What Does an Aged Care Worker Make in Australia in 2024?

First published: October 2024

Aged care workers in Australia are in demand. It was reported that there was a need for at least 110,000 direct aged care workers predicted in the next decade. The aged care industry is made up of many different roles, both clinical and non-clinical, with a variety of experience levels and subsequent salaries. This article aims to understand the difference in aged care worker hourly rates and salary packages, and what experience level is needed to reach each pay point.

In this article, you can find out:

Average salary of aged care workers |Role of an aged care worker |Non-clinical aged care salaries | Aged care management |Factors that influence salaries | Advancing your salary

Aged care salary disclaimer

Each pay bracket is outlined in the Aged Care Award and Nurses Award, set by the Australian Government. Your eligibility for each pay scale depends on:

• Your qualification
• Your experience level (this is usually down to the number of hours worked in a year as opposed to years qualified. A statement of service from your employer can provide you with this information.)
• Where you have worked – nursing covers many different sectors and specialties, with bonuses and pay rises differing across each aspect of the healthcare industry
• Whether you work for a healthcare agency or directly for a provider
• You may get extra benefits available in your remuneration package, such as bonuses. These will often depend on the type of organisation you work for
• Other perks are also available that aren’t necessarily purely financial – discounted subscriptions/car allowances for example

What is the average salary of aged care workers in Australia?

The base line pay ranges are stipulated by the Aged Care Award and the Nurses Award. An aged care worker in Australia, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide, can expect to earn a salary of $910.90 and $1103.60 based on a full time (38 hour) week. This can greatly vary, depending on variables such as experience, location and qualification. Often aged care workers are employed on a casual/temporary basis, which means you are paid by the hour, and your base hourly rate will often be an AM/day shift rate. This will increase slightly when working during the afternoon, the night, and further still at the weekends and on public holidays. You can advance into a new pay point when you have worked the number of hours required to fulfill each ‘year”. The exact breakdown is also found in the award.

Direct aged care worker salaries

Assistant in nursing/personal care worker aged care salary

Hourly rate	Weekly (38 hour) pay rate	Pay point
$29 – $66	$1,114.60	1st Year
$29 – $67	$1,132.00	2nd Year
$30 – $69	$1,150,20	3rd Year
$31 – $71	$1,187.10	Experienced – holder of a relevant Certificate III qualification

 

Enrolled nurse aged care salary

Hourly rate	Weekly (38 hour) pay rate	Pay point
$31 – $72	$1,209.10	1
$32 – $73	$1,225.20	2
$32 – $73	$1,241.50	3
$33 – $75	$1,259.30	4
$33 – $76	$1,272.00	5

 

Registered nurse aged care salary

Hourly rate	Weekly (38 hour) pay rate	Pay point
$34 – $77	$1,293.60	1
$34 – $79	$1,320.00	2
$35 – $80	$1,352.50	3
$36 – $83	$1,388.50	4
$37 – $84	$1,431.00	5
$38 – $87	$1,472.50	6
$39 – $89	$1,515.10	7
$40 – $92	$1,554.50	8

 

What is the role of an Aged Care Worker?

The beauty of aged care is that there is a role for everyone! Aged care workers encompass a host of job titles and descriptions. Working in aged care looks different to everyone, and the pathway to enter the aged care industry is dependent on what role you are looking to get into.

The duties and responsibilities of an aged care worker will always have a primary focus on the health, wellbeing and satisfaction of the residents in your care, with the aged care industry being built on trust, compassion and dedication to the aging population. A full breakdown of each role and where you can kickstart your career can be found on our website:

• • Assistant in nursing roles
  • Enrolled nursing roles
  • Registered nurse roles
  • Aged care management positions

The first step on the aged care career journey is to build a great aged care resume. Irrespective of what role you are looking to apply for, showcasing your qualifications, skills and experience is a necessity. If this is your first role in aged care, then going into depth about the transferrable skills and relevant experiences that you can bring to the sector will prove invaluable to your potential employer.

