How much do you get paid in Childcare? Open Discussion on Childcare Wages....

[sue073]

omg im cert 3 qual and study diploma and part time perm i get $20.35 p/hour wow i think im getting ripped off now after reading everyone else... im in ipswich area qld

[Lorina]

Hi Sue,

I think your hourly wage sounds about right. I mean you work perm part time and your currently studying your diploma. That's how much some people who have completed their diploma are getting. Maybe you can negotiate for paid lunch breaks? How long you got left of your Diploma? Your hourly rate will possibly change once you finished your studies but then again I'm not too sure...

Cheers ,
L.A

[angielee206]

Hi,

Personally, I think that the wage working in Childcare is dismal compared to the qualifications and pay rate. I was actually earning more working as a Checkout Chick (with no qualifications), then I get in Childcare.

Anyway, I work in a centre on Brisbane's Northside, QLD and I found it pretty difficult to find the information on the new pay rates at first, but did eventually find it.
Basically the rates (for QLD employees) on the new award wage are as follows:

Cert III: (Level 3 on the new rating scale).
On commencement: $18.06 hour
After 1 year: $18.68 hour
After 2 years: $19.27 hour.

Diploma: (Level 4 on the new rating scale).
On commencement: $21.27 hour.
After 1 year: $21.59 hour.
After 2 years: $21.92 hour.

If you want to find more information on the new hourly rates for Cert III, Diploma and Advanced Diploma etc. go to this webside:
http://www.fwa.gov.au/documents/modern_ ... 000120.pdf
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Angie

[Misse84]

I am a trainee and get $940 a fortnight . I do exactly what the others do , programming , I even teach German twice a week and will be doing the fitness for them .

I am 27 so this is kind of crap . $13 an hour for a 27 year old pretty horrible , I earned a lot more selling clothes ! the Government needs to get it's act together and pay us more .

I love my job but need to live as well , and a few times I have wondered if I should do office work instead .

I think a trainee should get at least $17 p/h , a Certificate III $ 25 p/h a Diploma $35 and a ECT $45

Yeah some might think that is a lot , but we are responsible for peoples lives , we have to do first aid , are mandatory reporters , we prepare these kids for school .

I believe as women we are too afraid and polite to ask for a better pay .

[Lorina]

Hi Ally,

Thanks for your comments! I also think that it's pretty unfair that you are only getting $13 an hour. Especially if you are doing extras such as fitness or teaching german ontop of everything else. Yeah, the pay rates in childcare aren't that great and I think that's why most childcare proefessionals end up doing something else… Oh yes being women and being polite doen't mean that others should take advantage of us I really wish that things would change for the better!!

Cheers ,
L.A

[Macoola]

I agree with angielee206 I have been a check out chick for a while and I just completed my certficate 3 all the jobs I have been looking around at are the same or worse pay from what I am earning now it is so unfair!!

[Kaz]

It seems that 22 is the going rate for most places as I am on just over 22. I get another from just over 22 to just under 22.
So there no set rate?? I get so confused with the rate I should get b/c sometimes I take on both roles :/

[fchaudari76]

Florry - there are set rates but some centres choose to pay more ... some don't but if you go to google and type in childcare award wage qld you will see some PDFs that show the award wage.
If you take on more than one role there are rules I think eg if you are employed as an assistant but take over as GL you need to have taken over for min X hours to be paid the GLs rate.

[justathought]

The pay is pretty unfair for the duties that are carried out, I was room leading for about 3 years before getting my diploma, the centre asked for an exemption for me but it was denied by the department. I kept room leading anyway because there was no one else apparently.
I see you guys talking about being GL's and being paid $22 hour, I took on the responsibility and unfortunatly was only being paid for my years experience. My assistant was paid more than me because she had been in the job longer and would refuse to take on any responsibility. And to add to it I was the only staff member there with children and some how I have less experience, and thats not just 1 child I have 4 ageing from 5 years to 21 years.
I do agree to a pay rise in some instances for example if you take on the responsibility you get paid for the responsibilty. And thinking about it I might do some research on profits from child care centres because they seem to be taking on alot of trainees at about $10 an hour sometimes even less the younger they are. I'll defenatly put my hand up to trainees being paid more because they do just as much as anyone else, sometimes from what Ive seen even more

[MADIHA]

Hi everyone,

I am surprised to everyone's info.

