Read this before you compare your payslip
If you open the SCHADS award text and read clause 15, Level 4 pay point 1 says $1,344.50 a week. That is not the rate you are owed. Equal Remuneration Order PR525485 applies on top for social and community services and crisis accommodation classifications, and the award’s own note confirms the ERO rates “form employees’ ordinary rates of pay for all purposes”.
The operative rate is $1,774.74 — 32% higher, a difference of $430.24 a week or about $22,372 a year.
The ERO tables begin at Level 2. Level 1 has no ERO row and receives no uplift, so its rates below are the plain clause 15 minimums, and those minimums are also the operative rates. Levels 2 to 8 are ERO-inclusive.
Social and Community Services Pay Rates (Schedule B)
Schedule B covers social workers, case managers, community development workers, youth workers and most disability support work delivered outside the home. Levels 2 to 8 carry the Equal Remuneration Order; Level 1 does not.
| Classification | Weekly (38 hrs) | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 pay point 1 | $1,046.90 | $27.55 | $34.44 |
| Level 1 pay point 2 | $1,080.60 | $28.44 | $35.55 |
| Level 1 pay point 3 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 2 pay point 1 | $1,376.49 | $36.22 | $45.28 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | $1,419.79 | $37.36 | $46.70 |
| Level 2 pay point 3 | $1,462.96 | $38.50 | $48.13 |
| Level 2 pay point 4 | $1,501.95 | $39.53 | $49.41 |
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $1,538.59 | $40.49 | $50.61 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $1,582.94 | $41.66 | $52.08 |
| Level 3 pay point 3 | $1,616.71 | $42.55 | $53.19 |
| Level 3 pay point 4 | $1,649.97 | $43.42 | $54.28 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $1,774.74 | $46.70 | $58.38 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $1,821.07 | $47.92 | $59.90 |
| Level 4 pay point 3 | $1,867.93 | $49.16 | $61.45 |
| Level 4 pay point 4 | $1,909.51 | $50.25 | $62.81 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $2,030.20 | $53.43 | $66.79 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $2,073.91 | $54.58 | $68.23 |
| Level 5 pay point 3 | $2,122.13 | $55.85 | $69.81 |
| Level 6 pay point 1 | $2,218.02 | $58.37 | $72.96 |
| Level 6 pay point 2 | $2,267.02 | $59.66 | $74.58 |
| Level 6 pay point 3 | $2,316.16 | $60.95 | $76.19 |
| Level 7 pay point 1 | $2,398.95 | $63.13 | $78.91 |
| Level 7 pay point 2 | $2,449.36 | $64.46 | $80.58 |
| Level 7 pay point 3 | $2,499.20 | $65.77 | $82.21 |
| Level 8 pay point 1 | $2,602.75 | $68.49 | $85.61 |
| Level 8 pay point 2 | $2,653.94 | $69.84 | $87.30 |
| Level 8 pay point 3 | $2,705.27 | $71.19 | $88.99 |
Weekly rates are as published by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Hourly is the weekly rate divided by 38 ordinary hours. The casual column is the ordinary hourly rate plus the 25% casual loading.
Why Level 1 to Level 2 jumps so far
Level 1 pay point 3 is $1,119.10 a week. Level 2 pay point 1 is $1,376.49, a step of $257.39 between adjacent classifications, far larger than any other gap in the table. It is not a typo. Level 1 receives no ERO uplift and Level 2 does. That single fact makes this boundary the first place to check your classification on a SCHADS payslip.
Watch out: $1,119.10 means two different things
The same figure appears twice in this award with a $257-a-week difference in meaning. $1,119.10 is the operative rate for Level 1 pay point 3. It is also the pre-ERO clause 15 figure for Level 2 pay point 1. That figure becomes $1,376.49 once the Equal Remuneration Order is applied.
So if you are a Level 2 and your payslip shows $1,119.10, you are being paid a Level 1 rate under a Level 2 classification. This is the single likeliest way a SCHADS pay table goes wrong, and it is worth $13,384 a year.
Home Care Pay Rates (Schedules E and F)
Home care is paid under different schedules with no ERO uplift, so the rates are materially lower than the social and community services table above.
Schedule E rates rise from 1 December 2026. The Fair Work Commission ([2026] FWCFB 232, 11 September 2026) deferred the home care disability increase from 1 October 2026 to 1 December 2026, an interim rise of up to 15%. The table below shows the rates in force today. See SCHADS home care disability pay rise from 1 December 2026 for the new rates.
