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Aged Care Worker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an aged care worker is $91,600 per annum, before tax, up $19,100 since 2018.
Most aged care workers are covered by the Aged Care Industry Award, so your pay depends on your classification level and on the penalties that apply to the shifts you work, with nights, weekends and public holidays paying more and casual loading adding to the hourly rate. Providers with an enterprise agreement often pay above the award, and home care roles may include travel time or a travel allowance rather than a set shift. Because so much of the work is permanent part-time or casual, the annual figure assumes full-time hours across the year.
Roles that pay more than aged care worker
The largest typical pay rise is $22,400 a year, moving into Registered Nurse.
- Registered Nurse+$22,400/yr
- Enrolled Nurse+$800/yr
How to negotiate a higher aged care worker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time aged care worker salary is $91,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Aged Care Workers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Patient care and support and Care planning and coordination tend to command a premium over general aged care worker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Registered Nurse pays a typical $22,400 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Aged Care Worker salary questions
How much do aged care workers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an aged care worker is $91,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is aged care worker pay rising or falling?
The median aged care worker salary is up $19,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than aged care worker?
Registered Nurse pays a typical $22,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to aged care worker.