SCHADS Level 5 Pay Rates 2026
- Fair Work pay guide, 1 July 2026
- 3 pay points
- Award text to 1 Sep 2026
Pay point 5.1
$53.43
an hour · casual $66.79
$2,030.20 a week · $105,570 a year
Pay point 5.2
$54.58
an hour · casual $68.23
$2,073.91 a week · $107,843 a year
Pay point 5.3
$55.85
an hour · casual $69.81
$2,122.13 a week · $110,351 a year
Full-time and part-time
Level 5 penalty rates per hour
Saturday 150%, Sunday 200%, public holiday 250%, afternoon shift 112.5%, night shift 115%, each worked from the ordinary hourly rate.
| Level | Ordinary | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday | Afternoon | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | $53.43 | $80.15 | $106.86 | $133.58 | $60.11 | $61.44 |
| 5.2 | $54.58 | $81.87 | $109.16 | $136.45 | $61.40 | $62.77 |
| 5.3 | $55.85 | $83.78 | $111.70 | $139.63 | $62.83 | $64.23 |
Casual
Level 5 casual rates per hour
Including the 25% casual loading: ordinary 125%, Saturday 175%, Sunday 225%, public holiday 275%.
| Level | Ordinary | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday | Afternoon | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | $66.79 | $93.50 | $120.22 | $146.93 | $73.47 | $74.80 |
| 5.2 | $68.23 | $95.52 | $122.81 | $150.10 | $75.05 | $76.41 |
| 5.3 | $69.81 | $97.74 | $125.66 | $153.59 | $76.79 | $78.19 |
Worked example
What a shift pays at pay point 5.1
| Shift | Full-time or part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday day shift, 7.6 hours | $406.07 | $507.60 |
| Saturday, 6 hours | $480.90 | $561.00 |
| Sunday, 6 hours | $641.16 | $721.32 |
| Public holiday, 6 hours | $801.48 | $881.58 |
Who is on SCHADS Level 5
A Level 5 employee “will work under general direction from senior employees” and applies “a high level of knowledge and skills” (B.5.1(a)). The level involves setting up programs and procedures. The employee may prepare the organisation’s budget and gives expert advice to lower-classified employees and volunteers; in a small organisation it can include setting up work programs.
Typical work at this level
- Running a moderately complex project, from planning to administration
- Preparing budgets
- Working as a specialist whose decisions are made without referring to a senior employee
- Developing, planning and supervising educational or developmental programs for clients
- Planning, coordinating and running a multi-functional service, including financial management and reporting
Qualifications and experience
- A relevant degree with relevant experience, or an associate diploma with substantial experience (B.5.3(b)).
- Qualifications in more than one discipline, or lesser formal qualifications with specialised skills.
- A degree of autonomy: controlling projects or programs and setting outcomes for lower-classified staff.
Moving up a pay point
After each 12 months’ continuous employment, an employee is eligible to move up one pay point within their level if they have shown competency and satisfactory performance over at least 12 months at that pay point and either used new or enhanced skills the employer required, or been rated satisfactory under the employer’s performance appraisal scheme (cl 13.3(a)).
Moving to a higher level happens only by promotion or reclassification (cl 13.3(b)), and employers must tell employees their classification in writing when they start and whenever it changes (cl 13.2).
Weekend, shift and overtime rates
Full-time and part-time employees get 150% on Saturday, 200% on Sunday and 250% on public holidays; casuals get 175%, 225% and 275%, which already include the 25% loading. Afternoon shifts are paid at 112.5% and night shifts at 115% (137.5% and 140% for casuals), and weekend and public holiday rates replace them rather than adding to them. Overtime from Monday to Saturday is 150% for the first 2 hours and 200% after (175% and 225% for casuals); full-time social and community services work that is not disability services gets 150% for the first 3 hours.
The sleepover allowance is $62.87 a night, and the broken shift allowance is $21.81 for one unpaid break or $28.87 for two. Price a whole shift in the SCHADS Pay Rate Calculator, see every level side by side in SCHADS Award pay rates 2026, or read the SCHADS Award 2026 guide.
Every SCHADS level
Level 1 · Level 2 · Level 3 · Level 4 · Level 5 · Level 6 · Level 7 · Level 8 · Home care: disability · Home care: aged care
What this tool follows
- Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide: SCHADS Award [MA000100], from 1 July 2026: published 24 June 2026; minimum hourly, penalty, overtime and allowance rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026
- Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 [MA000100]: award text consolidated to 1 September 2026; Schedule B, E and F (classification definitions), cl 13 (classification and progression), 15 and 17 (rates), 25.8 (24-hour care), 26, 28, 29 and 34 (penalties and overtime)
- Fair Work Commission: Annual Wage Review decision [2026] FWCFB 3500 (2 June 2026): 4.75% increase to modern award rates from 1 July 2026; disability home care work value change to be implemented by 1 October 2027 (para [72](7))
- Fair Work Commission decision [2026] FWCFB 137 (1 June 2026): a new single classification structure from 1 October 2027
General information only, not financial, legal or claiming advice. Always check a claim against the current official documents.
Questions people ask
What is the SCHADS Level 5 pay rate in 2026?
From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, SCHADS Level 5 (social and community services) pays $53.43 an hour at pay point 5.1, $54.58 an hour at pay point 5.2, $55.85 an hour at pay point 5.3 for full-time and part-time employees.
What is the SCHADS Level 5 salary?
A full-time Level 5 employee (38 hours a week) earns at least $2,030.20 a week at pay point 5.1, about $105,570 a year, up to $2,122.13 a week (about $110,351 a year) at pay point 5.3. These are award minimums before super, penalties and allowances.
What is the casual rate for SCHADS Level 5?
$66.79 at pay point 5.1, $68.23 at pay point 5.2, $69.81 at pay point 5.3. Casual rates include the 25% casual loading, which is paid instead of annual and personal leave.
What are the Saturday, Sunday and public holiday rates at Level 5?
At pay point 5.1, a full-time or part-time employee gets $80.15 an hour on Saturday (150%), $106.86 on Sunday (200%) and $133.58 on a public holiday (250%). A casual gets $93.50, $120.22 and $146.93.
What qualifications do you need for SCHADS Level 5?
A relevant degree with relevant experience, or an associate diploma with substantial experience (B.5.3(b)). Qualifications in more than one discipline, or lesser formal qualifications with specialised skills. A degree of autonomy: controlling projects or programs and setting outcomes for lower-classified staff.
When do SCHADS pay rates change next?
Award rates rise each year after the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. Separately, from 1 October 2027 the Commission will replace Levels 1 to 8 with a new 10-level structure for every stream, and nobody’s pay goes backwards when it starts.
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