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How to become an aged care worker in Australia

Aged and Disabled Carers provide general household assistance, emotional support, care and companionship for aged and disabled persons in their own homes.

$1,761median full-time pay a week, before tax
+18.1%projected job growth to 2035
376,300people in this job

The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the aged and disabled carers group are projected to grow 18.1% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.

What the job involves

  • Accompanying aged and disabled persons during daily activities
  • Assisting clients with their mobility
  • Preparing food for clients
  • Arranging social activities
  • Performing housekeeping tasks such as vacuuming and cleaning
  • Assisting in personal hygiene and dressing

How to get there

What it usually takes. A Certificate II or III. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the aged and disabled carers group, and some roles differ.

What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 19% a degree or higher, 15% a diploma, 37% a Certificate III or IV.

Apprenticeship or traineeship. Community Aged Care Support is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (1 April 2026), with qualifications including Certificate III in Community Services, Certificate III in Individual Support, Certificate IV in Community Services. Find a provider at Your Career or your state's TAFE.

Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.

Courses that can lead here

We haven't matched this job to courses in the admissions lists. It usually starts with training on the job or at a registered training provider, not a course through an admissions centre. See Your Career.

Does it fit your interests?

Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Social, Conventional, Realistic.

Realistic
Investigative
Artistic
Social
Enterprising
Conventional

From O*NET ratings for "Personal Care Aides", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.

Careers with similar interests

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Job data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.

Apprenticeships: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, 1 April 2026.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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