Home care — disability care (Schedule E)
| Classification | Weekly (38 hrs) | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 pay point 1 | $1,036.80 | $27.28 | $34.10 |
| Level 2 pay point 1 | $1,096.60 | $28.86 | $36.08 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | $1,104.10 | $29.06 | $36.33 |
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $1,153.70 | $30.36 | $37.95 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $1,221.00 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $1,245.40 | $32.77 | $40.96 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $1,309.20 | $34.45 | $43.06 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $1,360.80 | $35.81 | $44.76 |
Home care — aged care (Schedule F)
This schedule has no pay points; each level is a single rate.
| Classification | Weekly (38 hrs) | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Introductory | $1,239.00 | $32.61 | $40.76 |
| Level 2 Home carer | $1,307.80 | $34.42 | $43.03 |
| Level 3 Qualified | $1,376.70 | $36.23 | $45.29 |
| Level 4 Senior | $1,431.70 | $37.68 | $47.10 |
| Level 5 Specialist | $1,486.80 | $39.13 | $48.91 |
| Level 6 Team leader | $1,541.90 | $40.58 | $50.73 |
SCHADS Pay Guide 2026: Every Pay Point, Every Day
The SCHADS pay guide below is the printable version: every classification’s hourly rate on a weekday, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday, for permanent and casual employees, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Use the print button above to save it as a PDF. Shift loadings (afternoon 12.5%, night 15%) are covered under penalty rates.
Social and community services (Schedule B) — full-time and part-time
| Classification | Mon–Fri100% | Saturday150% | Sunday200% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 pay point 1 | $27.55 | $41.33 | $55.10 | $68.88 |
| Level 1 pay point 2 | $28.44 | $42.66 | $56.88 | $71.10 |
| Level 1 pay point 3 | $29.45 | $44.18 | $58.90 | $73.63 |
| Level 2 pay point 1 | $36.22 | $54.33 | $72.44 | $90.55 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | $37.36 | $56.04 | $74.72 | $93.40 |
| Level 2 pay point 3 | $38.50 | $57.75 | $77.00 | $96.25 |
| Level 2 pay point 4 | $39.53 | $59.30 | $79.06 | $98.83 |
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $40.49 | $60.74 | $80.98 | $101.23 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $41.66 | $62.49 | $83.32 | $104.15 |
| Level 3 pay point 3 | $42.55 | $63.83 | $85.10 | $106.38 |
| Level 3 pay point 4 | $43.42 | $65.13 | $86.84 | $108.55 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $46.70 | $70.05 | $93.40 | $116.75 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $47.92 | $71.88 | $95.84 | $119.80 |
| Level 4 pay point 3 | $49.16 | $73.74 | $98.32 | $122.90 |
| Level 4 pay point 4 | $50.25 | $75.38 | $100.50 | $125.63 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $53.43 | $80.15 | $106.86 | $133.58 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $54.58 | $81.87 | $109.16 | $136.45 |
| Level 5 pay point 3 | $55.85 | $83.78 | $111.70 | $139.63 |
| Level 6 pay point 1 | $58.37 | $87.56 | $116.74 | $145.93 |
| Level 6 pay point 2 | $59.66 | $89.49 | $119.32 | $149.15 |
| Level 6 pay point 3 | $60.95 | $91.43 | $121.90 | $152.38 |
| Level 7 pay point 1 | $63.13 | $94.70 | $126.26 | $157.83 |
| Level 7 pay point 2 | $64.46 | $96.69 | $128.92 | $161.15 |
| Level 7 pay point 3 | $65.77 | $98.66 | $131.54 | $164.43 |
| Level 8 pay point 1 | $68.49 | $102.74 | $136.98 | $171.23 |
| Level 8 pay point 2 | $69.84 | $104.76 | $139.68 | $174.60 |
| Level 8 pay point 3 | $71.19 | $106.79 | $142.38 | $177.98 |
Social and community services (Schedule B) — casual
| Classification | Mon–Fri125% | Saturday175% | Sunday225% | Public holiday275% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 pay point 1 | $34.44 | $48.21 | $61.99 | $75.76 |
| Level 1 pay point 2 | $35.55 | $49.77 | $63.99 | $78.21 |
| Level 1 pay point 3 | $36.81 | $51.54 | $66.26 | $80.99 |
| Level 2 pay point 1 | $45.28 | $63.39 | $81.50 | $99.61 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | $46.70 | $65.38 | $84.06 | $102.74 |
| Level 2 pay point 3 | $48.13 | $67.38 | $86.63 | $105.88 |
| Level 2 pay point 4 | $49.41 | $69.18 | $88.94 | $108.71 |
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $50.61 | $70.86 | $91.10 | $111.35 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $52.08 | $72.91 | $93.74 | $114.57 |
