HPSS Award: New Classification Structure for Health Professionals
What allied health practice owners need to know before 1 October 2026
Important: please read before using this resource
This resource is designed to help PPHR members understand the updated classification structure under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020. It is a general guide only and does not replace professional HR or legal advice. Award coverage, classification, and pay decisions specific to your practice should always be reviewed in context. Before making any changes to your employees' classifications or pay, please ask your questions through the usual channels inside People Powered HR. People Powered Business does not accept responsibility for any classification or pay decisions made based on this resource.
Identify the profession
Check if the employee's profession is listed in the new Schedule B. Most allied health roles are included.
Find the AQF level
Look up the Standard Minimum Qualification listed for that profession. Some professions have one level; others have multiple.
Confirm the employee's actual qualification
Where multiple AQF levels are listed, the employee's qualification determines their classification. Get this on file.
Add years of experience
Level 1 pay progresses by experience in the profession (not just with you). Count total industry experience, not tenure with your practice.
Apply the translation table
Use the Schedule J.3 translation tables to convert each employee's old pay point to the new classification. Check against retained minimums.
The table below shows how qualification types generally map to AQF levels. This is a starting point only. Each profession follows a slightly different AQF alignment process under the new structure. Some have a single fixed level regardless of what an individual holds, others have multiple levels listed. Always refer to the Schedule B profession table below, not this decoder, when determining an employee's actual classification.
This decoder is general: each profession is different
The AQF mapping above reflects the national framework in general terms only. Under the HPSS Award, each profession has its own standard minimum qualification determined by the Fair Work Commission based on actual entry pathways, registration requirements, and course availability. Not a simple formula. For example, a 4-year bachelor's degree is still AQF 7, and a physiotherapist who holds a master's is still classified at AQF 7 because that is the fixed standard minimum for that profession. A chiropractor, by contrast, is fixed at AQF 9 even though a bachelor's pathway technically exists, because the FWC ruled it an outlier. Do not use this decoder to determine classifications. Use the Schedule B table below.
Where a single AQF level is shown, that level applies regardless of what individual employees hold. Where multiple levels are shown, the employee's actual qualification determines their classification.
| Profession | AQF Level(s) | Rule type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiropractor | AQF 9 | Single: fixed | AQF 7 ruled an outlier. Registration requires bachelor's plus master's. |
| Clinical Perfusionist | AQF 9 | Single: fixed | |
| Client Advisor / Rehabilitation Consultant | AQF 7 AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | Reflects wide range of allied health entry pathways into rehab consulting. |
| Community Development Worker | AQF 5 AQF 7 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | |
| Counsellor | AQF 5 AQF 6 AQF 7 AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | Unregulated profession with diverse entry pathways. Employee's actual qualification applies. |
| Dietitian | AQF 7 AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | Note updated spelling: "Dietitian" (not Dietician) in the award. |
| Exercise Physiologist | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | |
| Genetic Counsellor | AQF 9 | Single: fixed | Note updated spelling: "Genetic Counsellor" (not Genetics Counsellor). |
| Health Information Manager | AQF 7 AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | |
| Medical Imaging Technologist (incl. Radiographer, MRI Technologist) | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | Higher-level courses ruled outliers. AQF 8 and 9 not standard entry pathways. |
| Medical Librarian | AQF 8 | Single: fixed | |
| Medical Scientist | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | |
| Music Therapist | AQF 9 | Single: fixed | |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | AQF 7 AQF 8 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | Small profession, limited courses. Both levels retained. |
| Occupational Therapist | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | AQF 7 confirmed as clear standard minimum despite spread of course levels. |
| Oral Health Therapist | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | |
