From the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026, health professionals covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (MA000027) are no longer paid on pay points. The Fair Work Commission replaced the old 19-point grid, which ran from $1,174.00 to $2,705.10 a week, with a structure built on qualifications, years of experience and role, and switched on the first of five pay increases at the same time. The last step was decision [2026] FWCFB 231 on 7 September 2026, which published determination PR814029. Every rate on this page is read from that determination.
Key takeaways
- Level 1 is now set by the AQF level of the standard qualification for your profession (5 to 9) and your years of experience in the profession, in four bands: 1st year, 2nd to 3rd, 4th to 6th, and 7th year and beyond.
- Level 1 minimum weekly rates run from $1,232.70 (AQF Level 5 or 6, 1st year) to $1,755.00 (AQF Level 9, 7th year and beyond). Levels 2.1, 2.2, 3 and 4 pay $1,945.40, $1,983.20, $1,983.20 and $2,499.10.
- Everyone on the old Level 2 pay points moves to the new Level 1, because Level 2 now means a senior clinician, specialist, supervisor or educator role.
- No existing minimum goes down. If your rate on 30 September 2026 was higher than the rate for your new classification, you keep the old rate.
- On the award minimum, annual leave and leave loading taken from the changeover pay period are paid at the new rate. Four more increases follow, on 30 June each year from 2027 to 2030.
What changed on 1 October 2026
The change comes out of the Commission's gender-based undervaluation review of five priority awards. In its announcement of 24 September 2026, the Commission summarised the Expert Panel's finding:
"The Expert Panel said the work of these employees has historically been undervalued because of assumptions based on gender, and increases to minimum rates were justified for work value reasons."
The substance was decided earlier. On 26 May 2026, in [2026] FWCFB 123, the Panel settled the new classification structure and rates and decided to bring them in over five stages starting 1 October 2026. A draft determination followed on 14 August 2026 to fold in the Annual Wage Review 2026 increases, nobody filed a submission on it, and on 7 September the Panel made it final. The operative date is the part that matters for payroll:
"The determination comes into operation on 1 October 2026 and does not take effect in relation to a particular employee until the start of the employee's first full pay period that starts on or after 1 October 2026."
1 October 2026 was a Thursday, so on a Monday to Sunday pay cycle the new rates start on Monday 5 October. Only health professional employees are affected. Support services staff, dental assistants and pathology collectors under the same award keep their existing rates.
Level 1: AQF level and years of experience
Level 1 covers an employee who meets the requirements to practise or work in their profession, including registration under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme where that applies. There are no pay points any more. Instead the award takes two inputs: the AQF level that Schedule B lists for your profession, and your years of experience in the profession at Level 1.
| Level 1 classification | Weekly (full-time) | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQF Level 5 | |||
| AQF Level 5, 1st year | $1,232.70 | $32.44 | $40.55 |
| AQF Level 5, 2nd to 3rd year | $1,308.80 | $34.44 | $43.05 |
| AQF Level 5, 4th to 6th year | $1,426.00 | $37.53 | $46.91 |
| AQF Level 5, 7th year and beyond | $1,541.30 | $40.56 | $50.70 |
| AQF Level 6 | |||
| AQF Level 6, 1st year | $1,232.70 | $32.44 | $40.55 |
| AQF Level 6, 2nd to 3rd year | $1,308.80 | $34.44 | $43.05 |
| AQF Level 6, 4th to 6th year | $1,483.30 | $39.03 | $48.79 |
| AQF Level 6, 7th year and beyond | $1,659.30 | $43.67 | $54.59 |
| AQF Level 7 | |||
| AQF Level 7, 1st year | $1,308.80 | $34.44 | $43.05 |
| AQF Level 7, 2nd to 3rd year | $1,409.00 | $37.08 | $46.35 |
| AQF Level 7, 4th to 6th year | $1,565.30 | $41.19 | $51.49 |
| AQF Level 7, 7th year and beyond | $1,689.50 | $44.46 | $55.58 |
| AQF Level 8 | |||
| AQF Level 8, 1st year | $1,337.10 | $35.19 | $43.99 |
| AQF Level 8, 2nd to 3rd year | $1,444.90 | $38.02 | $47.53 |
| AQF Level 8, 4th to 6th year | $1,584.90 | $41.71 | $52.14 |
| AQF Level 8, 7th year and beyond | $1,721.40 | $45.30 | $56.63 |
| AQF Level 9 | |||
| AQF Level 9, 1st year | $1,444.90 | $38.02 | $47.53 |
| AQF Level 9, 2nd to 3rd year | $1,545.20 | $40.66 | $50.83 |
| AQF Level 9, 4th to 6th year | $1,659.30 | $43.67 | $54.59 |
| AQF Level 9, 7th year and beyond | $1,755.00 | $46.18 | $57.73 |
AQF Levels 5 and 6 share the same rates for the first three years and only separate from the 4th year. The hourly rate is the weekly rate divided by 38, and the casual rate adds the 25% casual loading to it. Work out a casual figure for your own hours with the casual loading calculator.