| Level 3 pay point 3 | $53.19 | $74.46 | $95.74 | $117.01 |
| Level 3 pay point 4 | $54.28 | $75.99 | $97.70 | $119.41 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $58.38 | $81.73 | $105.08 | $128.43 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $59.90 | $83.86 | $107.82 | $131.78 |
| Level 4 pay point 3 | $61.45 | $86.03 | $110.61 | $135.19 |
| Level 4 pay point 4 | $62.81 | $87.94 | $113.06 | $138.19 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $66.79 | $93.50 | $120.22 | $146.93 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $68.23 | $95.52 | $122.81 | $150.10 |
| Level 5 pay point 3 | $69.81 | $97.74 | $125.66 | $153.59 |
| Level 6 pay point 1 | $72.96 | $102.15 | $131.33 | $160.52 |
| Level 6 pay point 2 | $74.58 | $104.41 | $134.24 | $164.07 |
| Level 6 pay point 3 | $76.19 | $106.66 | $137.14 | $167.61 |
| Level 7 pay point 1 | $78.91 | $110.48 | $142.04 | $173.61 |
| Level 7 pay point 2 | $80.58 | $112.81 | $145.04 | $177.27 |
| Level 7 pay point 3 | $82.21 | $115.10 | $147.98 | $180.87 |
| Level 8 pay point 1 | $85.61 | $119.86 | $154.10 | $188.35 |
| Level 8 pay point 2 | $87.30 | $122.22 | $157.14 | $192.06 |
| Level 8 pay point 3 | $88.99 | $124.58 | $160.18 | $195.77 |
Home care — disability (Schedule E) — full-time and part-time
| Classification | Mon–Fri100% | Saturday150% | Sunday200% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 pay point 1 | $27.28 | $40.92 | $54.56 | $68.20 |
| Level 2 pay point 1 | $28.86 | $43.29 | $57.72 | $72.15 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | $29.06 | $43.59 | $58.12 | $72.65 |
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $29.45 | $44.18 | $58.90 | $73.63 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $30.36 | $45.54 | $60.72 | $75.90 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $32.13 | $48.20 | $64.26 | $80.33 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $32.77 | $49.16 | $65.54 | $81.93 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $34.45 | $51.68 | $68.90 | $86.13 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $35.81 | $53.72 | $71.62 | $89.53 |
Home care — disability (Schedule E) — casual
| Classification | Mon–Fri125% | Saturday175% | Sunday225% | Public holiday275% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 pay point 1 | $34.10 | $47.74 | $61.38 | $75.02 |
| Level 2 pay point 1 | $36.08 | $50.51 | $64.94 | $79.37 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | $36.33 | $50.86 | $65.39 | $79.92 |
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $36.81 | $51.54 | $66.26 | $80.99 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $37.95 | $53.13 | $68.31 | $83.49 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $40.16 | $56.23 | $72.29 | $88.36 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $40.96 | $57.35 | $73.73 | $90.12 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $43.06 | $60.29 | $77.51 | $94.74 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $44.76 | $62.67 | $80.57 | $98.48 |
Home care — aged care (Schedule F) — full-time and part-time
| Classification | Mon–Fri100% | Saturday150% | Sunday200% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Introductory | $32.61 | $48.92 | $65.22 | $81.53 |
| Level 2 Home carer | $34.42 | $51.63 | $68.84 | $86.05 |
| Level 3 Qualified | $36.23 | $54.35 | $72.46 | $90.58 |
| Level 4 Senior | $37.68 | $56.52 | $75.36 | $94.20 |
| Level 5 Specialist | $39.13 | $58.70 | $78.26 | $97.83 |
| Level 6 Team leader | $40.58 | $60.87 | $81.16 | $101.45 |
Home care — aged care (Schedule F) — casual
| Classification | Mon–Fri125% | Saturday175% | Sunday225% | Public holiday275% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Introductory | $40.76 | $57.07 | $73.37 | $89.68 |
| Level 2 Home carer | $43.03 | $60.24 | $77.45 | $94.66 |
| Level 3 Qualified | $45.29 | $63.40 | $81.52 | $99.63 |
| Level 4 Senior | $47.10 | $65.94 | $84.78 | $103.62 |
| Level 5 Specialist | $48.91 | $68.48 | $88.04 | $107.61 |
| Level 6 Team leader | $50.73 | $71.02 | $91.31 | $111.60 |
Each day rate applies the percentages in award clauses 26, 29 and 34 to the hourly rate, rounded to the cent; casual percentages already include the 25% loading. Public holiday is “double time and a half” in the award’s own words.
