Allied health professionals paid under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 move to a new pay structure from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026. Pay now depends on the qualification level of your profession and your years of experience, and most health professionals get a rise: a new graduate in an AQF Level 7 profession who started on the 3-year-degree pay point goes from $1,219.50 to $1,308.80 a week.
New minimum weekly rates from 1 October 2026 (first stage)
| What changed | Detail |
|---|---|
| Level 1, AQF 5: 1st year → 7th year+ | $1,232.70 → $1,541.30 |
| Level 1, AQF 7: 1st year → 7th year+ | $1,308.80 → $1,689.50 |
| Level 1, AQF 9: 1st year → 7th year+ | $1,444.90 → $1,755.00 |
| Level 2.1 | $1,945.40 |
| Level 2.2 | $1,983.20 |
| Level 3 | $1,983.20 |
| Level 4 | $2,499.10 |
What changes on 1 October
The Fair Work Commission's Expert Panel set the new structure in [2026] FWCFB 123 on 26 May 2026, as part of its review of gender-based undervaluation in modern awards. On 7 September 2026 it issued the final first-stage determination (PR814029), updated for the 2026 Annual Wage Review. Three things change:
- Level 1 is split by qualification. Each profession is assigned the AQF level of its standard minimum qualification in Schedule B — for example physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists and exercise physiologists are AQF Level 7, and psychologists AQF Level 9. Pay then steps up in the 1st, 2nd–3rd, 4th–6th and 7th-plus years.
- New senior levels. Level 2 (senior clinician, specialist, supervisor or educator) has two rates depending on whether you have five years in that role, then Level 3 (advanced clinician or section manager) and Level 4 (manager).
- Nobody goes backwards. Clause J.4.3 keeps anyone on their 30 September 2026 rate if it is higher than their new one. That matters at the top: the old Level 4 pay point 4 paid $2,705.10, against $2,499.10 for the new Level 4.
This is only the first of five stages. Further increases apply from 30 June 2027, 30 June 2028, 30 June 2029 and 30 June 2030, so these rates rise again each year until 2030 on top of any Annual Wage Review increase.
Worked example: an AQF Level 7 health professional
Clause J.4.1(e) translates health professionals in an AQF Level 7 profession who entered on the old 3-year-degree pay point. Using the current rates and the new ones:
| On 30 September 2026 | From 1 October 2026 | Weekly before | Weekly after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 pay point 2 | AQF 7, 1st year | $1,219.50 | $1,308.80 |
| Level 1 pay point 3 | AQF 7, 2nd – 3rd year | $1,273.40 | $1,409.00 |
| Level 1 pay point 4 | AQF 7, 2nd – 3rd year | $1,317.20 | $1,409.00 |
| Level 1 pay point 5 | AQF 7, 4th – 6th year | $1,435.00 | $1,565.30 |
| Level 1 pay point 6 | AQF 7, 4th – 6th year | $1,485.90 | $1,565.30 |
| Level 2 pay point 1 | AQF 7, 4th – 6th year | $1,493.90 | $1,565.30 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | AQF 7, 7th year+ | $1,548.30 | $1,689.50 |
| Level 2 pay point 3 | AQF 7, 7th year+ | $1,607.40 | $1,689.50 |
| Level 2 pay point 4 | AQF 7, 7th year+ | $1,671.40 | $1,689.50 |
The graduate's $89.30 weekly rise is worth about $60.30 after tax on the FY2026-27 withholding tables (tax-free threshold claimed, no study loan). An experienced clinician on the old Level 2 pay point 2 moves from $1,548.30 to $1,689.50, about $7,342 a year before tax. Your own translation depends on your profession's AQF level and your entry pay point, so check the clause J.4 tables in the determination.
Who is covered
The award covers national-system employers in the health industry — private practices, private hospitals, NDIS and community health providers. State public hospital allied health staff are paid under state awards and agreements, and anyone on an enterprise agreement is paid under that agreement rather than the award.
Current award rates by occupation are on our physiotherapist, occupational therapist and psychologist pay pages, and the healthcare worker pay hub covers nurses and other health roles. Use the pay rise calculator to see your increase after tax.