AwardScale

Aged Care Award penalty rates 2026

Saturday, Sunday, public holiday and evening rates for every classification in the Aged Care Award (MA000018), from 1 July 2026.

Aged care is provided every day of the year, so higher penalty rates generally apply for shifts worked in the evening or overnight, on weekends and on public holidays, with overtime for hours beyond the ordinary roster.

Full-time and part-time penalty rates

Hourly rate, full-time / part-time
ClassificationSaturday(ordinary hours, midnight Friday to midnight Saturday)Sunday(ordinary hours, midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday)Public holiday(ordinary pay plus an additional 150%)
Aged care employee — general — level 1$41.66$48.60$69.43
Aged care employee — general — level 2$43.31$50.52$72.18
Aged care employee — general — level 3$44.97$52.47$74.95
Aged care employee — direct care — level 1 — Introductory$48.92$57.07$81.53
Aged care employee — direct care — level 2 — Direct Carer$51.63$60.24$86.05
Aged care employee — direct care — level 3 — Qualified$54.35$63.40$90.58
Aged care employee — direct care — level 4 — Senior$56.52$65.94$94.20
Aged care employee — direct care — level 5 — Specialist$58.70$68.48$97.83
Aged care employee — direct care — level 6 — Team Leader$60.87$71.02$101.45
Aged care employee — general — level 4 (most senior food services employee)$50.81$59.27$84.68
Aged care employee — general — level 5 (most senior food services employee)$52.53$61.29$87.55
Aged care employee — general — level 6 (most senior food services employee)$55.37$64.59$92.28
Aged care employee — general — level 7 (most senior food services employee)$56.36$65.75$93.93

Casual penalty rates

Casual figures include the casual loading.

Hourly rate, casual
ClassificationSaturday(in place of the casual loading)Sunday(in place of the casual loading)Public holiday(in place of the casual loading)
Aged care employee — general — level 1$48.60$55.54$76.37
Aged care employee — general — level 2$50.52$57.74$79.39
Aged care employee — general — level 3$52.47$59.96$82.45
Aged care employee — direct care — level 1 — Introductory$57.07$65.22$89.68
Aged care employee — direct care — level 2 — Direct Carer$60.24$68.84$94.66
Aged care employee — direct care — level 3 — Qualified$63.40$72.46$99.63
Aged care employee — direct care — level 4 — Senior$65.94$75.36$103.62
Aged care employee — direct care — level 5 — Specialist$68.48$78.26$107.61
Aged care employee — direct care — level 6 — Team Leader$71.02$81.16$111.60
Aged care employee — general — level 4 (most senior food services employee)$59.27$67.74$93.14
Aged care employee — general — level 5 (most senior food services employee)$61.29$70.04$96.31
Aged care employee — general — level 6 (most senior food services employee)$64.59$73.82$101.50
Aged care employee — general — level 7 (most senior food services employee)$65.75$75.14$103.32

Where these rates come from

The pay database carries no weekend or public holiday rows for the Aged Care Award. The rates above apply the percentages in the award (consolidated to 1 September 2026 (PR813673)) to each classification’s minimum hourly rate, rounded to the cent, and every figure matches the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide.

  • Full-time and part-time: Saturday (ordinary hours, midnight Friday to midnight Saturday), 150% (clause 23.1)
  • Full-time and part-time: Sunday (ordinary hours, midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday), 175% (clause 23.1)
  • Full-time and part-time: Public holiday (ordinary pay plus an additional 150%), 250% (clause 29.2(a), 29.2(b))
  • Casual: Ordinary hours (25% casual loading), 125% (clause 10.4(b))
  • Casual: Saturday (in place of the casual loading), 175% (clause 23.2(a))
  • Casual: Sunday (in place of the casual loading), 200% (clause 23.2(b))
  • Casual: Public holiday (in place of the casual loading), 275% (clause 29.2(c)(i))

Read the Aged Care Award 2010

How the Aged Care Award compares

Full-time and part-time rate for Aged care employee — general — level 1, as a percentage of the minimum hourly rate, against the median of the awards on this site
DayAged careMedianRank
Saturday150%150%2 of 19
Sunday175%187.5%11 of 20
Public holiday250%250%1 of 22

The Sunday rate of 175% is lower than the median of 187.5% across the 20 awards with a Sunday rate for their entry classification, and ranks 11th.

What one shift pays

One 7.6-hour shift, Aged care employee — general — level 1
ShiftFull-time / part-timeCasual
Weekday (7.6 hours)$211.05$263.80
Saturday (7.6 hours)$316.62$369.36
Sunday (7.6 hours)$369.36$422.10
Public holiday (7.6 hours)$527.67$580.41

A full-time saturday shift pays $316.62, $105.57 more than the same shift on a weekday.

A full-time sunday shift pays $369.36, $158.31 more than the same shift on a weekday.

A full-time public holiday shift pays $527.67, $316.62 more than the same shift on a weekday.

Work out a shift

All Aged Care Award ratesPenalty rates explainedPenalty rate calculator

Rates current as of 1 July 2026. FWC pay database, Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018), checked (how). General information only: your award or enterprise agreement prevails if it differs.