SCHADS Penalty Rates
Penalty rates are expressed as a percentage of the ordinary rate for your classification. The dollar column below uses Level 4 pay point 1 ($46.70/hr) as the worked example.
| When worked | Permanent | Casual | Permanent $ on $46.70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 150% | 175% | $70.05 |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% | $93.40 |
| Public holidayPublic holiday pay calculator & dates by state. What this rate pays on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Australia Day and Easter. | 250% | 275% | $116.75 |
| Afternoon shift loading | +12.5% | — | $52.54 |
| Night shift loading | +15% | — | $53.71 |
Two rules that change the arithmetic. First, weekend rates are in substitution for, not cumulative upon, shift loadings (cl 26.2). You do not add a night loading to a Sunday rate. Second, public holiday payment replaces both the weekend rate and any shift loading.
A note on wording: the award does not say “250%” for public holidays. Clause 34.2(a) says “double time and a half”. The percentage is the arithmetic, and the two agree. If you are quoting the award in a pay dispute, quote the phrase.
Casual penalties are additive, not compounded. Casual Sunday is 225% of the base rate: the 200% Sunday rate plus the 25% loading. It is not 200% multiplied by 1.25, which would give 250%.
For how penalty rates work across other awards, see our penalty rates guide.
SCHADS Allowances
The SCHADS award pays allowances for sleepovers, broken shifts, on-call periods, first aid, overtime meals, uniforms, laundry and use of your own car. These apply from 1 July 2026, except the vehicle allowance, which has a temporary rate (below).
| Allowance | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Sleepover | $62.87 | per sleepover (cl 25.7(d)) |
| Broken shift: one unpaid break | $21.81 | per shift |
| Broken shift: two unpaid breaks | $28.87 | per shift |
| On call: weekday | $25.66 | per 24-hour period |
| On call: weekend or public holiday | $50.81 | per 24-hour period |
| First aid | $21.43 | per week ($0.56/hr for casuals) |
| Meal: when working overtime | $17.30 | per occasion |
| Uniform | $1.26 | per shift, capped at $6.41/week |
| Laundry | $0.33 | per shift, capped at $1.53/week |
| Vehicle: own car on duty | $1.05 | per kilometre: $1.05 per km from 1 September 2026 to 28 February 2027 (temporary, cl 20.7(aa), PR813674); $1.01 per km again from 1 March 2027 |
Clause 20.7(aa) sets a temporary vehicle allowance of $1.05 per kilometre from 1 September 2026 to 28 February 2027, inserted by PR813674. The temporary rate starts from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 September 2026. The ordinary $1.01 per kilometre rate applies again from 1 March 2027. All other allowances above apply from 1 July 2026.
The sleepover allowance pays for the sleepover itself. If you are required to work during the sleepover, that time is paid separately at the overtime rate, with a minimum of one hour’s pay (cl 25.7(e)). The sleepover allowance does not buy the employer any working time.
What does a SCHADS rate take home?
For a week with a mix of shifts, enter your hours in theweekly pay calculator, or turn a salary into net pay with the take-home pay calculator.
Does SCHADS Have Junior Rates?
No. The SCHADS award contains no junior rates clause and no age-based percentage scale. An employee under 21 covered by this award is paid the full adult rate for their classification.
Age-percentage tables attributed to SCHADS are not in the award. If you have been shown one, ask which award actually covers the role, not what percentage applies. The awards that do set junior rates, and the percentages they use, are set out in our junior pay rates guide.
The one age-linked route into SCHADS pay is the National Training Wage: clause 19.2 does not set trainee rates itself but incorporates Schedule E of the Miscellaneous Award 2020, incorporated by cl 19.2. Those rates vary with age and schooling completed. We have not verified them, so they are listed as a gap below rather than reproduced.
And there is no separate disability services rate
There is no standalone disability services pay stream in SCHADS. The old clause 17 was deleted in 2010. Disability support work sits in either the social and community services stream (Schedule B) or the home care stream (Schedule E) where it is delivered in the home. Which applies turns on the work performed, not on the employer’s name or funding source.
