What is the average childcare salary in Australia?

The ABS does not publish an average salary specifically for childcare workers. The most reliable figure is the median full-time weekly earnings for child carers, which is $1,341 per week according to Jobs and Skills Australia, based on ABS data from May 2025. That works out to about $69,732 per year before tax.

How does childcare pay compare to the national minimum wage?

The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. The median hourly earnings for child carers are $35 per hour, which is above the minimum. However, many childcare workers are covered by the Children’s Services Award, which has higher minimum rates than the national minimum wage.

Is the childcare salary figure an average or a median?

The figure of $1,341 per week is a median, not an average. The median is the middle point – half of full-time child carers earn more, half earn less. The national full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings are $2,083.70 per week, which is an average. Medians are less affected by very high or low incomes, so they often give a better picture of typical pay.

Childcare salary: how it compares as a year, a week and an hour

If you work in childcare or are considering the field, you probably want to know how the pay stacks up. The most current public figure for childcare salary comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics via Jobs and Skills Australia. It is a median, not an average, and it covers full-time child carers.

The national full-time average

First, a benchmark. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 puts full-time adult ordinary-time earnings at $2,083.70 per week. That is about $108,352 a year (multiply by 52). This is the figure this site uses as the national line. Men average about $113,412 a year; women about $100,594. The full-time median across all occupations is about $90,532 a year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100.

Childcare salary: median weekly earnings

For child carers (ANZSCO group 4211), the median full-time weekly earnings are $1,341 according to Jobs and Skills Australia, drawing on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours from May 2025. That is the most recent published figure. Only 47% of child carers work full-time, compared with 69% across all occupations. The median age in the occupation is 33, and 93% of workers are female.

Reading the same pay as a year, a week and an hour

Yearly: $1,341 × 52 = $69,732 before tax.
Weekly: $1,341.
Hourly: The median hourly earnings for child carers are $35 per hour. That is based on full-time workers. The average full-time hours per week for child carers are 40 hours, but the site standardises to a 38-hour week for comparison.

So a childcare worker earning the median full-time wage takes home about $69,732 a year. That is $38,620 less than the national full-time average of $108,352. It is also about $20,800 below the all-occupations full-time median of $90,532.

How it compares

National minimum wage: From 1 July 2026, the minimum is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 a year on 38 hours. The childcare median of $35 per hour is well above that.
Award rates: Most childcare workers are covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026. The exact classification rates vary by role and experience, but the median of $35 per hour is above the award minimums for most levels.
State averages: Full-time average earnings vary by state. For example, New South Wales averages about $109,658 a year, Victoria $106,137, Queensland $106,064, and Western Australia $115,825. Childcare median earnings are below all state averages.

Where to see your own pay on the line

You can place a salary on the line to see how it compares with the national full-time average, medians, and minimum wage. The tool shows the same figure as a year, a week, and an hour on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the average.

More detail on medians and industries

For a broader view, see job medians for other occupations or industry medians to compare childcare with other sectors.

What the figures mean

The childcare salary figure of $1,341 per week is a median for full-time non-managerial adult employees. It excludes part-time workers, who make up more than half the workforce in childcare. Part-time hourly rates are often similar, but weekly earnings are lower because fewer hours are worked. The median hourly earnings of $35 apply to full-time workers; part-time workers may earn the same hourly rate under the award.

The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, in May and November. The next release for November 2026 is due in February 2027. The median earnings for occupations are updated less frequently, typically from the biennial Employee Earnings and Hours survey.

Tax on a childcare salary

For the 2026–27 income year, a yearly childcare salary of $69,732 would fall into the 30% tax bracket (above $45,000 up to $135,000). The tax-free threshold is $18,200. Medicare levy of 2% applies. After tax and Medicare, the take-home pay would be roughly $55,000–$56,000 depending on deductions and offsets.

Summary

The most reliable public figure for childcare salary is the median full-time weekly earnings of $1,341, or about $69,732 a year. That is below the national full-time average of $108,352 but above the minimum wage. The figure is a median, not an average, and it reflects full-time workers only. For a personalised comparison, use the line tool on this site.

Childcare salary: how it compares as a year, a week and an hour