Determination PR814029, clause 17.1 (weekly and hourly rates) and Schedule C, clause C.2.3 (casual rates).
Finding your AQF level
Schedule B lists the standard minimum qualification for entry into 47 common health professions. It is an indicative list rather than a closed one. These are some of the professions people most often look up:
| Profession | AQF level in Schedule B |
|---|---|
| Physiotherapist, occupational therapist, podiatrist, exercise physiologist | 7 |
| Medical imaging technologist (including radiographer), dental hygienist, oral health therapist | 7 |
| Sonographer | 8 |
| Psychologist, audiologist, chiropractor, osteopath | 9 |
| Speech pathologist, dietitian, social worker | 7, 8 or 9 |
| Myotherapist | 6 |
| Remedial masseur, reflexologist, aromatherapist | 5 |
| Counsellor | 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 |
Where only one level is listed, that is your level. Where several are listed, you take the level of the qualification you hold if it is on the list, or otherwise the listed level closest to your qualification that is required for entry into the profession. If your profession is not listed, you take the level of the standard minimum qualification for entry into it, or the level of your own qualification where no standard exists. In every case, if your employer requires a higher qualification than that, its level applies instead (clause B.2).
Levels 2, 3 and 4: set by role
Above Level 1 the award no longer cares about pay points or qualifications. It classifies you by the role you perform.
| Classification | Role | Weekly (full-time) | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2.1 | Senior clinician, specialist, supervisor or educator, under 5 years in the role | $1,945.40 | $51.19 | $63.99 |
| Level 2.2 | Senior clinician, specialist, supervisor or educator, 5 years or more in the role | $1,983.20 | $52.19 | $65.24 |
| Level 3 | Advanced clinician, senior specialist or section manager | $1,983.20 | $52.19 | $65.24 |
| Level 4 | Manager | $2,499.10 | $65.77 | $82.21 |
Level 2 turns on what you actually do: working directly with patients in an area that needs specialist knowledge or depth of experience, working within or across areas of expertise such as research or quality assurance, supervising other health professionals, assistants or students day to day, or being accountable for education and staff development programs. Levels 3 and 4 are different in kind, because both require that you have been appointed to the role. In this first stage Level 2.2 and Level 3 carry the same minimum rate.