What This Page Does Not Cover
These parts of SCHADS carry rates we have not verified against a primary source, so we do not publish figures for them. Check them directly with Fair Work rather than inferring from the tables above:
- National Training Wage (Schedule I) trainee rates
- Schedule G classification translation rates
- Queensland non-constitutional corporation transitional arrangements
- Crisis Accommodation and Family Day Care streams
Two of these matter more than they look. Queensland non-constitutional corporations are explicitly excluded from the Fair Work pay guide and may sit under separate transitional pay equity orders. And Schedule G translation rates affect home care aged-care employees covered on or before 31 December 2024, so long-serving staff may be on a different rate to a new starter doing identical work.
When These Rates Took Effect
The Annual Wage Review [2026] FWCFB 3500 lifted modern award minimum rates by 4.75%, given effect for SCHADS by determination PR799380. The Fair Work Ombudsman published the updated pay guide on 24 June 2026.
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not universally 1 July. If your pay period began before 1 July 2026, the previous rate lawfully applies to that entire period and the increase starts with the next one. If you think you have been underpaid across a longer stretch, our backpay calculator works out what is owed.
SCHADS Level 2, 3, 4 and 5 Salary: Annual Pay by Pay Point
The table below gives each Schedule B weekly rate from 1 July 2026, annualised at 52 weeks. The annual figure is the award minimum for a 38-hour week; the casual column adds the 25% loading to the hourly rate.
| Classification | Weekly | Annual (52 weeks) | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 pay point 1 | $1,376.49 | $71,577 | $45.28 |
| Level 2 pay point 2 | $1,419.79 | $73,829 | $46.70 |
| Level 2 pay point 3 | $1,462.96 | $76,074 | $48.13 |
| Level 2 pay point 4 | $1,501.95 | $78,101 | $49.41 |
| Level 3 pay point 1 | $1,538.59 | $80,007 | $50.61 |
| Level 3 pay point 2 | $1,582.94 | $82,313 | $52.08 |
| Level 3 pay point 3 | $1,616.71 | $84,069 | $53.19 |
| Level 3 pay point 4 | $1,649.97 | $85,798 | $54.28 |
| Level 4 pay point 1 | $1,774.74 | $92,286 | $58.38 |
| Level 4 pay point 2 | $1,821.07 | $94,696 | $59.90 |
| Level 4 pay point 3 | $1,867.93 | $97,132 | $61.45 |
| Level 4 pay point 4 | $1,909.51 | $99,295 | $62.81 |
| Level 5 pay point 1 | $2,030.20 | $105,570 | $66.79 |
| Level 5 pay point 2 | $2,073.91 | $107,843 | $68.23 |
| Level 5 pay point 3 | $2,122.13 | $110,351 | $69.81 |
- Level 2: entry-level support workers, working under direction with limited discretion.
- Level 3: experienced support workers and workers with a relevant qualification, working with some independence.
- Level 4: case workers, team leaders and workers with a degree or substantial experience.
- Level 5: coordinators and specialists who supervise staff or programs.
Those descriptors summarise Schedule B as set out in the Fair Work Ombudsman award summary; the level is set by the work performed and the qualification held, not by job title. Many employers pay above these minimums under an enterprise agreement, and the Levels 2 to 5 figures include the Equal Remuneration Order uplift explained in Read this before you compare your payslip.
Home care is classified differently: the Schedule E home care levels are not the Schedule B levels above, and Schedule E disability rates rise from 1 December 2026 (Level 1 pay point 1 to $1,192.30 a week). See Home Care Pay Rates (Schedules E and F).
To turn an annual figure into take-home pay (for example $92,286 a year at Level 4 pay point 1), use the tax on every salary tables or the take-home links on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
SCHADS award pay rate questions and answers
What are the SCHADS award pay rates for 2026-27?
Under the social and community services stream, the SCHADS award pays from $1,046.90 a week ($27.55 an hour) at Level 1 pay point 1 up to $2,705.27 a week ($71.19 an hour) at Level 8 pay point 3. Rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, following the 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase in [2026] FWCFB 3500. All hourly rates are the weekly rate divided by 38 ordinary hours.
What is the SCHADS Level 4 pay rate?
Level 4 pay point 1 in the social and community services stream is $1,774.74 a week, or $46.70 an hour. Clause 15 of the SCHADS award text lists $1,344.50 for the same classification. That is the pre-Equal Remuneration Order figure and it is not what you are owed. Equal Remuneration Order PR525485 applies on top for Schedule B classifications, and the award's own note confirms the ERO rates form ordinary rates of pay for all purposes.
