Find out about upcoming pay rate increases for nurses and aged care employees.
What's changed
The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) announced changes to several awards as part of its Aged Care Work Value Case and Work value case - Nurses and midwives.
As part of these changes, minimum pay rates will increase for eligible employees working in the aged care and health sectors. This includes direct aged care workers and some nurses.
These increases apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2025.
Our Pay and Conditions Tool has been updated with the new pay rates.
Some employees have already had their full increase take effect. These employees don't receive an additional increase as part of these changes.
Aged care employees
As part of the Aged Care Work Value Case, the Commission varied several awards that can cover employees engaged in aged care.
These changes included new classifications and staged increases to minimum pay rates.
This is the final increase to minimum pay rates for the SCHADS Award and Aged Care Award.
For a summary of the changes and to access our updated pay guides, visit Aged Care Work Value Case: Changes to awards.
The final rate increases for these awards can also be found on the Commission's website:
Nurses Award
As part of the Nurses and Midwives Work Value Case, the Commission made changes to classifications, minimum pay rates and progression between pay points in the award.
For a summary of the changes and to access our updated pay guides, visit Changes to minimum pay rates in the Nurses Award.
For information about the October rate increases, read the Nurses Award final determination.
A further pay rate increase will apply from 1 August 2026.
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