Disability Support Worker Pay Rates NSW (2026): Rates Explained

Disability support worker pay rates NSW by award stream

Disability support work under the SCHADS Award can fall under different award streams, and each has its own rate table, so name the stream before you compare any figure.

• Home care employee – disability care: level 1 is $31.38 an hour, level 2 pay point 1 is $33.19 and level 3 pay point 1 is $33.87, from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 (Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide).
• Home care employee – disability care, higher levels: level 3 pay point 2 is $34.92, level 4 pay point 1 is $36.95 and level 5 pay point 1 is $39.62 an hour, all from 1 December 2026.
• Social and community services employee: level 2 pay point 1 is $1,376.49 a week ($36.22 an hour) and level 3 pay point 1 is $1,538.59 a week ($40.49 an hour), from 1 December 2026.
• Equal Remuneration Order: the pay guide states that the final Equal Remuneration Order rate applies to social and community services employees, so the award’s base clause rates alone understate their minimum pay.

Check your payslip and letter of offer for your stream, level and pay point when you compare.

Disability worker pay rate and the 2026 wage changes

Several decisions affect award pay, and they take effect on different dates.

• In its Annual Wage Review 2026 decision, the Fair Work Commission increased modern award minimum wage rates by 4.75 per cent (Fair Work Commission). Check the Fair Work pay guide for when each award rate applies.
• The same decision records that the Priority Awards Review outcome for disability home care workers covered by the SCHADS Award is a 23 per cent increase in the minimum award rate for a Certificate III-qualified worker, with various increases for other classifications, to be implemented by 1 October 2027.
• The rates in this guide are those listed in the pay guide for the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026, so they are upcoming rather than today’s rates.
• Until then, use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool or the current pay guide for the rate that applies to you now.
• Read the latest news in our disability support worker pay rise 2026 guide.

We are always looking for reliable, caring support workers in Sydney and Melbourne. Send us your details, qualifications and availability.

Casual disability support worker pay rate

Casual employees are paid a 25% loading, so their hourly rate is higher than a part-time worker’s at the same level.

• Under clause 10.4 of the award, casual employees are paid a loading of 25% on top of the minimum hourly rate for their classification (SCHADS Award).
• Under clause 10.5, part-time and casual employees doing disability services work must be paid for at least 2 hours per shift.
• Other social and community services employees have a 3-hour minimum, so check which stream your shift falls under.
• See casual support worker pay rate for worked examples by shift.

Disability support worker pay on weekends, public holidays and sleepovers

The pay guide lists higher hourly rates for Saturday, Sunday and public holiday work, so ask your employer how each shift type is rostered.

• The pay guide lists a sleepover allowance of $62.87 for each sleepover.
• Our guide to support worker sleepover rate explains how it is applied.
• Keep your own diary of shifts and start and finish times so you can check your payslip.
• Use the NDIS pay rate calculator to estimate pay for a typical week.

Support worker salary NSW and how it compares with other states

Across Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia lists 344,400 people employed as aged and disabled carers, with median full-time earnings of $1,564 per week (ABS, May 2023), a median age of 41 and 74% female (Jobs and Skills Australia).

If you are self-employed, see our guide to independent support worker pay rates.

Using disability support pay rates in your job search

Ask these five questions before you accept an offer.

1. 1Ask which award stream and level applies. Get the stream, level and pay point in writing, because the rate tables differ between streams.
2. 2Confirm your employment type. Casual rates include a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate for your classification.
3. 3Check weekend, public holiday and sleepover pay. Ask how each is rostered and where it appears on your payslip.
4. 4Confirm the minimum shift length. Part-time and casual employees in disability services work must be paid for at least 2 hours per shift.
5. 5Know the role first. Read what a support worker does, what is a support worker and how to become a support worker.

We are always looking for reliable, caring support workers in Sydney and Melbourne. Send us your details, qualifications and availability.

Your next step

If you are looking for disability support work, we would like to hear from you. TQN Care’s NDIS support workers help people across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC) with personal care, community access and help around the home. Send us your qualifications and availability, and we will talk through the roles that suit you and how pay works in each.