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Refuge Worker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a refuge worker is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay in most refuges follows the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award, so your classification level and years of experience set the rate more than the particular employer does.
- Shift loadings matter here, because overnight, weekend and sleepover work attracts penalty rates, which is why two people on the same classification can take home different amounts.
- Casual and fixed term contracts are common, since many services are funded in short cycles, and those roles usually pay a loading instead of paid leave.
The median salary rose by $13,800 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 refuge worker
The largest typical pay rise is $30,900 a year, moving into Community Development Officer.
- Community Development Officer+$30,900/yr
- Youth Worker+$30,900/yr
- Family Violence Practitioner+$26,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher refuge worker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time refuge worker salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Counselling and support work and Casework and client support tend to command a premium over general refuge worker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Community Development Officer pays a typical $30,900 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."
Refuge Worker salary questions
How much do refuge workers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a refuge worker is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is refuge worker pay rising or falling?
The median refuge worker salary is up $13,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than refuge worker?
Community Development Officer pays a typical $30,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to refuge worker.
Related salaries
- Community Development Officer salary
- Family Support Worker salary
- Mental Health Worker salary
- Youth Worker salary
- Family Violence Practitioner salary
- Child Protection Practitioner salary
Pay advice
- 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.
- 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.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.