Key Findings
Prices increased 21–39% across all services and states under the new Support at Home regime, with the national average hourly rate rising from $94.20 to $126.47.
Registered Nurse services saw the largest absolute increase — up to +$49.28/hr in VIC and +$49.17/hr in NSW — reflecting the premium placed on clinical care.
Personal Care saw the steepest percentage rise at 39.2% in both QLD and VIC, making it the most impacted service category in relative terms.
VIC remains the most affordable state for home care despite seeing some of the steepest percentage increases, while SA saw the lowest increases overall.
Average Price Before vs After by Service
National average hourly prices across NSW, QLD, SA, and VIC.
Full Price Comparison by Service
Registered Nurse
| State | Before ($/hr) | After ($/hr) | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $132.63 | $181.80 | +$49.17 | +37.1% |
| QLD | $137.07 | $181.60 | +$44.53 | +32.5% |
| SA | $140.65 | $181.10 | +$40.46 | +28.8% |
| VIC | $126.88 | $176.16 | +$49.28 | +38.8% |
Personal Care
| State | Before ($/hr) | After ($/hr) | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $81.26 | $112.65 | +$31.39 | +38.6% |
| QLD | $79.48 | $110.60 | +$31.12 | +39.2% |
| SA | $83.24 | $112.84 | +$29.60 | +35.6% |
| VIC | $77.09 | $107.31 | +$30.23 | +39.2% |
Cleaning
| State | Before ($/hr) | After ($/hr) | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $80.64 | $108.65 | +$28.01 | +34.7% |
| QLD | $78.24 | $107.41 | +$29.17 | +37.3% |
| SA | $82.46 | $107.45 | +$24.98 | +30.3% |
| VIC | $75.95 | $103.93 | +$27.97 | +36.8% |
Gardening
| State | Before ($/hr) | After ($/hr) | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $85.73 | $116.47 | +$30.74 | +35.9% |
| QLD | $84.92 | $117.97 | +$33.05 | +38.9% |
| SA | $86.92 | $105.31 | +$18.38 | +21.1% |
| VIC | $80.75 | $111.22 | +$30.47 | +37.7% |
Price Increases by State
Dollar increase per hour for each service, grouped by state.
Highest Cost Services Under New Pricing
All 16 state and service combinations ranked from highest to lowest new hourly rate.
| Rank | Service | State | New Price ($/hr) | $ Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nurse | NSW | $181.80 | +$49.17 |
| 2 | Registered Nurse | QLD | $181.60 | +$44.53 |
| 3 | Registered Nurse | SA | $181.10 | +$40.46 |
| 4 | Registered Nurse | VIC | $176.16 | +$49.28 |
| 5 | Gardening | QLD | $117.97 | +$33.05 |
| 6 | Gardening | NSW | $116.47 | +$30.74 |
| 7 | Personal Care | SA | $112.84 | +$29.60 |
| 8 | Personal Care | NSW | $112.65 | +$31.39 |
| 9 | Gardening | VIC | $111.22 | +$30.47 |
| 10 | Personal Care | QLD | $110.60 | +$31.12 |
| 11 | Cleaning | NSW | $108.65 | +$28.01 |
| 12 | Cleaning | SA | $107.45 | +$24.98 |
| 13 | Cleaning | QLD | $107.41 | +$29.17 |
| 14 | Personal Care | VIC | $107.31 | +$30.23 |
| 15 | Gardening | SA | $105.31 | +$18.38 |
| 16 | Cleaning | VIC | $103.93 | +$27.97 |
Key Takeaways
The transition to Support at Home has resulted in significant price increases across all service types and states, averaging a 34.3% rise.
Registered Nurse services are now the most expensive home care category, with prices exceeding $176/hr in every state and reaching $181.80/hr in NSW.
SA had the lowest overall price increases, particularly for Gardening (+$18.38, 21.1%), making it the state with the most moderate transition impact.
Personal Care and Cleaning services, which make up the bulk of home care hours, saw increases of $24–31/hr, directly impacting household care budgets.
QLD saw the largest Gardening price increase (+$33.05, 38.9%) and among the highest percentage increases across most service types.
Despite having the lowest base prices, VIC experienced the steepest percentage increases for Registered Nurse (38.8%) and Personal Care (39.2%) services.
Data Sources
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