Health Services Award Pay Rises from April 2026: What Dental Assistants, Pathology Collectors, and Allied Health Workers Need to Check
Health Services Award Pay Rises from April 2026: What Dental Assistants, Pathology Collectors, and Allied Health Workers Need to Check
Thousands of dental assistants, pathology collectors, and allied health support workers across Australia are about to see their pay rise by 4% to 9.26%, with new rates taking effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 April 2026. The increases follow the Fair Work Commission’s landmark gender undervaluation review, which found that work performed predominantly by women in the health support sector has been systematically underpaid.
If you are covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award (MA000027), here is what is changing, how much more you should be earning, and what to do if your employer does not apply the increase correctly.
What Is Changing: Health Services Award Updates from April 2026
On 24 December 2025, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) issued a determination to vary the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 as part of the gender-based undervaluation priority awards review. The key changes include new classification levels for dental assistants and pathology collectors, higher minimum hourly rates, and a two-stage implementation running from April 2026 through January 2027.
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has published updated pay guides reflecting the new rates. You can check your entitlements using the FWO’s Pay and Conditions Tool.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, Changes to the Health Services Award
Who Is Affected?
These changes apply to support services employees covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award:
- Dental assistants, including unqualified, Certificate III, and Certificate IV holders
- Pathology collectors, including those with Certificate IV qualifications
- Allied health support workers in roles within the support services classification stream
The changes do not affect pay rates for health professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists) covered by the same Award at this stage. Further reviews for those classifications are ongoing.
If your payslip references the Health Professionals and Support Services Award (MA000027) and you work in a support services role, you are likely affected.
The Gender Undervaluation Review: Why These Roles Are Getting Pay Rises
The FWC’s gender-based undervaluation priority awards review has been running for more than 18 months. It examines whether minimum rates in female-dominated occupations have been set lower than they should be because of historical undervaluation of work performed predominantly by women.
Dental assistants, pathology collectors, and allied health support workers are overwhelmingly female workforces. The review found that the existing classification structure did not properly recognise the skills, qualifications, and responsibilities of these roles. The result is a reclassification that moves workers into higher support services levels with corresponding pay increases. This is a structural correction, not a standard annual wage review increase.
New Classification Levels Explained: Where Do You Fit?
The FWC determination introduces a new classification mapping for dental assistants and pathology collectors under Schedule J of the Award. Here is how the reclassification works.
Dental assistants:
- Unqualified, less than 12 months experience: Moves to Support Services Level 3
- Unqualified, 12 months to 4 years experience: Moves to Support Services Level 5
- Certificate III qualified or 4+ years experience: Moves to Support Services Level 6
- Certificate IV qualified or equivalent experience: Moves to Support Services Level 7
Pathology collectors:
- Pathology collectors with a relevant Certificate IV qualification: Reclassified to Support Services Level 7
Your employer is required to reclassify you into the correct level based on your qualifications and experience. If you are unsure where you sit, check your employment contract, ask your employer for written confirmation of your new classification, and compare it against the Schedule J criteria in the updated Award.
How Much More Will You Earn? The Dollar Figures by Classification
The increases are being introduced in two stages. Transitional rates apply from 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2026, with full rates taking effect from 1 January 2027.
Here are the key figures for dental assistants based on the FWO’s updated pay guides:
- Entry-level unqualified dental assistant (previously Level 1 at $25.74/hour): Moves to Level 3 at $27.79/hour, an increase of approximately $2.05 per hour, or 7.95%.
- Qualified dental assistant with Certificate III (previously Level 4 at $28.12/hour): Moves to Level 6 at $29.24/hour, an increase of approximately $1.12 per hour from April 2026 transitional rates, with further increases from January 2027.
- Certificate IV qualified dental assistant or pathology collector: Moves to Level 7, with increases of approximately 4% at the transitional rate and further uplift to full rates from January 2027.
For a full-time worker on 38 hours per week, the Level 1 to Level 3 reclassification alone is worth approximately $78 more per week before tax, or roughly $4,050 per year.
The general range of increases across all affected classifications sits between 4% and 9.26%, depending on your current level and where you are reclassified.
Important: These are minimum Award rates. If your employer already pays above the new minimum for your reclassified level, your pay may not change. However, your classification level must still be updated.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman Pay Guide, MA000027
How to Check Your Employer Has Applied the Increase Correctly
You do not need to wait for someone else to check this. Here is how to verify your pay from the first full pay period on or after 1 April 2026.
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Confirm your new classification level. Ask your employer in writing which support services level you have been reclassified to under the updated Award. Keep a copy of their response.
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Compare your hourly rate. Check the rate on your first payslip after April 1 against the transitional rates in the FWO’s updated pay guide for your classification level. The pay guide is available on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
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Check the effective date. The new rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 April 2026. If your pay period starts on a Monday and April 1 falls mid-week, the increase applies from the following Monday.
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Review penalty rates. Your penalty rates (weekend, overtime, public holiday) are calculated as percentages of your base rate. If your base rate has increased, all penalty rates should increase proportionally.
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Keep records. Save copies of your payslips and any communication from your employer about the reclassification.
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Use the FWO Pay and Conditions Tool. Select “Health Professionals and Support Services Award” and set the calculation date to 1 April 2026 to see the exact rates for your classification.
If your employer has not applied the increase, raise it with them in writing first. If it is not resolved, you can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 or lodge an enquiry online. You can also run a free audit through Justiico to compare your payslip against the correct Award rates for your role.
What Comes Next: Further Reviews and Potential Increases
The April 2026 changes are the first stage. Full rates for the reclassified levels take effect from 1 January 2027, meaning affected workers will see a second uplift within nine months.
Beyond that, the FWC’s gender undervaluation review is ongoing across multiple awards, including the SCHADS Award, the Children’s Services Award, and the Aged Care Award. Further health sector classifications may be examined in subsequent stages.
For allied health professionals (physios, OTs, speech pathologists), the FWC has proposed increases of 25% to 30% at entry level, with a decision expected in the coming months.
The direction is clear: the Fair Work Commission is systematically correcting gender-based undervaluation across the health and care sectors. If you work in this space, your pay is likely to keep moving upward.
Take Control of Your Pay
Your pay should reflect your qualifications, your experience, and the work you do. If you are a dental assistant, pathology collector, or allied health support worker covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, now is the time to check that your employer has applied the new rates correctly.
Start Your Free Audit to compare your payslip against the updated Award rates. Know your worth.
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