Why is my SCHADS pay rate higher than the award document says?
Your SCHADS pay rate is higher because of the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO). Social and community services and crisis accommodation classifications receive an ERO loading on top of the minimum weekly wage printed in clause 15 of the award. At Level 4 pay point 1 the difference is $1,344.50 against an operative $1,774.74. The rate you are actually owed is 32% higher than the figure printed in the clause, a gap of $430.24 a week. Any SCHADS rate table that does not mention the ERO is quoting the wrong number.
Does the SCHADS award have junior rates?
No. The SCHADS award contains no junior rates clause and no age-based percentage scale. The word 'junior' appears in the award only in transitional boilerplate. An employee under 21 covered by SCHADS is paid the full adult rate for their classification. If you have been shown a SCHADS junior percentage table, it is not from this award — check which award actually covers your role.
Is there a separate SCHADS disability services pay rate?
No. There is no standalone disability services pay stream. The old clause 17 was deleted in 2010. Disability support work now sits in one of two places: the social and community services stream in Schedule B, or the home care stream in Schedule E where the work is disability care delivered in the home. Which one applies depends on the work performed, not on the employer's name.
What is the SCHADS casual rate?
Casual employees receive a 25% loading on the ordinary hourly rate. At Level 1 pay point 1 that makes $27.55 an hour become $34.44, and at Level 4 pay point 1 $46.70 becomes $58.38. Casual weekend and public holiday penalties are additive rather than compounded: casual Sunday is 225% of the base rate, not 200% multiplied by the loading.
What are the SCHADS penalty rates?
For permanent employees: Saturday 150%, Sunday 200% and public holidays 250% of the ordinary rate. Afternoon shift attracts a 12.5% loading and night shift 15%. For casuals the equivalents are Saturday 175%, Sunday 225% and public holiday 275%. Weekend rates substitute for shift loadings rather than stacking on top of them, and public holiday pay replaces both.
How much is the SCHADS sleepover allowance?
The SCHADS sleepover allowance is $62.87 per sleepover, set at 4.9% of the standard rate under clause 25.7(d). That payment covers the sleepover itself. If you are required to work during the sleepover, that time is paid at the overtime rate, with a minimum of one hour's pay (cl 25.7(e)). The allowance does not buy the employer any working time.
What is the difference between the SACS stream and the home care stream?
The SACS stream and the home care stream are separate schedules with separate rates, and the gap is large. Social and community services (Schedule B) rates carry the Equal Remuneration Order from Level 2, starting at $1,376.49 a week at Level 2 pay point 1. Home care aged care (Schedule F) receives no ERO uplift and starts at $1,239.00 a week at the introductory level. Home care disability care (Schedule E) is a third schedule again.
When did the new SCHADS rates start?
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not universally 1 July. That distinction matters in July: if your pay period began before 1 July 2026, the old rate lawfully applies to that whole period and the increase starts with your next one. The Fair Work Ombudsman published the updated pay guide on 24 June 2026, giving effect to determination PR799380.
Why is there such a jump from SCHADS Level 1 to Level 2?
The jump exists because SCHADS Level 1 receives no Equal Remuneration Order uplift and Level 2 does. Level 1 pay point 3 is $1,119.10 a week and Level 2 pay point 1 is $1,376.49, a step of over $257 a week between adjacent classifications. The step is correct, not a typo, so check which SCHADS classification your work sits at.
How these rates were verified▼
Every rate on this page comes from a single constants file checked against two independent Fair Work artefacts that agree to the cent: the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for MA000100 effective 1 July 2026, published 24 June 2026, and the consolidated award text. Hourly rates are the published weekly rate divided by 38; casual rates add the 25% loading to the ordinary hourly rate.
Social and community services rates at Level 2 and above are Equal Remuneration Order inclusive, matching the pay guide rather than the bare clause 15 table; Level 1 has no ERO row in the award and is shown at its clause 15 rate. Automated tests assert where the ERO begins, that hourly reconciles to weekly across all 27 classifications, and that the award contains no junior rates clause. Classifications we could not verify are listed above as gaps rather than estimated.
Sources & References
- 1
- 2Consolidated award text MA000100, Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Equal Remuneration Order PR525485, Fair Work Commission
- 4Annual Wage Review 2026, [2026] FWCFB 3500, Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 9 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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