Home Aged Care Worker Salary
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.
- 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.
The median salary rose by $19,100 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
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.
Related salaries
- Registered Nurse salary
- Enrolled Nurse salary
- Assistant in Nursing salary
- Diversional Therapist salary
- Disability Support Worker salary
- Residential Care Worker salary
Pay 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.
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.