If your employer has a registered enterprise agreement, its rates apply instead of the award rates below. Many large community sector employers have one.
Social Worker award pay rates 2026–27
Social worker pay rates — SCHADS social and community services, Levels 3 to 6
SCHADS Award Schedule B, weekly and hourly rates as published including the Equal Remuneration Order. Casual is the hourly rate plus the 25% loading (the award publishes no casual column).
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual (weekly × 52) | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $40.49 | $1,538.59 | $80,007 | $50.61 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $41.66 | $1,582.94 | $82,313 | $52.08 |
| Level 3 pay point 3Graduate entry — relevant 3-year degree | $42.55 | $1,616.71 | $84,069 | $53.19 |
| Level 3 pay point 4Graduate entry — relevant 4-year degree (e.g. BSW) | $43.42 | $1,649.97 | $85,798 | $54.28 |
| Level 4 pay point 1Four-year degree plus 1 year's experience, or 3-year degree plus 2 | $46.70 | $1,774.74 | $92,286 | $58.38 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $47.92 | $1,821.07 | $94,696 | $59.90 |
| Level 4 pay point 3 | $49.16 | $1,867.93 | $97,132 | $61.45 |
| Level 4 pay point 4 | $50.25 | $1,909.51 | $99,295 | $62.81 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $53.43 | $2,030.20 | $105,570 | $66.79 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $54.58 | $2,073.91 | $107,843 | $68.23 |
| Level 5 pay point 3 | $55.85 | $2,122.13 | $110,351 | $69.81 |
| Level 6 pay point 1 | $58.37 | $2,218.02 | $115,337 | $72.96 |
| Level 6 pay point 2 | $59.66 | $2,267.02 | $117,885 | $74.58 |
| Level 6 pay point 3 | $60.95 | $2,316.16 | $120,440 | $76.19 |
Casual hourly rates include the 25% casual loading (casual loading calculator).
Which award covers social workers
Social workers employed by community organisations, charities, NDIS providers, family and youth services and other not-for-profits are covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 — the SCHADS Award [MA000100] — in the Social and community services stream (Schedule B). The award defines that sector as including social work.
Schedule B makes Level 3 the graduate entry level: a relevant 3-year degree starts at pay point 3 and a relevant 4-year degree — such as an accredited Bachelor of Social Work — at pay point 4. Level 4 generally requires a 4-year degree plus a year's experience (or a 3-year degree plus two); levels 5 and above are senior practitioner, supervisory and management roles.
Social workers in the health industry — private hospitals and health providers — are covered instead by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], which lists social worker as a health professional. From the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026 a first-year social worker there is paid by the AQF level of their social work qualification: $34.44 an hour ($1,308.80 a week) at AQF Level 7, the bachelor level, and $35.19 or $38.02 at AQF Level 8 or 9 — still well below the SCHADS rate.
The SCHADS rates for levels 2 and up include the Equal Remuneration Order, which the award says forms part of ordinary pay for all purposes. Social workers in state or Commonwealth government are paid under their public service agreement instead.
Read the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 [MA000100] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 September 2026), or see every classification on our MA000100 award rates page.
Social Worker penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 150% | 175% |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
| Afternoon shift | 112.5% | — |
| Night shift | 115% | — |
Percentages of the minimum hourly rate. Casual weekend and public holiday rates include the 25% loading. Weekend rates replace shift loadings rather than adding to them (cl 26.2).
Overtime
- Social and community services employees: time and a half for the first 3 hours of overtime Monday to Saturday, then double time (cl 28.1(a)(ii)) — one hour longer at time and a half than disability and home care workers get.
- Sunday overtime is double time and public holiday overtime is double time and a half.
- Part-time and casual employees are paid overtime for work beyond 38 hours a week, 76 a fortnight or 10 hours in a day or shift (cl 28.1(b)).
Social Worker pay after tax
| Classification | Gross a year | Tax and Medicare | Take-home a year | A week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $80,007 | −$16,122 | $63,885 | $1,229 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $82,313 | −$16,860 | $65,453 | $1,259 |
| Level 3 pay point 3 | $84,069 | −$17,422 | $66,647 | $1,282 |
| Level 3 pay point 4 | $85,798 | −$17,975 | $67,823 | $1,304 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $92,286 | −$20,052 | $72,234 | $1,389 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $94,696 | −$20,823 | $73,873 | $1,421 |
| Level 4 pay point 3 | $97,132 | −$21,603 | $75,529 | $1,452 |
| Level 4 pay point 4 | $99,295 | −$22,295 | $77,000 | $1,481 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $105,570 | −$24,302 | $81,268 | $1,563 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $107,843 | −$25,030 | $82,813 | $1,593 |
| Level 5 pay point 3 | $110,351 | −$25,832 | $84,519 | $1,625 |
| Level 6 pay point 1 | $115,337 | −$27,428 | $87,909 | $1,691 |
| Level 6 pay point 2 | $117,885 | −$28,244 | $89,641 | $1,724 |
| Level 6 pay point 3 | $120,440 | −$29,061 | $91,379 | $1,757 |
2026–27 resident rates with the Medicare levy and no HECS-HELP; super is paid on top. Full breakdown: take-home pay on $85,000 (the nearest step to $85,798), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What social workers actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Social Workers (ANZSCO 2725) at $2,172 a week ($57 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations. That is $522 a week above the Level 3 pay point 4 minimum of $1,649.97.
Full-time, non-managerial adults before tax (ABS, May 2025): a market figure, not a legal minimum. Average and median pay explained.
What this page does not show
- SCHADS Levels 1–2 and 7–8, which rarely apply to qualified social workers; see the SCHADS award page for every level.
- State and Commonwealth public service social worker scales, and hospital social worker rates under state health agreements.
- Crisis accommodation and trainee rates.
Social Worker pay questions
Pay rates for related jobs
Every health and care job is on the job pay rates hub.
How this page is sourced▼
Minimum rates: the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010, consolidated to 1 September 2026, read on 23 September 2026. Median: Jobs and Skills Australia, Social Workers (ANZSCO 2725).
Sources & References
- 1
- 2
- 3Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 4Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 5Social Workers (ANZSCO 2725) occupation profile — ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025— Jobs and Skills Australia
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
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AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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