Childcare Educator Salary: Hourly to Annual Pay Guide 2026-27
Based on the Children's Services Award, a Level 3 Qualified Educator earns $32.47 per hour, equating to $64,140.80 annually for a 38-hour week.
Understanding the Childcare Educator Salary
When you're looking at a childcare educator salary, it's common to see an hourly rate in a job advertisement. Converting that to an annual figure helps you compare offers and budget. The standard approach is to multiply the hourly rate by the number of hours worked per week, then by 52 weeks in a year. For most full-time roles under the Children's Services Award, the ordinary hours are 38 per week. That means the formula is:
Annual gross pay = hourly rate × 38 hours × 52 weeks
For example, a Level 3 Qualified Educator at $32.47 per hour earns $32.47 × 38 × 52 = $64,140.80 per year before tax and super. This assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, and no penalty rates or allowances.
Award Rates for Childcare Educators
The Fair Work Ombudsman's Children's Services Award 2010 sets minimum pay rates for employees in long day care, outside school hours care, and similar settings. From 1 July 2026, the award rates increased by 4.75% in line with the national wage review. The table below shows the minimum weekly and hourly rates for full-time and part-time employees:
| Classification | Weekly rate | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 – Introductory Educator | $1,094.80 | $28.81 |
| Level 2 – Educator | $1,128.40 | $29.69 |
| Level 3 – Qualified Educator | $1,233.90 | $32.47 |
| Level 4 – Experienced Educator | $1,316.70 | $34.65 |
| Level 5 – Advanced Educator | $1,389.50 | $36.57 |
| Level 6 – Room Leader | $1,453.50 | $38.25 |
| Level 7 – Assistant Director | $1,519.90 | $40.00 |
| Level 8 – Director | $1,752.70 | $46.12 |
These rates are from the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guide. The National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour, but award rates for childcare educators are higher. Always check the award classification that matches your role.
Casual Loading and Fortnightly Pay
Casual employees under the award receive a 25% loading on top of the base hourly rate. For a Level 3 Qualified Educator, the casual rate is $32.47 × 1.25 = $40.59 per hour. This loading is paid for each ordinary hour worked and compensates for not receiving paid leave or notice of termination. When using our timesheet, you can enter the base hourly rate and tick the casual loading checkbox – do not enter a rate that already includes loading.
If you're paid fortnightly, multiply the weekly rate by two. For a full-time Level 3 educator, the weekly pay is $1,233.90, so the fortnightly gross pay is $2,467.80 before tax. This can be useful for budgeting if your employer pays every two weeks.
Superannuation Paid on Top
Under the Superannuation Guarantee, employers must contribute 12% of an employee's ordinary earnings into a super fund. This is paid on top of the salary, not deducted from it. For the Level 3 educator earning $64,140.80 annually, the employer adds $7,696.90 in super, making the total employment cost $71,837.70. The super guarantee is capped at the maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. You can read more about super and packaging.
Tax on Your Childcare Educator Salary
For the 2026-27 income year, the resident tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus a Medicare levy of 2% (with reductions for low-income earners). For a Level 3 educator earning $64,140.80, the tax estimate (using the full tax-free threshold and single Medicare reduction thresholds) is approximately $10,648 in tax plus $1,283 in Medicare levy, leaving a take-home pay of about $52,210. Use our take-home pay guide for a detailed breakdown.
Comparing with Average Earnings
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings were $2,083.70 in May 2026. That equates to an annual salary of about $108,352. A Level 3 childcare educator at $64,140 is below this average, but the award provides a clear minimum floor. Many educators progress to higher levels or take on leadership roles to increase their average pay.
Key Points to Remember
- Always use the award rate for your classification, not the National Minimum Wage.
- The formula for annual pay is hourly rate × 38 hours × 52 weeks.
- Casual loading is 25% on top of the base rate.
- Super is 12% of ordinary earnings, paid by the employer.
- Tax is calculated using the 2026-27 resident rates with the tax-free threshold.
- Fortnightly pay is weekly pay multiplied by two.
For more details, see our pay guides and reference tables. The minimum wage page also explains how award rates differ from the national minimum.
Open the same rate on the home timesheet. Read the reference tables before treating a figure as your pay.