What is the casual loading for child care workers?

Casual employees under the Children's Services Award receive a 25% loading on top of the base hourly rate for each ordinary hour worked. For example, a Level 3 qualified educator on $32.47 per hour would earn $40.59 per hour as a casual, before any penalty rates or overtime.

How is super calculated for a child care worker salary?

Superannuation is paid on top of your ordinary earnings at the super guarantee rate of 12% (from 1 July 2026). It is not deducted from your hourly rate. For a full-time worker earning $64,145 per year, the employer would contribute an additional $7,697.40 in super, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830.

What tax applies to a child care worker salary?

For the 2026–27 financial year, the resident tax rates are: nil on the first $18,200, 15% on income up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that. A 2% Medicare levy generally applies. For a $64,145 annual salary, the estimated tax plus Medicare would be about $10,000, leaving a take-home pay of around $54,000.

Child Care Worker Salary: Award Rates, Casual Loading and Super Paid on Top

A full-time child care worker at Level 3 (qualified educator) earns $32.47 per hour, or $64,145 per year based on 38 hours per week, with super paid on top.

Introduction

If you are looking for a child care worker salary guide, the starting point is the Children's Services Award 2010, which sets minimum pay rates for employees in the early childhood education and care sector. From 1 July 2026, award rates increased by 4.75%, and the National Minimum Wage rose to $26.44 per hour. However, most child care workers are covered by award classifications that pay above the minimum.

This article explains how to convert an hourly rate to annual, fortnightly, and weekly figures, and covers casual loading, superannuation, and tax. Use our the timesheet to calculate your own pay, or browse our pay guides for more award summaries.

How to calculate annual pay from hourly

The standard formula for annual gross pay is:

Hourly rate × hours per week × 52

For full-time employees under the Children's Services Award, ordinary hours are 38 per week (clause 10.3). So a full-time worker earning $30.00 per hour would have an annual salary of $30 × 38 × 52 = $59,280.

To find your fortnightly pay, multiply the weekly rate by 2. The weekly rate is the hourly rate times 38. For example, $30 per hour gives a weekly rate of $1,140 and a fortnightly rate of $2,280.

Part-time employees are paid pro-rata of the full-time weekly rate based on their agreed hours. Casual employees receive the hourly rate plus a 25% loading (see below).

Award rates for child care workers

The Children's Services Award has eight classification levels. The following are the minimum hourly rates from 1 July 2026, as published by the Fair Work Ombudsman:

Level 1 – Introductory Educator: $28.81
Level 2 – Educator: $29.69
Level 3 – Qualified Educator: $32.47
Level 4 – Experienced Educator: $34.65
Level 5 – Advanced Educator: $36.57
Level 6 – Room Leader: $38.25
Level 7 – Assistant Director: $40.00
Level 8 – Director: $46.12

These rates apply to full-time and part-time employees. For a Level 3 qualified educator working 38 hours per week, the annual child care worker salary would be $32.47 × 38 × 52 = $64,144.72 (rounded to $64,145). The weekly rate is $1,233.90 and the fortnightly rate is $2,467.80.

Support workers (e.g., outside school hours care) have different rates starting at Level 1.1 ($26.44 per hour). See our reference tables for the full list.

Casual loading and super paid on top

Casual employees under the award are paid the base hourly rate plus a 25% casual loading (clause 10.5). This loading compensates for the lack of paid leave and other entitlements. For a Level 3 qualified educator, the casual rate is $32.47 × 1.25 = $40.59 per hour.

Superannuation is paid on top of your ordinary earnings. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. For a full-time child care worker earning $64,145, the employer must contribute an additional $7,697.40 into a super fund. This is not deducted from your pay; it is an extra cost to the employer.

When using our the timesheet, you enter your base hourly rate. If you are casual, tick the casual loading checkbox to add 25% on top. The tool then calculates annual gross, super, and estimated tax.

Tax on your child care worker salary

For the 2026–27 financial year, the resident tax rates are:

$0 – $18,200: nil
$18,201 – $45,000: 15% on the excess over $18,200
$45,001 – $135,000: 30% on the excess over $45,000
$135,001 – $190,000: 37% on the excess over $135,000
$190,001+: 45% on the excess over $190,000

A Medicare levy of 2% generally applies. For a $64,145 salary, the estimated tax is about $8,567 plus Medicare of $1,283, total $9,850, leaving take-home pay of approximately $54,295. This does not include HELP repayments or the Medicare levy surcharge.

Using the timesheet

Our the timesheet is the home page where you can type your base hourly rate. The tool assumes 38 hours per week for full-time, but you can adjust hours. It shows annual, monthly, fortnightly, and weekly figures, plus super and tax estimates. Remember that this is an estimate only; your actual pay may differ due to penalty rates, allowances, or salary packaging.

For more information on award classifications, visit our job pay page. To compare your pay with averages, see average pay.

Disclaimer: Annual pay is hourly rate × hours per week × 52. It assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, no penalty rates, no allowances, and no salary sacrifice. Super is estimated at 12% of ordinary earnings only, paid on top, and stops at the $270,830 maximum contribution base. Tax is the 2026–27 resident scale with the full tax-free threshold. Medicare uses the 2025–26 single reduction thresholds because the 2026–27 reduction thresholds were not confirmed here. HELP, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary packaging are not deducted. This is an estimate, not a determination of your pay or tax.