| Orthoptist | AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | Small profession, small number of courses. No single standard identifiable. |
| Osteopath | AQF 9 | Single: fixed | |
| Pharmacist | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | Bachelor's degree remains a legitimate, non-outlier entry pathway for registration. |
| Physiotherapist | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | AQF 7 confirmed as clear standard minimum. Higher qualifications do not change Level 1 classification. |
| Podiatrist | AQF 7 | Single: fixed | |
| Psychologist | AQF 9 | Single: fixed | |
| Radiation Therapist / Radiation Therapy Technologist | AQF 7 AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | Newly separated from Medical Imaging Technologist in Schedule B. |
| Social Worker | AQF 7 AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | |
| Sonographer | AQF 8 | Single: fixed | Note: "Ultrasonographer" is not separately listed but HPSS Award coverage is unchanged. |
| Speech Pathologist | AQF 7 AQF 8 AQF 9 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | Significant course spread across all three levels confirmed by Speech Pathology Australia. |
| Welfare Worker | AQF 5 AQF 6 AQF 7 | Multiple: use employee's qualification | |
| Youth Worker | AQF 5 AQF 6 AQF 7 | Multiple: use employee's qualification |
This table covers professions most relevant to allied health practices. Full Schedule B lists additional professions including Acupuncturist, Aromatherapist, Art Therapist, Audiologist, Biomedical Technologist, Cardiac Technologist, Dental Hygienist, Dental Prosthetist, Dental Therapist, Diversional/Recreation Therapist, Masseur (Remedial), Medical Laboratory Technician, Myotherapist, Naturopathist, Prosthetist/Orthotist, Reflexologist, Research Technologist.
These are the first-phase minimum rates. The full pay increase is phased over 5 years to 2030.
| Classification | 1st year | 2ndβ3rd year | 4thβ6th year | 7th year+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQF Level 5 | $30.97/hr | $32.88/hr | $35.82/hr | $38.72/hr |
| AQF Level 6 | $30.97/hr | $32.88/hr | $37.26/hr | $41.68/hr |
| AQF Level 7 | $32.88/hr | $35.40/hr | $39.33/hr | $42.44/hr |
| AQF Level 8 | $33.59/hr | $36.30/hr | $39.81/hr | $43.25/hr |
| AQF Level 9 | $36.30/hr | $38.82/hr | $41.68/hr | $44.09/hr |
| Level 2.1 (Senior/Specialist) | $48.87/hr | |||
| Level 2.2 (Senior/Specialist 5yr+) | $49.82/hr | |||
| Level 3 (Advanced/Manager) | $49.82/hr | |||
| Level 4 (Manager) | $62.78/hr | |||
Retained minimums apply
If an employee's translated new rate is lower than what they were earning under the old structure, they retain the higher rate. No employee should see their pay decrease as a result of this change. Check each employee against the Schedule J.3.3 retained minimums table.
Additional qualifications don't automatically increase Level 1 pay
If a physiotherapist completes a master's degree while employed, that does not trigger a pay increase at Level 1. The standard minimum qualification for the profession is the benchmark, not the individual's additional study. Reclassification to Level 2, 3 or 4 may apply if the role changes.
Experience is industry-wide, not just with you
Years of experience counts across the profession, not just with your practice. A new hire who has worked 6 years as a physiotherapist elsewhere enters at 4thβ6th year rates, not 1st year. You'll need to confirm prior experience when onboarding.
Overseas qualifications still qualify
If an overseas-qualified health professional meets the requirements to practice in Australia (including AHPRA registration where applicable), they are classified as a Level 1 employee. Progression is based on experience from commencement of Australian registration.
Enterprise agreements need a compliance check
If your practice operates under an enterprise agreement, you need to check that the agreement's rates are no less favourable than the new HPSS Award rates. This is a separate step from the classification exercise.
Part-time and casual employees progress the same way
The old clause 17.1 (which required 1,824 hours before part-time staff could progress) has been deleted. Part-time and casual staff now progress based on years of experience, the same as full-time employees. The FWC noted this change specifically benefits female health professionals.
Annual wage review increases are separate
The FWC confirmed that Annual Wage Review increases cannot be used to absorb or offset these new gender-based undervaluation increases. Both apply independently.
Need help working through this for your practice?
Inside People Powered HR, I'll be walking members through this in detail. If you'd like support completing the classification audit for your team, or you're not sure whether the HPSS Award covers some of your roles, reach out. This is exactly the kind of thing I help with inside the membership.
