Support workers, regardless of which sector they work in, provide first-rate assistance with self-care activities, domestic chores, the administration of medicines, and emotional and physical support.
Amazingly still, that is only a small fraction of the roles and tasks of a support worker’s typical work day.
At Sage Education, we believe that such an extraordinarily compassionate individual should earn a wage that reflects their dedication.
We’ve previously discussed what you can earn as a disability support worker and an aged care support worker.
However, we recognise that just examining the roles mentioned above and their accompanying pay rates won’t benefit every kind of support worker.
There are several types of support workers, but one that isn’t often talked about is an independent support worker. If you’re interested in becoming an independent support worker, it’s crucial first to determine if you can generate a stable income.
Thus, our informative guide will address what an independent support worker is, the financial aspects of an independent support worker’s career, and so much more!
What is an Independent Support Worker?
Independent support workers are self-employed and run their own support worker businesses.
The duties of independent support workers remain unchanged when compared to other types of support workers, so instead, we shall look at the responsibilities that only a self-employed support worker would have to handle.
– Tax management.
– The management of your work schedules on a public holiday or weekend.
– The management of your own income when you are sick or on holiday.
– The management and monitoring of admin-related costs.
– The management of other costs like travel and client transport.
Can You Become One of the Successful Independent Support Workers?
Providing you have the necessary qualifications, the simple answer to this question is yes, you can become a successful independent support worker.
The question you now face is, ‘Should I become an independent support worker?’.
In order to make sure that becoming an independent support worker is the right move for your career, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have experience with being self-employed? Your knowledge of invoicing, tax management, fees, and marketing will impact the success of your business.
- Are you happy to work without certain resources and support?
- Can you sustain yourself even with the possibility of inconsistent wages?
- Do you have enough experience to suitably tend to your clients’ diverse range of needs without supervision?
- Are you familiar with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (previously known as the NDIS Price Guide)?
If you can’t answer those questions confidently, don’t worry. This means that it’s going to take a little more time and effort to achieve your dreams.
Fortunately, with Sage Education, you’ll have everything you need to become an independent support worker.
Consider the following courses:
– Our Certificate IV in Ageing Support course.
– Our Certificate IV in Disability course.
– Our Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care course.
– Our Assist Clients with Medication Skill Set course.
By enrolling in the courses listed above, you’ll acquire advanced competencies that will not only refine your own professional practice but also learn essential managerial skills and expand upon your own leadership qualities.
Support Worker Pay Rates in Australia: Shift Patterns
As you know, being a support worker means that you’ll encounter flexible shifts. Although this can mean that you will sacrifice some of your personal time whilst working unconventional shifts, you could earn more depending on when you work.
As an independent support worker, you will decide your own support rates. If you charge too much, you risk losing clients, but if you don’t charge enough, you won’t be able to sustain yourself or your business. In order to give you a rough idea about what you should charge, we’ll look at the standard hourly rates of support workers and their time-dependent fluctuations.
Here is a brief outline of what you can earn when working a variety of shift patterns, according to Support Your Way.
- Weekday Daytime (6am – 8pm) | $33.74 – $43.78 per hour.
- Weekday Evening (8pm – 12am) | $37.11 – $48.16 per hour.
- Weekday Night (12am – 6am) | $37.79 – $49.04 per hour.
- Weekends (All day) | $47.23 – $78.80 per hour.
- Overnight | $135.00 – $160.00 (8 hours).
- Public Holidays (All day) | $74.22 – $96.32 per hour.
Note: These rates are applicable to support worker’s hourly rates in the Melbourne (Victoria) and Adelaide (South Australia) areas. They may vary if you’re employed in another area within Australia.
Although this summary will give you a rough estimate as to what you should charge for each of your shifts, it’s important to know that your hourly rate will heavily depend on the complexity of the support provided and the skills, experience, and qualifications you currently have.
Support Worker Pay Rates in Australia: Highest-Paying Cities
Now that you have a good idea of what to charge for a variety of shift patterns, it’s time to evaluate how pay rates for support workers vary across Australia. Your location will have an impact on your hourly rate, so it’s important to consider how your rates will be affected by geographical factors when deciding how much you’ll charge your clients.
According to Indeed, these are the hourly rates of the top five highest-paying cities for support workers in Australia as of January 2024.
- Adelaide, SA – $39.47 per hour.
- Taree, NSW – $38.74 per hour.
- Melbourne, VIC – $37.52 per hour.
- Parramatta, NSW – $35.91 per hour.
- Central Coast, NSW – $35.83 per hour.
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits guide was created to assist NDIS participants and disability support providers in understanding how price controls work for supports and services in the NDIS plan.
As a result, the participants can rest assured that they are receiving their value for money in the support they receive.
If you specialise in disability support and want to become an independent support worker, you must know where you fit in the NDIS plan.
For self-managed participants like yourself, you’re not subject to the price limits or other pricing arrangements governed by the NDIS. Although the NDIS may not apply to independent support workers, it’s still worth perusing their guide to ensure that becoming an independent support worker is the best choice for your career.
Where You Should Study to Start A Rewarding Career in a Well-Paid Industry
Sage Education is one of Australia’s top providers of nationally recognised VET courses in child care, aged care, disability, and community services sectors.
We have guided our students toward excellence since 1998! With that being said, we know how to secure rewarding careers in well-paid industries for our graduates.
When you study with Sage Education, you will access an abundance of specialised competencies and practical training that’ll transform how you conduct your own professional practice. Whether you are just starting to learn the ins and outs of core supports or are ready to explore the world of high-intensity support and case management, we offer nothing short of an exceptional educative experience.
You will also reap the benefits of our connections to the top employers in the healthcare industry!
Not only will we give you the ability to empower, encourage, and enhance the lives of your individual clients, but you will also learn how to improve entire communities through your innovative, adaptive prowess.
Enrol With Sage Education
The key takeaway from this guide is that although being a proficient support worker means that you could work a support shift at any and all times of the day, you’ll still embark on an incredibly rewarding career.
On the topic of careers, it’s time to get yours started. Whether you would like to work in disability services, aged care services, or childcare services, you need to choose a nationally registered training organisation that’ll expand your knowledge base. Consider Sage Education.
To experience a transformative educative journey that’ll see you enhance your employability, choose from the following courses:
– Our Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Disability) course.
– Our Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care course.
For you, this is only the beginning. Once you’ve taken your first steps towards your dream role, you can further develop your skills and competencies with us.
Do you want to find out how? Don’t hesitate to get in touch!
