Education Support Award.

Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2020 (MA000076) covers the school education industry. Common roles include teacher aide and education support, laboratory assistance, administrative and clerical work, grounds and gardening. This is the SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF award, distinct from the Educational Services (Teachers) Award (MA000077) which covers teachers. It does not apply to teachers, principals or deputy principals, or to a bursar or business manager who is the most senior administrative employee with delegated authority to act for the employer (clause 4.3). An assistant bursar or business manager in a large school is covered at Level 8. Each role starts at a set pay point (clause 17.2(c)): a teacher aide starts at Level 1.3, a laboratory assistant at Level 2.1 and a laboratory technician at Level 3.1, and becomes eligible to move to the next pay point within the level after each 12 months, following a performance review (clause 17.2(a)). Standard penalties (clause 22.3(a)): Saturday 150%, Sunday 200%, public holiday 250%. A lower rate (Saturday 125%, Sunday 175%) applies only to cooking and catering operational staff and boarding-supervision staff not on averaged hours. Shiftwork loadings (clause 22.2): afternoon and night 115%, permanent night 130%. Shift workers receive the higher of 17.5% or the shift loading as leave loading. There is no 5th week of annual leave. Preschool, early learning centre, childcare and outside school hours care staff employed by a school are covered here unless they are qualified early childhood teachers (clause 2). The same work for an employer that is not a school falls under the Children's Services Award, which excludes employers whose primary functions this award covers (clause 4.1(a) of that award).

Full-time and part-time employees are paid 150% of the base hourly rate (1.50x) for working on Saturday. Casuals receive 175% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading).

FT/PT employees are paid 200% of the base hourly rate (2.00x) for Sunday work. Casuals receive 225% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading).

FT/PT employees who work on a gazetted public holiday are paid 250% of the base hourly rate (2.50x). Casuals receive 275% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading). Employees who don't work the holiday receive their ordinary day's pay if it would otherwise have been a working day.

4 weeks per year of full-time service under the NES, paid pro-rata for part-time. The Education Support Award does not classify any of its workers as continuous-shift workers under NES s.87(1)(b), so the 5-week shift-worker entitlement does not apply. Calculate annual leave accrual →

Day workers get a flat 17.5% on the minimum hourly rate. Shift workers get the greater of 17.5% or the weekend and shift penalties they would have earned. Leave loading calculator →

25% on top of the base hourly rate, paid in place of entitlements a casual does not get, such as paid annual leave and paid personal/carer's leave. Casual loading is added to the FT/PT rate for Saturday, Sunday, public holidays, afternoon or evening shifts, night shifts and permanent night shifts.

Yes. By agreement, the 38-hour week may be worked as 152 hours over 19 days in a 4-week period, giving one paid RDO each period (up to 12 a year), clause 14.8. RDOs are paid days off, distinct from annual leave; they exist to balance ordinary hours over a fixed period. If you are paid out on termination, accrued RDO time is typically included.

Yes. Under this award, afternoon-shift work attracts 115% of the base hourly rate (1.15x); night-shift work attracts 115% of the base hourly rate (1.15x); permanent night shift attracts 130% of the base hourly rate (1.30x). For casuals, the 25% casual loading is added on top of these penalty rates.

The Fair Work Commission reviews award minimum rates each year in the Annual Wage Review. The rates on this page took effect from 1 July 2026. The official source is the FWO Pay Calculator, which always reflects the current rates. Open the FWO Pay Calculator →