For dips minimum to start with is 22$ per hour only if they don't have the required training and they are fresh. But personally i dont even know any dip who is working on 22$, minimum 24-25$ or more... andi know they get paid upto 30$ per hour. As per my experience, i think agencies pay more if you go through them because they have to put their rates above award rate, for their reputation and for win win situation!

Regards,
Madi

[Countrychildcare]

I am part time with a big company. I have had my diploma for 8 years, worked in childcare on and off for 10 years. I earn about $22.50 per hour in Victoria. Room leader job share with another staff member. It really does not seem enough compared to some jobs that require no qualification, but that's the career I am in for now.

[JacksonBrowne]

The Trainee at my centre earned $9 per hour - she was doing the daily diary just about every day! Not the Diploma. Not the Manager. The Diploma couldn't get to it each day because she couldn't leave the Trainee unsupervised because she is untrained. Go figure.

[justathought]

JacksonBrowne do you mean that the diploma was in the room with the trainee and the daily diary and couldn't get to it? are you serious??

[law92]

Hi

I am a child care room assistant currently studying my certificate 3 in childrens services, and i only get $15 an hour, but when i finish my cert i will get about $17 an hour. I think this wage is very unfair for the amount of work we all put in! The government needs to start paying us better. we put in some much hard work, time, effort and care into our work and for what?? it seems unreasonable to me that we get paid so poorly for looking after other peoples children so that they can go to work. why does anyone do it? the working conditions are poor to say the best. granted, working in child care does have its moments occasionally, but the bad things can mostly outweigh the occasional good things. my group leader has been working in child care for about 7+ years, and has had her diploma for about 5-6 years of that, and they only pay her for being 3 years qualified, as this is all the government is willing to pay us. why would anyone want to put themselves through this? it just makes me wonder whether i should be looking for a different career path? im recently engaged, trying to save up to buy a house with my partner, as well as trying to pay for a wedding. im just not sure anymore....

[Tess3au]

Hi I have been a Director in a Centre 4 6 years I was head hunted by a Centre in my hometown.I have a Diploma and have worked in children services for numerous years ranging from At Risk children, Preschools Special needs .I am now a group leader in a 3 to 5 yr room.I assist the Director in all aspects of running the Centre and am 2IC when she is away.I get around $22 an hour which is not much less than My asistant who holds a Cert 3 and is 20 years of age.I have been in the industry for over 20 yrs and have a wealth of knowledge and experience and hold a much higher qualificaion.There was no such thing as working on the job and doing a weekend at TAFE every now and then ,4 me it was 2yrs Full Time.I feel the whole system is so wrong.My daughter had a gap year b4 going 2 Uni and worked as a waitress and she earned more than I did an hr and she was 17 years old.We R expected 2 do so much ie paperwork etc programming etc and if we r a group leader we r responsible 4 traing our staff dealing with parents and 4 me im am often running the centre and I get nothing more 4 all this responsibility.The cost of Childcare is always increasing but yet staff wages remain the same.Once u reach the top of the Tier there is no progressing U remain the same.There is no incentive 2 work in this industry anymore.When the bigwigs realise that we just dont babysit children we r actually responsible and start the children on their journey in life nothing will ever change.They need 2 walk a day in our shoes and see what we do and what we have 2 do because the regs say we have 2 then and only then will we b recognised 4 what we truly do and b paid accordingly.

[babayaga]

The rates I have been reading about in this forum are very poor for the amount of hard work we do and the skills and education now required to educate and nurture our children. As a pt assistant in several places I earn $20- 25.00 per hour with no guaranteed schedule , so one week could be financially wonderful the next totally bare. I am aware that my back may suffer down the track and my own nutrition and stress levels are compromised when I am at work but..... I LOVE spending my day with toddlers and preschoolers and that's why I continue to pursue this career path.

Can we also talk about director's salaries here please?

[dulciean]

Join the union- they are our only negotiating tool with the government. Have a read -google the 'Big Steps' campaign.

[Miss Kerry]

Hopefully this will give you a better idea of the award rates, on the right hand side are explanations of each level.

[babayaga]

Thank you Miss kerry for a very good wage chart - valuable information. Appreciate your effort.

[fchaudari76]

Wages seem really low on that chart, are award wages really THAT low ??? !!!!