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NDIS Support Worker Cost Calculator.

Work out what support hours cost across weekdays, evenings, weekends and public holidays — using the current NDIS pricing schedule.

Work out your estimate

What kind of support?

Estimated cost

$735.80

per week · $73.58/hour

Per shift (2h)
$147.16
Per year (52 weeks)
$38,261.60
NDIS support item
01_011_0107_1_1
Budget
Core — Assistance with Daily Life

Recommended maximum prices from the NDIS pricing schedule, effective 1 July 2026. National non-remote, standard 1:1 rates. Providers may charge less. This is a budgeting guide, not a quote. Check the current guide

Understanding the rate

What changes the price.

Four things move the number more than anything else. Understanding them is usually the difference between a plan that stretches and one that runs short.

When the shift runs

The single biggest factor. Support workers are paid penalty rates under the SCHADS Award for evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays, and the published NDIS prices mirror that. The same hour of personal care can cost more than twice as much on a Sunday as on a Tuesday morning.

What kind of support it is

Personal care and community participation sit at the same hourly limits, but household tasks are priced lower, and higher intensity supports for participants with complex needs are priced above the standard rates.

Where you live

The figures here are national non-remote limits. Remote and very remote areas carry loadings that lift the ceiling significantly. Every region we serve across South East and regional Queensland uses the standard national limits.

Whether travel is claimed

Providers can claim for travel to and from a participant separately from the support hour itself. Two providers charging the identical hourly rate can still land on different weekly totals depending on how travel is handled.

Read this first

What this estimate does not include.

An estimate that hides its gaps is worse than no estimate. These are the costs that sit outside the hourly rate and can meaningfully change what a plan actually spends.

  • Provider travel and non-labour costs, which can be claimed separately
  • Remote and very remote loadings, which lift price limits above the national figures
  • Temporary Transformation Payment (TTP) rates, which some providers charge instead of standard rates
  • Shorter-notice cancellations, which may still be claimable against a plan
  • Higher intensity rates for participants with complex support needs
  • Plan management and support coordination fees, which sit in separate budgets

Figures are the recommended maximum prices published in the NDIS pricing schedule, effective 1 July 2026. The NDIA updates them each year on 1 July.

Supports in this calculator

The supports these rates cover.

Personal care & daily living

Help with showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, meal preparation and other daily self-care tasks.

Core — Assistance with Daily Life

Community & social participation

Support to get out and take part in community, social and recreational activities — appointments, shopping, classes, sport and social groups.

Core — Assistance with Social & Community Participation

Household tasks

Cleaning, laundry, linen changes and other household jobs a participant cannot do themselves.

Core — Assistance with Daily Life

First Priority Care delivers these supports across Queensland as a registered, nurse-led provider.

See our services
FAQs

Questions about NDIS rates.

Are these the exact prices I will pay?
No. These are the recommended maximum prices the NDIA publishes for each support item. Providers may charge less, and the rate you pay depends on your service agreement with them. Use this as a budgeting guide, not a quote.
Why do Saturday, Sunday and public holiday rates cost so much more?
Support workers are paid penalty rates under the SCHADS Award for weekend, evening, night and public holiday work. The NDIS price limits mirror that structure, so the same hour of support costs substantially more depending on when it is delivered.
Does it matter whether my plan is self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed?
It affects the ceiling. NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants must use registered providers charging at or below the published price limits. Self-managed participants are not bound by those limits and can negotiate rates directly, though most still use them as a benchmark.
What is not included in this estimate?
Provider travel, remote area loadings, Temporary Transformation Payment rates, higher intensity rates, cancellation charges, and any plan management or support coordination fees. Those sit outside the hourly rate and can meaningfully change what a plan actually spends.
How often do NDIS prices change?
The NDIA publishes an updated pricing schedule each year, effective 1 July, and occasionally issues revisions mid-year. From 2026-27 the document is called the NDIS pricing schedule, replacing the former Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Always check the current schedule on the NDIS website before making budgeting decisions.
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