There are two different numbers behind NDIS support work: the maximum hourly price the NDIS lets a provider charge a participant, and the wage the worker actually takes home. The NDIS sets price caps that change by day, time and region, while worker wages follow the SCHADS Award. The two are related but not the same.
When people search for support worker pay rates, they are usually mixing up two figures. The first is the NDIS price cap: the maximum a provider may bill a participant’s budget for an hour of support. The second is the worker’s wage: what lands in the support worker’s pay packet.
The price cap sits in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. The wage is governed by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award. A provider’s billing has to cover wages plus on-costs like superannuation, leave, insurance, training and travel, which is why the cap is higher than the hourly wage.
Both the price cap and the award wage move with day and time. The same support is priced differently on a weekday, a weekday evening, a Saturday, a Sunday and a public holiday, reflecting penalty rates for working unsocial hours.
Other drivers include the type of support (standard daily assistance versus higher-intensity care), the participant’s region, whether the work is in a remote or very remote area, and whether the provider is registered. Travel time and short-notice cancellations can also affect what is billed.
Rather than one flat figure, both pricing and wages use bands. The table below shows the bands you will see referenced. The actual dollar values are not listed here because they change each year and by region, so always read them from the current NDIS price guide and the pay-rate calculator.
Because rates are reviewed annually on 1 July and vary by region, quoting a figure here would date quickly and could mislead. The reliable approach is to look up the current cap for the specific support and time band in the price guide, then use the pay-rate calculator to estimate worker wages under the award.
If you are a participant budgeting your plan, the price cap tells you the most a provider can charge per hour. If you are weighing up support work, the SCHADS award rate is closer to your take-home wage, before considering casual loading, penalties and allowances.
Use the pay-rate calculator to estimate support worker wages by classification, day and time.
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