnight shifts, enter the next-day end time (e.g. start 22:00, end 06:00).
Total minimum hourly rate
$36.22
per hour
Total shift cost
$289.76
Duration
8h
Itemised breakdown
Base hourly rate
Level 2, Pay Point 1 — permanent rate
$36.22/hr
Penalty rate
Weekday ordinary — 100% of base
None
Total hourly rate
$36.22/hr
Total shift cost
$36.22/hr × 8h (gross, before super)
$289.76
How this is calculated
Base $36.22. Penalty multiplier 100% (Weekday ordinary). Total $36.22 × 1 = $36.22/hr. Shift cost $36.22 × 8.00h = $289.76. Superannuation (12%) not included.
Rates based on SCHADS Award MA000100, effective 1 July 2026. For guidance only — not legal or financial advice. Verify at fairwork.gov.au before processing payroll.
How SCHADS pay rates work
Choose the right stream before you read a number. Social and community services (clause 15), home care for an aged care client (clause 17.2) and home care for a client with a disability (clause 17.1) are three different wage scales. Which one applies is decided by who the client is, not by the funding source or the job title.
The SCHADS Award sets minimum pay rates for workers in disability, community services, and home care. Rates are reviewed annually by the Fair Work Commission and increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year. The Annual Wage Review 2026 lifted award minimums by 4.75%.
Classification levels
Workers are classified into levels (Social and Community Services Employee Level 1 upwards) based on their qualifications, responsibilities, and experience. Most entry-level disability support workers start at Level 1 or 2. Workers with a Certificate III in Individual Support or similar typically sit at Level 2. The table below shows Pay Point 1 of each level — the calculator above covers every pay point.
| Level (Pay Point 1) | Weekday rate | Saturday (×1.50) | Sunday (×2.00) | Public holiday (×2.50) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $27.55 | $41.33 | $55.10 | $68.88 |
| Level 2 | $36.22 | $54.33 | $72.44 | $90.55 |
| Level 3 | $40.49 | $60.73 | $80.98 | $101.23 |
| Level 4 | $46.70 | $70.05 | $93.40 | $116.75 |
| Level 5 | $53.42 | $80.13 | $106.84 | $133.55 |
| Level 6 | $58.37 | $87.55 | $116.74 | $145.92 |
Permanent and part-time ordinary hourly rates, operative from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. See the full SCHADS pay rate table for every pay point and allowance.
Penalty rates
The SCHADS Award applies penalty rate multipliers for working outside ordinary weekday hours. Penalty rates are not cumulative — only the highest applicable rate applies to any given hour.
- Saturday ordinary hours: 150% of the base rate
- Sunday ordinary hours: 200% of the base rate (double time)
- Public holiday, permanent and part-time: 250% of the base rate
- Public holiday, casual: 275% of the ordinary rate (250% penalty plus the 25% loading)
- Weekday afternoon shift (finishing between 8pm and midnight): 112.5% of the base rate
- Weekday night shift (starting before 6am or finishing after midnight): 115% of the base rate
Casual loading
Casual employees receive a 25% loading on top of their ordinary hourly rate. Under MA000100 the loading is added to the penalty rate rather than compounded with it, so a casual Saturday shift is the ordinary rate × 1.75 (150% penalty plus 25% loading), not the ordinary rate × 1.50 × 1.25. The loading compensates for the lack of paid leave entitlements.
Minimum payment per shift
Part-time and casual employees must be paid a minimum number of hours each time they work, even if the actual work takes less time. Full-time employees are not covered by this rule. The minimum depends on the work being performed, not on whether the employee is casual:
- Social and community services employees, other than when undertaking disability services work: 3 hours
- Social and community services employees undertaking disability services work: 2 hours
- Home care employees, and all other employees under the award: 2 hours
Most NDIS support work and all home care work sits on the 2 hour minimum. In a broken shift the minimum applies to each separate period of work, not to the shift as a whole. Source: SCHADS Award MA000100 clause 10.5.
Common questions
Are these rates current?
Yes. The rates shown are for the 2026-27 financial year, operative from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 following the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2026 (+4.75%). The Commission reviews minimum pay rates annually. Always verify against the current Fair Work pay guide before processing payroll.
Where can I find the previous 2025-26 rates?
The superseded 2025-26 SCHADS rates (operative 1 July 2025) are kept on our archived 2025-26 pay calculator for back-pay checks, historical timesheet reconciliation, and audits. Do not use them for current payroll.
Does this calculator include allowances?
This calculator covers base rates, penalty multipliers, and casual loading. It does not include travel allowances, broken shift allowances, sleepover allowances, or other SCHADS allowances. Refer to the full SCHADS pay rates page for those.
What about NDIS pricing — will this match my NDIS claim?
SCHADS minimum pay rates and NDIS price limits are separate frameworks. NDIS prices represent the maximum a provider can claim, not the worker's wage. The difference funds on-costs, overheads, and margin. Use our NDIS Shift Cost Estimator to see what you can claim.
Who does the SCHADS Award cover?
The SCHADS Award covers employees working in disability support, community services, aged care, and home care, including support workers, case managers, and allied health assistants employed by organisations in those sectors. This calculator covers all three wage scales: social and community services (clause 15), home care for an aged care client (clause 17.2), and home care for a client with a disability (clause 17.1). Which one applies is decided by who the client is, not by the employer, the funding source or the job title — NDIS-funded home care sits under clause 17.1 because the client has a disability. Note also that centre-based and community access work is clause 15 even at a provider that calls itself a home care provider.
Looking for the superseded figures? Archived SCHADS pay calculator 2025-26 has the rates operative from 1 July 2025 for back-pay and audit checks.
Related guides and tools
SCHADS Award guide
Pay rates, penalty rates, broken shifts, and minimum engagement in plain English.
Aged care workforce management
Support at Home, Aged Care Award rates, screening, and quality standards.
SIRS reporting guide
Serious incident obligations for aged care, with a decision tool and deadline calculator.
Competency tracking
Require credentials per client and enforce them at the point of assignment.
You still have to roster the people you're paying
When you build a roster in Teiro, the correct pay rate — including penalty rates, casual loading, and allowances — is calculated automatically based on the shift. No manual lookups, no payroll errors.
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Rates are based on the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (MA000100), effective 1 July 2026 (Annual Wage Review 2026, +4.75%, operative from the first full pay period on or after that date). Rates are indicative only — always verify against the current Fair Work pay guide before processing payroll. Teiro does not provide legal or payroll advice.