What is the SCHADS Level 5 salary for 2026–27?

The SCHADS Level 5 hourly rate ranges from $53.43 (pay point 1) to $55.85 (pay point 3) for permanent employees working 38 hours per week. A full-time employee at pay point 1 earns $2,030.20 per week, or about $105,570 per year before tax and super. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the hourly rate $66.79 at pay point 1. These rates are set by the Fair Work Ombudsman and apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.

How is the SCHADS Level 5 annual salary calculated?

Annual salary is calculated as hourly rate × hours per week × 52. For a full-time SCHADS Level 5 employee at pay point 1 ($53.43 per hour) working 38 hours per week, the annual salary is $53.43 × 38 × 52 = $105,570.40. This assumes the same rate every week with no unpaid overtime, penalty rates, allowances or salary sacrifice. Superannuation is paid on top at 12% of ordinary earnings.

What tax and super apply to a SCHADS Level 5 salary?

For 2026–27, the resident tax scale is: nil up to $18,200, 15% from $18,201 to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above that. Medicare levy is generally 2%. Super guarantee is 12% of ordinary earnings, paid on top, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. For a SCHADS Level 5 salary of $105,570, tax (including Medicare) would be roughly $24,000–$25,000 depending on your circumstances, and super would be about $12,668.

SCHADS Level 5 Salary 2026–27: Hourly Rates, Fortnightly Pay and Annual Salary for a 38-Hour Week

A full-time SCHADS Level 5 employee at pay point 1 earns $53.43 per hour, or $2,030.20 per week for 38 hours, equating to approximately $105,570 per year before tax and super.

Understanding the SCHADS Level 5 Salary

If you are looking up the schads level 5 salary, you are likely working in social or community services under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS). The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes a pay guide each year with minimum rates. For 2026–27, the hourly rate for a Level 5 employee ranges from $53.43 to $55.85 depending on your pay point. This article explains how to turn that hourly rate into a weekly, fortnightly and annual figure, and what tax and super you can expect.

Hourly to Annual: The Basic Formula

The standard way to estimate an annual salary is:

hourly rate × hours per week × 52

We assume a 38-hour week because that is the ordinary full-time hours under the SCHADS award. For a Level 5, pay point 1 employee:

Hourly rate: $53.43
Weekly pay: $53.43 × 38 = $2,030.20
Fortnightly pay: $2,030.20 × 2 = $4,060.40
Annual salary: $2,030.20 × 52 = $105,570.40

These figures come from the Fair Work Ombudsman's SCHADS pay guide. The same calculation works for pay point 2 ($54.58/hour → $2,073.91/week → $107,843/year) and pay point 3 ($55.85/hour → $2,122.13/week → $110,351/year).

Casual Loading and Penalty Rates

If you are a casual employee, you receive a 25% loading on top of the base rate. That means the casual hourly rate for Level 5 pay point 1 is $66.79. The annual equivalent for a casual working 38 hours every week would be $66.79 × 38 × 52 = $132,000, but casuals do not receive paid leave. The loading compensates for that.

Penalty rates also apply for weekend and public holiday work. For example, a permanent Level 5 employee working a Saturday shift earns $80.15 per hour (150% of the base rate). A typical week with a Saturday shift can push the weekly total to $2,284.18, as shown in the pay guides on this site.

How the SCHADS Level 5 Salary Compares

The SCHADS Level 5 salary is well above the National Minimum Wage, which from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week). It is also higher than many professional awards. For comparison, a Level 5 medical research employee under the Professional Employees Award 2020 earns $59.05 per hour, but that is a different classification. The SCHADS Level 5 rate includes an Equal Remuneration Order adjustment that has been built into the award rates since 2012.

Tax and Super on a SCHADS Level 5 Salary

Using the 2026–27 resident tax scale:

Tax-free threshold: $0 – $18,200
15%: $18,201 – $45,000
30%: $45,001 – $135,000
37%: $135,001 – $190,000
45%: above $190,000

For a $105,570 annual salary, the estimated tax (including the 2% Medicare levy) is roughly $24,500. This is a guide only; your actual tax depends on your circumstances. Use the take-home pay calculator for a personalised estimate.

Superannuation is paid on top of your salary at 12% of ordinary earnings (the super guarantee rate for 2026–27). For a $105,570 salary, that is $12,668 in super contributions, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. Super is not deducted from your pay; it is an additional cost for your employer.

Fortnightly Pay and Budgeting

Many employers pay fortnightly. For a SCHADS Level 5 employee at pay point 1, the fortnightly gross pay is $4,060.40. After tax and Medicare, you might take home around $3,200–$3,300 per fortnight, depending on your tax file number declaration and any other deductions. The hourly conversion tool on this site can help you check different scenarios.

Important Notes

These rates are minimum award rates. If your employer has an enterprise agreement, different rates may apply.
The annual figure assumes you work 38 hours every week for 52 weeks. In practice, you may have unpaid leave or shift variations.
Casual loading and penalty rates are separate. Do not enter a rate that already includes casual loading into the timesheet – use the base rate and tick the casual loading checkbox.
Super is estimated at 12% of ordinary earnings only, and stops at the $270,830 maximum contribution base.
Tax estimates use the 2026–27 resident scale with the full tax-free threshold. HELP repayments, Medicare levy surcharge and salary packaging are not included.

For more details on award classifications and pay points, refer to the reference tables or the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.