Thinking about becoming a support worker? What the job's like and how to start

Support work is one of the fastest growing jobs in the country, and you don't need a degree to start. It isn't for everyone, though. This is what the work involves, what you need and what it pays.

The Zoomly team · · 4 min read

A support worker's day can take in a morning shower and breakfast, a trip to the shops, a physio appointment and an afternoon at the footy. The work covers personal care, meals, housework, getting out into the community and plenty of company along the way. You end up knowing people well, and they come to rely on you.

Plenty of work around

Jobs and Skills Australia counted 376,300 people working as aged and disabled carers in February 2026, up 27,100 on the year before. It listed the role as in shortage in 2024, and the NDIS Review said in 2023 that the disability workforce needed another 128,000 workers by mid-2025. Median full-time earnings in the field were $1,761 a week in May 2025, from the ABS figures Jobs and Skills Australia publishes. If you want steady work close to home, the demand is there.

What you need before you start

An NDIS Worker Screening Check. In NSW it's called the NDIS Worker Check and you apply through Service NSW. You start online, then visit a Service NSW centre within 28 days with three ID documents. It costs $112 for paid workers and lasts five years, and you can reapply from three months before it runs out. You'll need an NDIS provider who's employing you, or about to, because they verify your application.

The free orientation module. The NDIS Commission's online course, Quality, Safety and You, is mandatory for staff of registered NDIS providers and worth doing either way.

The NDIS Code of Conduct. Every NDIS worker has to follow it, registered or not. It has eight parts, covering things like respecting people's rights and privacy, working safely, and speaking up about concerns.

A Working with Children Check, if you'll support anyone under 18. In NSW that's another $112, also valid for five years.

First aid, a driver's licence and your own car aren't legal requirements, but plenty of employers ask for them, especially for community access work.

Do you need a qualification?

No. You can start without one and learn on the job. A Certificate III in Individual Support is a good way in if you'd like the grounding first, and TAFE NSW currently lists fee-free places for some of its disability support courses. Eligibility rules apply and places change each semester, so check before you enrol.

What it pays

Disability support work in Australia is covered by the SCHADS Award, and the rate depends on the setting. From July 2026, a Level 2 worker in the social and community services stream earns at least $36.22 an hour. In home care disability work, the Level 2 rate is $28.86, rising to $33.19 from 1 December 2026 after a Fair Work Commission decision to lift home care pay.

Casuals get a 25% loading. Weekend and public holiday penalty rates are well above the base rate, with Sundays at double time for permanent staff. Super is 12%, and since July 2026 employers have to pay it each payday. For disability services work the award sets a minimum shift of two hours, and if a role includes sleepovers there's a sleepover allowance, currently $62.87 a night. If you use your car for work, the award vehicle allowance is $1.05 a kilometre until February 2027.

Employee, contractor or platform?

As an employee you get award rates, paid leave, super and your employer's workers' compensation cover.

As a sole trader you set your own rates and choose your clients, but you cover your own insurance, tax and time off, and workers' compensation doesn't cover you. Having an ABN doesn't automatically make you a contractor, either. Fair Work looks at how the work happens in practice.

Platforms sit in between. Since July 2026, NDIS digital platforms have to be registered, and from 1 January 2027 everyone offering supports through a registered platform needs a full screening clearance before they start. You won't be able to work while your application is pending.

The honest bits

Around 60% of people in the job work part-time. Shifts can be split across the day, with gaps you aren't paid for, over a span of up to 12 hours, and some days are emotionally heavy. It suits people who are reliable and good at reading a room. If that sounds like you, start with a few shifts a week and see how it fits.

Support work at Zoomly

Zoomly calls its support workers Support Partners. We pay at the SCHADS Award rate, with penalty rates on evenings, weekends and public holidays, and you see the pay before you accept a booking. If you're in or around Penrith, find out about becoming a Support Partner.

Where this comes from

Need a lift, a Support Partner, or both?

Zoomly books accessible transport and Support Partners across Penrith and the suburbs around it, often on the same day. Tell us what you need and a person comes back to you.

Tell us what you need How Zoomly works

More from News

· 4 min read

Why marketplace apps are good for the NDIS

Marketplace apps let you see, choose and rebook your own support workers. What they get right, the trade-offs, and who can use them.

All articles

Accessibility