Instant pay boost for thousands of Aussie workers

More than 17,000 childcare workers will take home more pay this week after the government's 15 per cent wage increase.

Workers at more than 650 Goodstart centres across Australia are among the first to benefit, with pay rises of 10 per cent above the award rate beginning this week, followed by a further five per cent increase in December next year.

This means a typical early childhood carer or educator who is paid at the award rate will receive a pay rise of at least $103 per week, increasing to at least $155 per week from December 2025.

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A typical early childhood teacher will get an additional $166 a week from December this year, increasing to $249 from December of next year.

The 15 per cent wage rise is available to up to 200,000 early childhood workers across the country.

Eligibility for the it is tied to a requirement for services to limit fee increases, to stop them passing the costs on to families.

Early learning providers can now apply for funding to deliver the pay rise online, with successful applications up until June 30 next year to receive funding backdated to December 2 this year.

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Education Minister Jason Clare said early childhood educators were some of the most underpaid workers in Australia.

"We are changing that, and this initial pay rise will mean an extra $100 in their before tax pay every week from this month," he said.

"It will help to encourage more people to stay in the job they love, and for those who may have recently left the sector, it will help attract them back."

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