Aged Care Worker
Aged care workers help older people with the daily tasks that frailty or illness make hard, from showering and dressing to meals and getting around, in a care home or in the person's own home.
- Median salary
- $91,600
4.0%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 376,300
1.6%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +18.1%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- 3 out of 10
- Average hours
- 43/wk
+3h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
- Aged care workers provide personal care, meals, mobility support and medication prompting, mostly in residential aged care homes but also through home care visits.
- Registered and enrolled nurses supervise the clinical side, and you record changes in a resident's condition so they can act on them.
- In a home you're surrounded by nurses, allied health staff and lifestyle coordinators, while home care has you moving between clients on your own.
How much do aged care workers earn?
The median full-time salary for an aged care worker is $91,600 per annum, before tax, up $19,100 since 2018.
Your pay comes from the award or enterprise agreement your employer uses, so the same work can pay differently at a not-for-profit, a private provider and a government-run home. Penalty rates for evening, overnight, weekend and holiday shifts add a lot to a residential fortnight, and casual loadings do similar work for agency and home care shifts. In home care, ask whether travel time between clients is paid and whether kilometres are reimbursed, because that answer changes what a day is worth.
What does an aged care worker do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Helping residents shower, dress and manage continence care with dignity and privacy
- Using hoists and other mobility aids to transfer residents safely between bed, chair and bathroom
- Prompting and recording medication doses on the medication chart, then telling the nurse on duty about any missed or refused doses
- Noting changes in a resident's mood, appetite or mobility in the electronic health record so the care team can follow up
- Sitting with residents over meals and activities, building the familiarity that makes it easier to notice when something is wrong
What skills do aged care workers need?
Employers look for patient care and support, care planning and coordination, infection control and hygiene, backed by Electronic health records (EHR) systems fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Patient care and support
- Care planning and coordination
- Infection control and hygiene
- Medication management
Software and tools
- Electronic health records (EHR) systems
- Manual handling equipment
- Continence care products
- Mobility aids and hoists
- Medication charts
General skills
- Written communication
- Empathy and interpersonal care
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 376,300 people work as aged care workers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 18.1% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become an aged care worker?
Here's the path most aged care workers take, step by step.
- 1Get the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
CHC33021 is the qualification most residential and home care employers ask for, and it takes around six months including a work placement. It isn't a legal requirement to start, and some providers hire people first and put them through it.
- 2Line up your checks before you apply
You'll need a National Police Check, often an NDIS Worker Screening Check if your employer also covers disability support, plus current vaccinations and a first aid certificate. They cost money and take weeks, so start early.
- 3Apply to a mix of residential homes and home care providers
Residential work gives you a team and one site, while home care gives you independence and a car full of supplies. Casual and part-time shifts are common at both, and plenty of workers hold two jobs.
- 4Build a specialty
Dementia care, palliative support, medication assistance and restorative care all carry more responsibility and better classification. Ask whether an employer funds the medication unit, because not all of them do.
- 5Study further to take on clinical work
The Diploma of Nursing leads to registration as an enrolled nurse, and a nursing degree to registered nurse. Both keep you working with older people while changing what you're allowed to do.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Certificate III in Individual Support
A recognised route into this role
Select the relevant ageing or disability specialisation and complete required placement and employer checks.
- Certificate IV in Ageing Support
A recognised route into this role
Complete the course's workplace requirements and applicable employer checks.
Ready to apply as an aged care worker?
Whether you're working toward becoming an aged care worker or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an aged care worker move to?
Moving into Registered Nurse typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $22,400 a year more on average.
- Registered NurseRecorded move$114,000+$22,400
- Enrolled NurseRecorded move$92,400+$800
- Assistant in NursingRecorded move$65,000−$26,600
- Disability Support WorkerSuggested move$91,600same pay
Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
Registered Nurse Aged care workers bring hands-on resident care experience to nursing, but becoming a registered nurse requires a nursing degree and registration.Known move | +$22,400 | 79% | requalify |
Enrolled Nurse Aged care workers' personal care skills and familiarity with residents carry into enrolled nursing, with diploma study needed for registration.Known move | +$800 | 79% | reskill |
Disability Support Worker Aged care workers' personal care and daily living support skills transfer directly to disability support work, needing little or no retraining. | +$0 | 63% | minimal |
Diversional Therapist Aged care workers understand residents' routines and interests, making diversional therapy a natural next step once activity-focused qualifications are completed. | −$17,000 | 35% | reskill |
Assistant in Nursing Aged care workers can move into hospital assistant in nursing roles, applying personal care experience while a short course updates acute care skills.Known move | −$26,600 | 50% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an aged care worker?
The typical aged care worker is 41 years old; 73% are women, 40% work full-time, and full-timers average 43 hours a week.
- 41
- Median age
- 73%
- Female share
- 40%
- Full-time
- +3h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an aged care worker?
