Health Professionals & Support Services Award pay guide 2026/2027

Casual rates for ordinary weekday hours, generated from the current Fair Work pay guide (pay point 1 shown where a level has multiple pay points):

If you only skim one section, make it this one:

• The Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027] covers two broad groups in private-sector health: support services employees (Levels 1–8) and health professional employees (Levels 1–4, with pay points).
• Minimums are reviewed each July. The FY2026/27 pay guide took effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, lifting all rates by 4.75%.
• Example 2026/27 adult minimum pay:
  • Support Services Level 1: full-time/part-time $26.97/hr, casual $33.71/hr.
  • Health Professional Level 1: full-time/part-time $30.89/hr, casual $38.61/hr.
• Weekend penalties are 150% (Saturday and Sunday) and public holidays 250% for full-time/part-time; casual rates are higher again.
• Shiftwork (afternoon/night/permanent-night) and on-call attract separate loadings — see below.
• Get classification, pay point, employment type and shift type right for every employee.

The Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers private-sector health employers, in two broad streams:

• Support services employees (Levels 1–8): cleaners, catering, orderlies, clerical/administration, dental assistants, pathology collectors, technicians and other support roles.
• Health professional employees (Levels 1–4): allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, podiatrists, audiologists, medical scientists and similar.

Important — who’s covered by other awards: registered/enrolled nurses → Nurses Award; aged-care personal-care workers → Aged Care Award; disability and community services staff → SCHADS Award; pharmacy staff → Pharmacy Award. Confirm coverage with Fair Work’s PACT tool before applying rates.

A snapshot of the current FY2026/27 rates, generated from the same data that powers the calculator above. Pay point 1 is shown where a classification has multiple pay points — check the pay guide for higher pay points.

Ordinary weekday rates for support services and health professional classifications:

Casuals receive the same base rate plus a 25% loading. Ordinary weekday casual rates:

Classification follows duties, qualifications and responsibility — not job title.

• Support Services Levels 1–8 progress from entry-level (cleaning, catering, orderly) through clerical and technical roles to senior specialist and coordinator roles. Some levels (e.g. 8 and 9) have multiple pay points.
• Health Professional Levels 1–4 apply to qualified allied health staff and progress with experience and responsibility, each with several pay points (a new graduate physiotherapist starts at Level 1 pay point 1 and moves up annually).

Write each employee’s stream, level, pay point and employment type into your payroll/rostering system, and review pay points each year. If unsure, confirm the right level.

This award has weekend/public-holiday penalties plus a shiftwork system and on-call allowances:

• Saturday: 150% (full-time/part-time), 175% (casual)
• Sunday: 150% (full-time/part-time), 175% (casual)
• Public holiday: 250% (full-time/part-time), 275% (casual) — plus a substitute day off for permanents
• Shiftwork loadings (separate from the calculator above): afternoon and night shifts attract a loading on the ordinary rate, with a higher loading for permanent night shift and for non-continuous-shift weekend work. The exact percentages depend on the shift type — check the pay guide.
• On-call: about $26.34 per 24-hour period Monday–Saturday, and $52.56 Sunday/public holiday.
• Overtime: time-and-a-half for the first hours then double time, depending on the day.

The calculator above covers ordinary, weekend and public-holiday rates. For shiftwork and on-call, use Fair Work’s PACT tool or award-interpreting software.

• Full-time is around 38 hours per week, ongoing; part-time has a regular agreed pattern.
• Both receive paid annual and personal/carer’s leave (pro-rata for part-time) and other NES entitlements. Part-time hours should be agreed in writing.

• Paid a 25% casual loading instead of paid leave, with a minimum engagement per shift.
• Casual weekend and public-holiday rates are higher than the permanent rates (the loading stacks with the penalty).

Common allowances under this award include:

• On-call – about $26.34 per 24-hour period (Mon–Sat) and $52.56 (Sun/public holiday).
• Meal allowance – about $17.30 for the first meal ($15.60 for an extra meal).
• Uniform – about $1.26 per shift (max $6.41/week); laundry – about $0.33 per shift.
• Heat, nauseous-work and occasional-interpreting allowances for specific conditions.

Exact amounts update each pay guide — see the Fair Work pay guide.

• Confirm the award applies (private-sector health professional/support; not nurses, aged care or SCHADS).
• Download the latest pay guide (FY2026/27).
• Classify each employee by stream, level and pay point; review pay points annually.
• Set base rates and apply weekend/public-holiday penalties, shiftwork loadings and on-call.
• Use award-interpreting software so shiftwork and on-call are calculated automatically, and keep records for 7 years.

• Two streams: support services (Levels 1–8) and health professionals (Levels 1–4, with pay points).
• Watch the pay points — they step up with experience and are a common underpayment trap.
• Shiftwork and on-call are separate from weekend/public-holiday penalties — don’t forget them.
• Update every July and keep good records.

For official guidance, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website.