How to Calculate Your Aged Care Worker Salary: Hourly to Annual Pay
For a 38-hour week, an aged care worker salary is their hourly rate multiplied by 1,976 hours (38 × 52), with super paid on top.
Understanding Your Aged Care Worker Salary
If you work in aged care, knowing how your hourly rate translates into an annual salary, fortnightly pay, and take-home amount is essential. This guide explains the conversion, the role of the National Minimum Wage, award rates, casual loading, and superannuation. All figures are based on the 38-hour week used by the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The Basic Formula: Hourly to Annual
Annual gross pay = hourly rate × hours per week × 52 weeks.
For a standard full-time week of 38 hours, the multiplier is 1,976 (38 × 52). For example, if your hourly rate is $30.00, your annual salary before tax and super is:
$30.00 × 38 × 52 = $59,280.
This assumes you work the same hours every week with no unpaid overtime, penalty rates, or allowances. It is a starting point for budgeting and comparing offers.
Fortnightly Pay
Fortnightly pay is simply weekly pay × 2. Weekly pay = hourly rate × 38. So fortnightly = hourly × 76. Using the same $30.00 rate, fortnightly gross pay is $2,280.
Many employers pay fortnightly, so this figure helps you plan your cash flow.
The National Minimum Wage and Award Rates
From 1 July 2026, the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for 38 hours. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual minimum $33.05 per hour.
Aged care workers are usually covered by the Aged Care Award. Award rates may be higher than the minimum wage depending on classification, experience, and shift. Check your award on the Fair Work Ombudsman website or use our pay guides for more detail.
Important: The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that full-time ordinary time earnings in health care and social assistance averaged $2,037.20 per week in May 2026. This is an industry average, not a job median for aged care workers. Your actual pay may differ.
Casual Loading
If you are a casual aged care worker, your employer must pay a 25% loading on top of the base hourly rate. This loading is meant to compensate for not receiving paid sick leave or annual leave.
When using the timesheet on this site, enter your base hourly rate (the rate before casual loading). Then tick the casual loading checkbox. The calculator will add 25% automatically. Do not enter a rate that already includes casual loading.
For more on how loading works, see our casual loading topic.
Superannuation
Super guarantee is 12% of your ordinary earnings, paid by your employer on top of your salary. For 2026–27, the maximum contribution base is $270,830. If your annual salary exceeds that, super is capped.
Using the $30.00 per hour example, annual ordinary earnings are $59,280. Super paid on top would be $7,113.60 (12% of $59,280). This amount goes into your super fund, not your bank account.
Learn more about super and packaging on our site.
Tax and Take-Home Pay
Your take-home pay depends on your total taxable income. For 2026–27, 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
Medicare levy is generally 2% of taxable income (reduced for low-income earners). The 2025–26 single reduction thresholds are used here because the 2026–27 thresholds were not confirmed.
For a $59,280 annual salary, tax would be approximately:
- Nil on $18,200
- 15% on $26,800 ($45,000 – $18,200) = $4,020
- 30% on $14,280 ($59,280 – $45,000) = $4,284
- Total tax = $8,304
- Medicare levy (2% of $59,280) = $1,185.60
- Total deductions = $9,489.60
- Take-home pay ≈ $49,790.40 per year, or $958.28 per week.
Use our take-home pay page for a personalised estimate.
Using the Timesheet
The timesheet is the home page. Enter your base hourly rate, select your hours per week (default 38), and tick casual loading if applicable. The calculator shows your annual, fortnightly, and weekly gross pay, plus estimated tax and super.
Remember: The annual figure is hourly × 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 uses 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.
Comparing Offers
When you receive a salary offer, convert it to an hourly rate using the reverse formula: hourly = annual ÷ (hours per week × 52). For a 38-hour week, divide annual by 1,976.
For example, a $65,000 salary offer equals about $32.89 per hour. Compare this with award rates and the industry average. The health care and social assistance average of $2,037.20 per week (May 2026) is an industry average, not a job median for aged care workers. Your individual circumstances matter.
Key Takeaways
- Annual gross = hourly × 38 × 52 (or your actual hours)
- Fortnightly gross = hourly × 76
- National Minimum Wage: $26.44 per hour, casual $33.05
- Award rates may be higher; check your classification
- Super is 12% on top, up to the maximum contribution base
- Tax and Medicare reduce your take-home pay
- Use the timesheet for quick conversions
For more detailed reference tables, visit our reference tables page. To learn about the minimum wage and how it applies to you, see that topic.
This guide helps you understand your aged care worker salary from hourly to annual, so you can make informed decisions about your pay and career.
Open the same rate on the home timesheet. Read the reference tables before treating a figure as your pay.