Your shift is a run of small physical tasks done at someone else's pace: helping several people wash, dress and reach breakfast before the morning medication round. Homes roster to a set staffing level, so when one resident needs extra time it comes out of the next one, and that squeeze is the hardest thing about the work. Home care is quieter and more independent, but you drive between clients and get paid for the visit, not the trip. If you're patient, at ease with bodies and able to stay kind while rushed, this work tends to stick with you; if you need quiet, predictable days, a busy dementia unit will exhaust you quickly.
What people like
- The same faces, day after day. You might care for the same residents for years, and families start trusting you with the details that matter to them.
- The results are visible. A shower, a meal, a walk outside: you finish something and see the difference in that person's day straight away.
- It's a quick way into healthcare. Training is short and providers hire regularly, so it can be a first paid step while you weigh up nursing or allied health.
- You work as a team. Handovers, hoists and afternoon shifts are shared work, and floor staff look after each other.
What people find hard
- Shifts can be short-staffed. Staffing levels come from the provider's budget and roster, so a sick call can leave you with more residents than you have time for.
- Residents die. You get attached to people and then lose them, and grieving quietly at the end of a shift is something most carers learn to carry.
- Your body takes the load. Standing, lifting and repetitive manual handling cause a lot of back and shoulder injuries, so learn the hoists properly and use them every time.
- The roster eats your weekends. Early starts, night shifts and weekend work are normal, and the pattern often changes from one fortnight to the next.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ aged care workers?
Health Care and Social Assistance employs the largest share of aged care workers.
Top employing industries
- 1Health Care and Social Assistance
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Certificate III/IV | 36.6% | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 12 or below | 23% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 15% | |
| Bachelor degree | 13.4% | |
| Postgraduate | 5.3% |
Will AI replace aged care workers?
Low exposure. Unlikely. AI will change some of the work around this job, not the job itself.
AI has little reach into this job, because most of what you do is physical and human: lifting, washing, feeding and calming someone can't be handed to software. The technology that has arrived in aged care, digital care records, electronic medication charts and sensor mats that log a resident getting out of bed, changes how the work is documented and monitored, not who does the caring. New starters should get fluent in whatever record and medication systems their employer runs, since that fluency gives back time at the bedside.
How a typical week splits
- Rostering, care notes and shift handover15% of the week
Rostering and care plan updates are increasingly automated, and typed progress notes are being drafted from structured entries, which saves paperwork time rather than care time.
- Observing and reporting changes20% of the week
Software can flag a resident who is getting up more often at night, but noticing that someone has stopped eating usually comes from the carer who sat with them.
- Medication prompting and documentation20% of the week
Electronic charts flag due doses and record refusals, while you are the one standing with the resident who says they can't swallow the tablet today.
- Personal care and manual handling45% of the week
Showering, dressing and hoisting someone needs hands on a body and a moment-by-moment read of how much they can safely do themselves, and no sensor makes that call.
How we work this out
We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.
Common questions about becoming an aged care worker
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does an aged care worker earn?
Full-time aged care workers earn a median of $91,600 per year before tax. Penalty rates for evening, overnight, weekend and holiday shifts, casual loadings and the enterprise agreement your employer uses change that figure a lot, so compare offers on the hourly rate for the shifts you would actually work.
Do you need a qualification to work in aged care?
Most employers ask for the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing), and around 37% of people in the job hold a certificate III or IV. It isn't required by law, and some providers take on people with no qualification and train them on the job. If you pay for it yourself, choose a course with a work placement, because interviewers ask what you did there.
Are aged care workers in demand?
Aged care workers are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 18.1% over the decade to 2035. Providers advertise continuously in most areas, so the practical question is what hours and what pattern of shifts they are offering. Ask whether the shifts are guaranteed or on call before signing a roster.
How many hours do aged care workers work?
Full-time aged care workers average 43 hours a week, and 40% of the workforce works full time. Casual and part-time shifts are common in residential homes and close to the norm in home care. Ask what a typical fortnight looks like before you sign up.
Will AI replace aged care workers?
Robots can't shower or comfort someone, so the caring itself stays with you, and what's changed is the paperwork around it. Interviews often include a question about care software, so mention any system you've used, such as a digital care record or an electronic medication chart. The carer who moves quickly through documentation is the one with time left for residents.
What can I move into after working in aged care?
Enrolled nursing builds on the personal care skills you already use and pays $800 more, with a diploma needed for registration. Disability support work transfers with little retraining and pays about the same. Registered nursing pays $22,400 more but needs a degree and registration.
Related roles
- Registered Nurse
- Enrolled Nurse
- Assistant in Nursing
- Diversional Therapist
- Disability Support Worker
- Residential Care Worker
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Career advice
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Salary sacrificeSalary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to give up part of your future pre-tax pay in exchange for benefits of similar value, such as extra super, a car through a novated lease, or everyday expenses if you work for a charity or public hospital.
- Transferable skillsTransferable skills are the skills you can take from one job into another, even when the job title, industry or workplace changes.