How Much Does a Support Worker Earn Per Hour in Victoria in 2026?

A support worker in Victoria earns between $27.55 and $37.68 an hour as a minimum in 2026–27, depending on which award covers the role and how the job is classified — with casual rates 25 per cent higher again. Residential aged care sits under the Aged Care Award, where direct care level 3 pays $36.23 an hour and level 4 $37.68; disability, home care and community services sit under the SCHADS Award, where rates start at $27.55 and reach $36.22 for certificate-qualified workers at level 2.

These are minimum rates from the Fair Work pay guides effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, not typical take-home pay — penalties, casual loadings and enterprise agreements all move the number. This guide steps through which award applies, the hourly minimums, what shift work adds, and what moves a support worker up the scale. For the qualification behind most of these jobs, start with ALIT’s guide to what CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support is.

Which award covers your role

Victoria’s support workers fall mainly under two federal awards. The Aged Care Award 2010 covers personal care workers in residential aged care and most aged care services. The Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award — the SCHADS Award — covers disability support, home care and community sector workers. NDIS providers generally employ support workers under the SCHADS Award or an enterprise agreement; the NDIS sets funding rules, not wages. Some providers have enterprise agreements that pay above award, so before comparing offers, confirm the covering instrument with the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Find My Award tool or the employer directly.

Minimum hourly rates for 2026–27

• Aged care (Aged Care Award) — direct care level 3, the classification a Certificate III qualifies you for: $36.23 an hour, $45.29 casual; senior level 4: $37.68, $47.10 casual.
• Disability and community services (SCHADS Award) — social and community services level 1 starts at $27.55 an hour ($34.44 casual); level 2 pay point 1 is $36.22 ($45.28 casual).
• Home care (SCHADS home care stream) — level 3, the certificate-3 classification, starts at $29.45 an hour ($36.81 casual).

Rates are adjusted every year following the annual wage review, so treat these as the 2026–27 snapshot and check the current pay guide before relying on a figure. What a specific job pays also depends on where it sits: the roster, the classification and the employer all matter as much as the certificate.

What shift work and penalties add

Aged care is a 24-hour service and disability support runs long shifts, so penalties are structural. Under the Aged Care Award, weekend work attracts 50 per cent on Saturdays and 75 per cent on Sundays, public holidays 150 per cent, and shiftworkers add 10 to 15 per cent in allowances. The SCHADS Award similarly pays above-base rates for weekend, public holiday and night shifts. Casuals carry a 25 per cent loading in place of paid leave. A support worker on a weekend casual roster therefore earns well above the ordinary-time minimum — which is why two workers with the same qualification can report very different weekly pay.

What moves the rate up

The certificate does not set the rate — the classification does. A Certificate III in Individual Support is the entry standard Victorian employers ask for, and it maps to the entry classifications above. Moving up means being appointed to a role with more responsibility: senior support worker, team leader, care supervisor — positions where employers prefer or require a Certificate IV. The Victorian roles that sit above entry level are mapped in ALIT’s guide to the jobs you can get with Cert III in Individual Support in Victoria, and the aged-care dollar gap between the certificate levels is compared in ALIT’s guide to the pay difference between Cert III and Cert IV in aged care.

Does the NDIS pay more than aged care?

Not as a rule. NDIS disability support roles are generally paid under the SCHADS Award — the level 1 entry rate of $27.55 is lower than the aged care level 3 rate, but higher SCHADS classifications and casual penalty rosters can easily close the gap. In practice, pay differences within each sector (classification, casual versus permanent, weekday versus weekend roster) are bigger than differences between the sectors.

Getting qualified in Victoria

The standard route into support work is CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support, delivered at ALIT’s West Melbourne campus with a 36-week domestic standard program and work placement included; current fees and intake dates are on the Certificate III in Individual Support course page, with the cost detail for Victorian students broken down in ALIT’s guide to what CHC33021 costs in Victoria. Placement hours convert to references, and the certificate is what unlocks the classifications above.

FAQ

What is the minimum hourly rate for a support worker in Victoria?

It depends on the award: $27.55 under the SCHADS Award at level 1, or $36.23 under the Aged Care Award at direct care level 3 — both from 1 July 2026, with casual rates 25 per cent higher.

Do casual support workers earn more?

Yes hourly — a 25 per cent loading replaces paid leave. Over a full year, permanent staff keep entitlements casuals do not, so the packages are closer than the hourly rates suggest.

Does a Cert III increase my pay automatically?

No — the classification sets the rate. The certificate is what employers require before appointing you, and it opens the roles at higher classifications.

Do agency support workers earn more?

Agency hourly rates are often higher, but agency work is casual, with less roster security — compare the whole package, not the hourly figure.

Where do I check the current rate for my role?

The Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay guides and Pay and Conditions Tool, plus your enterprise agreement if the employer has one.