Moving off the old pay points
Everyone classified as a health professional on 30 September 2026 has to be moved into the new structure. For the old Levels 1 and 2, clause J.4.1 says the new classification follows the AQF level for your profession and your years of experience in it, and then gives example tables for each AQF level and entry qualification. Here is the one for an AQF Level 7 profession, such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy, where the employee entered on a 4-year degree:
| Old classification | Old weekly rate | New classification | New weekly rate | Minimum from changeover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, pay point 3 | $1,273.40 | AQF Level 7, 1st year | $1,308.80 | $1,308.80 |
| Level 1, pay point 4 | $1,317.20 | AQF Level 7, 2nd to 3rd year | $1,409.00 | $1,409.00 |
| Level 1, pay point 5 | $1,435.00 | AQF Level 7, 2nd to 3rd year | $1,409.00 | $1,435.00 (retained) |
| Level 1, pay point 6 | $1,485.90 | AQF Level 7, 4th to 6th year | $1,565.30 | $1,565.30 |
| Level 2, pay point 1 | $1,493.90 | AQF Level 7, 4th to 6th year | $1,565.30 | $1,565.30 |
| Level 2, pay point 2 | $1,548.30 | AQF Level 7, 4th to 6th year | $1,565.30 | $1,565.30 |
| Level 2, pay point 3 | $1,607.40 | AQF Level 7, 7th year and beyond | $1,689.50 | $1,689.50 |
| Level 2, pay point 4 | $1,671.40 | AQF Level 7, 7th year and beyond | $1,689.50 | $1,689.50 |
In this table the rises run from nothing at all to $91.80 a week (6.97%) on old pay point 4. Notice too that every old Level 2 pay point lands in the new Level 1. The determination has 14 of these tables, one for each combination of AQF level and entry qualification, so check the one that matches your profession and how you entered it.
The old Levels 3 and 4 translate by role under clause J.4.2. An old Level 3 working as a senior clinician, specialist, supervisor or educator becomes Level 2.1, or Level 2.2 with 5 years or more in those duties. An old Level 3 working as an advanced clinician, senior specialist or section manager becomes Level 3. An old Level 4 becomes Level 4.
Nobody goes backwards
The pay point 5 row above is not a mistake. Some translated rates are lower than the old ones, and the determination deals with that directly.
"The minimum rate of pay applicable to a Health Professional employee who was classified under this award on 30 September 2026 is the higher of: (a) The minimum rate of pay under this award that applies to the employee's translated classification under clause J.4.1 or J.4.2; or (b) The minimum rate of pay previously applicable to the employee under this award as it was on 30 September 2026"
It matters most at the top. The new Level 4 is a single rate of $2,499.10, which is above the old pay points 1 to 3 but $206.00 a week below the old Level 4 pay point 4 of $2,705.10, so a manager who was on pay point 4 keeps $2,705.10. Lower down, an AQF Level 5 professional on the old Level 2 pay point 4 ($1,671.40) translates to AQF Level 5, 7th year and beyond ($1,541.30), and keeps the $130.10 difference.
The protection only covers people classified under the award on 30 September 2026. Someone hired on or after 1 October is paid the rate for their new classification, even if an old pay point would have paid them more.
Annualised wage arrangements
Clause 22 of the award allows annualised salaries for health professionals at Level 2, 3 or 4, but not Level 1. Because the old Level 2 pay points now translate to Level 1, the Australian Industry Group wrote to the Commission warning that existing annualised arrangements could be invalidated. The Panel did not widen clause 22. It added a transitional rule instead:
"An annualised wage arrangement entered into under clause 22 of this award by an employer and a Health Professional employee who was classified at Level 2 of the award on or before 30 September 2026 will continue to operate."
Anyone who wants clause 22 to reach the new Level 1 more generally has to apply to vary the award under section 158 of the Fair Work Act ([2026] FWCFB 231 at [5]).
What it means for your leave pay
Annual leave is paid at your base rate of pay for the ordinary hours you would have worked (Fair Work Act s 90(1)), so leave taken in or after your changeover pay period is paid at the new rate. The award adds 17.5% leave loading on the minimum rate for day workers (clause 27.3(a)), and for shiftworkers the higher of 17.5% or the penalties they would have earned (clause 27.3(b)). Unused annual leave paid out when you leave is the amount you would have received had you taken it (s 90(2)), so a payout after the changeover uses the new rate too.