Non-clinical aged care salaries

Weekly rate	Pay point
$945.10	1
$982.50	2
$1020.30	3
$1032.30	4
$1067.30	5
$1124.80	6
$1145.00	7

 

The aged care industry runs on various personnel to meet its goals. Kitchen hands/cooks, admin staff, cleaners and gardeners are all needed to set a home up for success. Their pay grades are also implemented into the Aged Care Award, classified as ‘general aged care employees’ instead of ‘direct care employees’. The pay points range from 1 – 7, with factors such as experience level determining your rate.

What about if I want to go into aged care management?

Role	Salary bracket
Clinical Care Coordinator	$80,000 – $95,000
Care Manager	$100,000 – $120,000
Facility Manager	$125,000 – $160,000

 

Upskilling and progressing your career is greatly encouraged within the sector. There are many different pathways that you can take, and there are both clinical and non-clinical roles available. An average salary for those working in a management role, with a clinical background and/or management experience is between $100,000 – $130,000.

Registered nurses can take a clinical route, progressing to clinical care coordinator and care manager. Their role develops from daily resident care, to looking at the processes of an aged care home, managing employees and mapping out development to lead the home to success. Someone without a clinical background can use their transferable management skills to aged care, going into a facility manager position. Highly experienced management personnel can use their knowledge and experience to look at budgets, care planning and accreditation to make the home the best it can be. A successful aged care interview can open a wealth of opportunities for your career.

Sometimes, nurses can take short term contracts in this field, but often they are permanent salaried positions. Each provider will have their own Enterprise Agreement integrated into the award templates within aged care, which stipulates the minimum and maximum an employee can be paid.

Factors that will influence your salary in these roles are:

• Qualification and/or experience level
• Location of the home – you may receive more pay working in an area that is facing a workforce shortage
• Bed number of the home
• Private vs. non-for-profit organisation

Factors that influence aged care worker salaries

Along with the pay rate brackets above, your rate may depend on who your employer is. Working through an agency may entitle you to higher pay rates than working directly for a provider, due to the nature of the job role. The Aged Care Award and Nurses Award is a guideline for all employers, stating the minimum that you must be paid in the profession. Often, you are working on a temporary basis, filling in gaps in a roster or covering sick leave. Having last minute availability allows you to be on the receiving end of incentives and allowances that may cover accommodation, travel, food, or relocation assistance.  

Your experience level will depend on how many hours you have worked. Often, this is down to what you have done in that year, as opposed to how long you have been qualified for. You can show your experience via statement of service document to a new employer, who can calculate your pay level for you. 

The aged care industry has been privy to pay rise increases and bonuses. In 2023, the government honoured the Fair Work recommendation to increase direct care workers pay level by 15%, with this potentially increasing in coming years. This is included in the aged care reform roadmap, which outlines the changes to the aged care industry up until 2025. An aim of the reform roadmap is to improve the quality of care for older people and make aged care equitable, sustainable and trusted. Included in this is the satisfaction and retention of aged care employees, so joining the industry at this point is advantageous as there are methods to further improve employee happiness. 

How do I advance to a new aged care salary bracket?

Being adequately financially rewarded allows employees to keep motivated and increases job satisfaction. Often pay rises are awarded through experience, upskilling your education and good performance. Taking a clinical route, an assistant in nursing will need to have a relevant qualification. This is often a:

• • Certificate III/IV in Individual Support (Ageing)
  • Certificate III in Individual Support
  • Certificate III in Health Services Assistance

To increase your clinical knowledge, a Diploma of Nursing I needed to become an enrolled nurse, and a Bachelor of Nursing to become a registered nurse. You don’t strictly need a qualification for a management position, but sometimes a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment in advantageous.

How can I get into the aged care industry?

If you feel that the aged care industry is for you, then the best place to start is getting solid career advice. Our industry expert consultants are on hand to give you a full rundown of what the industry requires and what makes a great aged care worker. Contact us today for a free resume assessment.