The Fair Work Commission has announced a 4.75% wage increase. This applies to all minimum and award wages, including the Children’s Services Award and the Educational Services Teachers Award. For children’s services, this rise was already anticipated as part of the sector’s five-year staged plan, while for ECTs it represents a direct adjustment to align with inflationary pressures.
Key Wage Increase Details
- Effective Date: From 01 July 2026
- Increase Amount: 4.75% across minimum and award wages
- Context:
- For children’s services, this increase was expected as part of the structured five‑year plan to lift wages progressively.
- For teachers, the adjustment is a response to inflation and broader Fair Work Commission considerations.
Children’s Services Award
- Planned Pathway: The sector has been undergoing a five‑year staged uplift to bring wages closer to parity with other professional fields.
- This Increase: The 4.75% rise fits within the expected trajectory, meaning services and educators should have budgeted for it.
- Impact:
- Reinforces workforce sustainability.
- Provides predictability for employers and employees.
- Strengthens advocacy arguments that wages are catching up, but ratios remain the bigger safety issue.
Educational Services (Teachers) Award
- Adjustment Basis: Unlike children’s services, this increase was not part of a pre-mapped plan but is a direct response to inflationary pressures.
- Impact:
- Helps offset cost‑of‑living increases.
- Supports retention of early childhood teachers, who often face wage disparities compared to school‑based peers.
- Signals Fair Work’s balancing act between worker needs and economic stability.
For educators receiving above-award wages, which means you are paid higher than the minimum award rate set out in either the Children's Services Award 2010 or the Educational Services Teachers Award 2020, then you will NOT be receiving this increase.
To see whether you are applicable to receive the 4.75% wage increase, check your current wage in the following articles:
Early Childhood Teachers (ECT) Award Wages in Australia
Note: The wage tables in our corresponding articles will be updated by 01 July 2026 to reflect the 4.75% wage increase.
Reference:
Fair Work Commission Lifts Minimum Wage By 4.75 Percent
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