Priya is a full-time occupational therapist on the award minimum, a day worker who entered on a 4-year degree and was on Level 1 pay point 4 ($1,317.20) on 30 September 2026. Her years of experience put her at AQF Level 7, 2nd to 3rd year ($1,409.00). She takes 2 weeks of annual leave in her first full pay period after the change.
Before: 2 x $1,317.20 = $2,634.40, plus 17.5% loading of $461.02, is $3,095.42.
After: 2 x $1,409.00 = $2,818.00, plus 17.5% loading of $493.15, is $3,311.15. That is $215.73 more for the same two weeks, before tax.
Put the new weekly rate into the Annual Leave Calculator Australia, the annual leave loading calculator or, if you are leaving, the annual leave payout calculator.
What did not change
PR814029 only touches the health professional provisions: the standard rate definition in clause 2, clause 17, the Level descriptions in Schedule A.2, Schedule B, the three health professional rate tables in Schedule C, the allowance table at D.1.1 and the translation rules in Schedule J. The support services, dental assistant and pathology collector rates are unaffected, and those are the tables on our Health Professionals Award pay rates page.
The penalty percentages carry over as before: 150% for ordinary hours between midnight Friday and midnight Sunday, 250% on public holidays and 115% for shiftwork, with casuals on 175%, 275% and 140%. They are simply applied to the new minimum hourly rates.
One technical change sits behind the allowances. The "standard rate" they are calculated from is now the AQF Level 7, 1st year rate of $1,308.80 instead of the old Level 1 pay point 2, and the percentages were reset so the dollar amounts hold. The on-call allowance is still $26.34 per 24 hours Monday to Saturday and $52.56 on a Sunday or public holiday, the same as from 1 July 2026.
Four more increases to 2030
The October rates are only the first stage.
"Changes to minimum wages applying to health professionals under the Health Services Award will come into effect over 5 phases: 1 October 2026, and yearly on 30 June from 2027 to 2030."
We will update this page and the award page as each later phase takes effect. For how awards, the National Employment Standards and your contract fit together, see Modern Awards Explained.
Determination PR814029 varying the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020, made 7 September 2026, operative 1 October 2026; Decision [2026] FWCFB 231 (7 September 2026); Fair Work Commission, Minimum wage increases for health professional employees (24 September 2026); Gender-based undervaluation, priority awards review (case page, AM2024/20).
Common questions
Do the new rates start on 1 October 2026?
Not exactly. They start at the beginning of your first full pay period that starts on or after 1 October 2026. On a Monday to Sunday cycle that is Monday 5 October 2026.
I am a physiotherapist in my third year. What is my minimum rate?
Physiotherapist is an AQF Level 7 profession in Schedule B, so you are AQF Level 7, 2nd to 3rd year: $1,409.00 a week full-time, $37.08 an hour, or $46.35 an hour as a casual. If you were already employed on 30 September 2026 on a higher rate, you keep the higher rate.
Can my pay go down because of the new structure?
Not your award minimum, if you were classified under the award on 30 September 2026. Clause J.4.3 sets your minimum at the higher of your new classification rate and your old rate. If you are paid above the award, the new minimum is a floor your pay cannot fall below.
Do casual health professionals get the increase?
Yes. Casuals are paid 125% of the new minimum hourly rate, from $40.55 an hour at AQF Level 5 or 6 in the 1st year up to $82.21 at Level 4.
My profession is not in Schedule B. How am I classified?
At the AQF level of the standard minimum qualification needed to enter your profession, or, if there is no standard, the level of the qualification you hold. If your employer requires a higher qualification, that level applies instead.
Are support staff, dental assistants or pathology collectors affected?
No. This determination changes the health professional classifications only, and their rates are unchanged by it.
Author & reviewer
Sarah has spent over a decade advising Australian SMBs on Fair Work, NES compliance, and payroll. Based in Sydney, she has worked across hospitality, retail and professional services.