The Fair Work Commission's review of gender-based undervaluation has brought the biggest changes in years to the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (MA000027), the award that covers many dental assistants, receptionists and other support staff, as well as some health professionals. The changes are being phased in over several years, and some have already started.
This guide summarises what dental practice owners and managers need to know, the key dates, and what to do now.
This article is general information, not legal or payroll advice. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman and Fair Work Commission for current rates and your obligations, and get advice for your circumstances.
Key takeaways
- The award has two main streams: support services, which includes dental assistants, receptionists and practice assistants, and health professionals.
- For dental assistants, a new classification structure and the first stage of increases took effect from 1 April 2026, with a further stage and full translation due on 1 January 2027.
- For the health professional stream, a new classification structure and the first stage of increases apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026, with further phased increases each 30 June from 2027 to 2030.
- Check which award and stream each employee is covered by, confirm their new classification, and update payroll from the correct pay period.
- Budget for further increases through to 2030.
Why the award changed
The Fair Work Commission ran a review of priority awards to address the gender-based undervaluation of work in female-dominated occupations. The health sector was one of the priority areas. Decisions in December 2025 and May 2026 set out new classification structures and phased pay increases for different groups covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.
Key dates
- 1 April 2026: new support services classification structure and stage 1 increases for dental assistants and pathology collectors
- 1 July 2026: Annual Wage Review increase applied to award rates
- First full pay period on or after 1 October 2026: new classification structure and stage 1 increase for the health professional stream
- 1 January 2027: second stage and full translation for dental assistants and pathology collectors
- 30 June 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030: remaining phased increases for health professionals
The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes pay guides with the exact rates for each date.
Who is covered
Support services stream
Includes roles such as receptionists, practice administration staff, practice assistants and dental assistants. Many dental practice front desk and chairside support staff fall in this stream.
Health professional stream
Includes health professionals such as physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians and similar roles covered by the award. If your practice employs any health professionals under this award, check whether and how they're covered.
Not everyone is on this award
Some staff may be covered by a different award, an enterprise agreement or be award-free. Dentists are generally not covered by this award. Check each employee individually.
What to do now
1. Confirm coverage for every employee
List your staff, their roles and the award or agreement that covers each one. Separate support services employees from any health professionals.
2. Check dental assistant classifications
The new dental assistant classifications took effect from 1 April 2026, with translation rules set out in the award. Make sure each dental assistant has been translated to the correct new level, based on their qualifications, experience and duties, and that they've been paid correctly since then.
3. Map health professionals to new levels
If you employ health professionals under the award, map each person to the new classification structure using their qualifications, experience and duties, and apply the new rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2026.
4. Update payroll and contracts
Update rates, check that over-award arrangements still meet the new minimums, and keep written records of how you classified each employee.
5. Diarise future increases
Put 1 January 2027 and each 30 June to 2030 in your calendar, along with the Annual Wage Review each July.
6. Budget
Model your wage costs through to 2030. Increases for support staff and health professionals will be significant for many practices.
Managing rising front desk costs
Higher wages are good news for staff who've long been underpaid, and practices need to plan for them. One option is to make sure skilled staff spend their time on work that needs them, such as patient care, treatment coordination and complex enquiries, rather than repetitive phone calls and reminders. Automation can take routine work off the desk without replacing people. See AI receptionist vs hiring another receptionist and covering the receptionist shortage.
Frequently asked questions
Are dental receptionists covered by this award?
Many are covered by the support services stream, but coverage depends on the employer and role. Check with the Fair Work Ombudsman.
What if I already pay above award?
Check that your rates still exceed the new minimums at each stage, including for any penalty rates, overtime and allowances.
What if I made a mistake with back pay?
Correct it as soon as possible, pay any shortfall and keep records. The Fair Work Ombudsman has guidance on fixing underpayments.
Next steps
Review every employee's award coverage and classification this month, check dental assistant pay since 1 April 2026, and update your budget for 2027. For help reducing the front desk's routine workload, book a demo of IntelliDent.