An essential part of choosing any career is evaluating its benefits and, more specifically, its financial benefits.
Knowing how much you get paid per hour should significantly impact your career choice, and for disability support workers, this choice is even more significant.
Disability support worker jobs are as rewarding as they are urgently needed. Across Australia, over 32% of individuals with disabilities require ongoing support to be able to live independently.
Consequently, disability support workers are of paramount importance to Australia’s healthcare system, and so the salary for a disability support worker is lucrative, regardless of how advanced they are.
At Sage Education, we believe that individuals who dedicate their lives to supporting people with a disability deserve nothing less than accurate knowledge about the ins and outs of their industries.
That being said, we have produced an informative guide for those who wish to provide disability care and who are also unsure of how gainful a salary for disability support work can be.
The Disability Support Worker Salary in Australia: An Average Salary
So, how much does a disability worker earn on average? The average salary for a disability support worker (in Australia) is $67,988 per year.
Let’s break this down.
Providing you work 43 hours a week – this is the average for hours worked per week within the community services industry – you will earn an hourly rate of $30.41.
This hourly rate translates to a weekly rate of $1,307.45 or a monthly rate of $5,665.64.
Note: These figures are calculated before taxes. However, you can use an easy-to-follow income tax calculator to determine your final income.
Of course, this is just an average disability worker salary. Entry-level disability support workers start at $62,241 per year, whereas most of the disability support workers who have years of experience earn up to $99,217 per year.
What Certifications Do You Need to Become a Disability Support Worker?
Although it’s easy to see the allure of the well-paid salaries of disability support workers, you need to know how to qualify for disability support worker jobs first.
In order to make a living from your unwavering passion for providing individual support, you must have certain qualifications that we shall explore below.
A Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Disability)
A Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Disability) course is perfect for those who are just entering the disability support industry.
Our team of esteemed program leaders support a hybrid learning system, making our Certificate III course incredibly accessible for all eligible students!
Whether you choose to study with us during the day or would rather attend our evening classes, we have a plentitude of expertly crafted modules that will encourage and enhance your budding skills!
We cover everything from providing individualised support to how to work legally and ethically, how to recognise healthy body systems, and everything in between!
Determined to go above and beyond, we also offer three modules that specialise specifically in disability support and 120 hours of vocational support so your practical skills are as polished as your practical knowledge.
A Certificate IV in Disability
A Certificate IV in Disability course will provide you with the professional skills required to flourish within the disability support sector, especially within supervisory or managerial positions!
You will learn how to encourage, empower and elevate the lives of your clients, exhibiting nothing less than unexcelled person-centred behavioural support.
This course puts the role of a disability support worker under the microscope, equipping you with the training to care for disabled individuals with uniquely complex needs.
Once again, we flaunt a hybrid learning system whereby you will learn how to foster community participation and social inclusion, as well as how to lead a team of support workers.
Perfect for those who wish to advance their careers, you will obtain the practical skills to follow safe work practices for direct client care alongside your allocated 120 hours of vocational placement.
A Diploma of Community Services
A Diploma of Community Services course is ideal for individuals who are already employed in the disability care sector and are looking to enhance and/or gain new professional competencies.
This online course promotes independent learning, as you must complete 16 modules in a self-paced manner over the span of 12 months, which is perfect for those who are looking to refine their time management skills.
By studying this course, you will master the development and implementation of service programs, as well as workplace communication strategies – an essential prowess of any leaderly position.
Beyond that, you will also know how to analyse the impacts of sociological factors on clients in community work and services, in addition to honing your reflective capabilities so you can consistently monitor your own professional performance.
Because this course focuses primarily on case management specialisation, we also require the completion of 100 hours of vocational placement!
Disability Support Worker Salaries: What Can You Earn When You Study with Sage Education?
There are a multitude of rewarding careers within the disability support sector that will become available to you once you have successfully completed your studies.
To accompany our detailed descriptions of our revered courses, we have also provided lists of available roles (appropriate to their corresponding courses) and their average salaries so that you can get a clearer picture of how lucrative each position can be!
Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Disability): Jobs & Salaries
– Disability support worker – $67,988 per year.
– Assistant in nursing – $61,008 per year.
– Respite care worker – $56,784 per year.
– Community-based care worker – $64,808 per year.
Certificate IV in Disability: Jobs & Salaries
– Behavioural Support Officer – $96,500 per year.
– Disability Team Leader – $70,000 to $80,000 per year.
– Disability Support Assistant (Schools) – $67,988 per year.
– Day Support Disability Officer – $69000 per year.
– Senior Disability Worker – $97,771 per year.
– Social Educator (Disability) – $79,444 per year.
– Support Facilitator (Disability) – $79,000 per year.
– Disabilities Supervisor – $80,000 to $105,000 per year.
Diploma of Community Services: Jobs & Salaries
– Case coordinator – $65,000 per year.
– Case worker or manager – $90,047 per year.
– Client service assessor – $92,863 per year.
– Community services worker – $64,808 per year.
– Program coordinator or manager – $101,996 per year.
– Support facilitator – $79,000 per year.
– Welfare worker – $66,857 per year.
Job Boards for Budding Disability Support Workers
Listed below, we have a selection of job boards to help you start your dream career!
SEEK: https://www.seek.com.au/disability-support-worker-jobs
Jora: https://au.jora.com/j?sp=search&trigger_source=serp&q=Disability+Support+Worker&l=Australia
Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com.au/Job/disability-support-worker-jobs-SRCH_KO0,25.htm
Adzuna: https://www.adzuna.com.au/disability-support-worker
Highest Paying Australian Cities for Disability Support Workers
Once you have graduated from our courses, your newfound skills and expertise could take you all across Australia!
With that in mind, we invite you to consider the average hourly rates of an abundance of Australia’s most dynamic cities.
– Brisbane QLD – $39.50 per hour.
– Central Coast NSW – $37.22 per hour.
– Melbourne VIC – $36.01 per hour.
– Camberwell VIC – $39.33 per hour.
– Coffs Harbour NSW – $36.98 per hour.
– Canberra ACT – $34.47 per hour.
– Geelong VIC – $38.18 per hour.
– Tamworth NSW – $36.26 per hour.
– Sydney NSW – $33.94 per hour.
Why You Should Study with Sage Education
Sage Education is one of Australia’s top providers of nationally recognised VET courses in child care, aged care, disability and community services sectors.
Having fostered unsurpassable educative journeys for twenty-five years, we know how to guide a successful graduate towards a rewarding career in the disability care sector.
When you study with Sage Education, you will utilize an abundance of specialised expertise, practical training, and our connections to the top employers in the healthcare industry!
Enrol with Sage Education
We have explored the varying degrees of financial gains that a disability support worker can earn. We have also revealed where you should study to gain the necessary qualifications to kickstart a rewarding career within the industry.
Now it’s time to utilize the knowledge we have provided and enrol with Sage Education! Regardless of which stage in your educative journey, we will be with you every step of the way to help you secure your dream role!
If you are looking for more information about our courses or want to learn more about our ethos, don’t hesitate to get in touch! An endless amount of valuable opportunities await you!
