Looking for an aged care recruitment agency near you? CrossNation is one of the aged care recruitment agencies that recruit assistants in nursing (AINs), personal care assistants (PCAs), enrolled nurses, registered nurses and care coordinators for providers in every state and territory, from candidates based in Australia and from overseas. We have pages for Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle, and our offices are listed on the contact page. Our fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement.
AudienceFor residential aged care providers, home care providers and retirement living operators that need assistants in nursing (AINs), personal care assistants (PCAs), enrolled nurses, registered nurses or care coordinators.
CoverageAssistants in nursing (AIN) and personal care assistants (PCA), also called personal care workers or aged care support workers · Enrolled nurses (EN) working under RN supervision · Registered nurses (RN) for residential and home care settings
For residential aged care providers, home care providers and retirement living operators that need assistants in nursing (AINs), personal care assistants (PCAs), enrolled nurses, registered nurses or care coordinators.
Process
5
Structured steps from brief to onboarding support.
Readiness
4
Compliance and fit checks before employer time is spent.
Aged Care Recruitment
Roles CrossNation recruits
Assistants in nursing (AIN) and personal care assistants (PCA), also called personal care workers or aged care support workers
Enrolled nurses (EN) working under RN supervision
Registered nurses (RN) for residential and home care settings
Care coordinators and clinical leads where the candidate's experience fits
Live jobs
Current roles in aged care
Jobs open on CrossNation now. Listings are not job offers.
Brief: you tell us the setting (residential, home care or retirement living), shift pattern, location, start date and whether you want onshore, overseas or either.
2
Search: we look at candidates based in Australia first when the start date is soon, then at overseas candidates for roles you can plan ahead for.
3
Screen: we talk through each candidate's experience against your brief and record their qualification, registration and work rights status so you can check them.
4
Interview: you meet the shortlist and choose who to offer.
5
Offer and start: we coordinate the offer; overseas candidates need any registration and visa steps completed before they start.
Readiness and compliance checks
Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or equivalent: the Aged Care Award names it for level 3 direct care (Schedule B.2).
Ahpra registration for enrolled and registered nurses, shown on the public register.
Work rights for onshore candidates, shown by the candidate's VEVO result.
Award or enterprise agreement coverage: the Aged Care Award [MA000018] and the Nurses Award [MA000034] set minimum pay where no agreement applies.
Sector insights
What does an aged care recruitment agency do?
A good agency finds and shortlists candidates for your open roles, so the team at your care facility spends its time interviewing rather than searching. Providers sometimes call this aged care staffing. At CrossNation it means recruitment for permanent and contract roles in the aged care sector: we take your brief, search candidates based in Australia and overseas, record each candidate's qualification, registration and work rights status, and present a shortlist. You interview and decide. The fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement.
You send the role, location, start date and candidate pool.
We search, screen and shortlist against that brief.
You interview the people you like and we coordinate the offer.
What are the current award minimum rates for aged care staff?
The Aged Care Award 2010 [MA000018] and, for nurses, the Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034] set minimum pay when no enterprise agreement applies. The figures below were re-read on the Fair Work award pages on 27 October 2026. These are award minimums for full-time employees, the same in every state. An enterprise agreement can apply instead of the award, and employers can pay more. Superannuation is paid on top at 12%. Check the Fair Work pay guide in force on the start date before you set a salary.
Direct care level 2 (Direct Carer): $1,307.80 a week from 1 July 2026, Aged Care Award clause 14.3.
Direct care level 3 (Qualified): $1,376.70 a week from 1 July 2026, Aged Care Award clause 14.3.
Enrolled nurse supervising other direct care employees: $1,542.00 a week ($40.58 an hour) from 1 August 2026, Nurses Award clause 15.3(a)(ii).
Registered nurse level 1, first year of employment at that level: $1,571.60 a week ($41.36 an hour) from 1 August 2026, Nurses Award clause 15.3(b).
Official data
Key facts from official sources
Health care and social assistance: job vacancies
Hiring demand in this industry group: 54.3 thousand vacancies were advertised in August 2026, and 55.3 thousand a year earlier. Across the six quarters to August 2026 the count ranged between 54.3 thousand (Aug 2026) and 59.6 thousand (Nov 2025), so expect competition for staff to move with the season. Aged care sits inside this ABS industry group.
Aged care employee, direct care, level 3: $1,376.70 a week (Aged Care Award 2010, clause 14.3, pay period commencing 1 July 2026). This is the award minimum, not an average or a going rate. Check Fair Work for the latest rates.
How to choose an aged care recruitment agency in Australia
These checks work for any agency. Each one is something you can ask for or verify before you send a brief.
Fee basis in writing
Ask for the percentage, what it is charged on and the event that makes the fee payable, in writing, before you send a brief.
CrossNation: CrossNation's fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds.
Guarantee terms in writing
Ask for the guarantee period and how it applies in the agreement you sign, not only on the agency's website.
CrossNation: CrossNation placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. See our terms.
How candidates are screened
Ask what the agency checks before it shortlists a candidate, and what record it keeps, such as qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights, so you can verify each one yourself.
CrossNation: CrossNation records each candidate's qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights so employers can verify them.
Migration agent involvement
If you are considering an overseas hire, ask who gives visa advice. Only a registered migration agent can give migration advice, and the register of migration agents is public (https://www.mara.gov.au/). This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
CrossNation: CrossNation is a recruitment agency, not a registered migration agent. The employer holds or obtains its own approval.
References
Ask for referee details for a candidate you are shortlisting, call the referees yourself, and ask the agency how it checks references and what it passes on to you.
Qualification evidence for personal care roles
Ask which qualification the agency records for each personal care candidate and ask to see it. The Aged Care Award names a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or equivalent for direct care level 3.
CrossNation: CrossNation records each candidate's qualification so you can check it.
Registration you can verify
For enrolled and registered nurses, ask for the Ahpra registration details and check them yourself on the public Ahpra register before you make an offer.
CrossNation: CrossNation records each nurse's registration status, and anyone can verify a registration on the public Ahpra register.
Frequently asked questions
Which aged care roles do you recruit?
Assistants in nursing (AINs), personal care assistants (PCAs), enrolled nurses, registered nurses and care coordinators, for any aged care facility, home care provider or retirement living operator.
Can you recruit aged care staff who are based in Australia?
Yes. We recruit candidates who already live in Australia and have work rights, as well as candidates overseas. Tell us which pool you prefer in the enquiry form and we will focus the search there.
Is there an aged care recruitment agency near me?
CrossNation is an aged care recruitment agency that serves providers in every state and territory, with pages for Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle. Our offices are listed on the contact page. Send a brief with your location and start date and we will say what we can do.
What do aged care workers get paid?
Under the Aged Care Award 2010 [MA000018], direct care level 2 (Direct Carer) is paid at least $1,307.80 a week and level 3 (Qualified) at least $1,376.70 a week for full-time employees from 1 July 2026. These are minimums and employers can pay above them. Our aged care worker pay rates guide prints every level with its clause and effective date.
What does aged care recruitment cost with CrossNation?
CrossNation's fee for aged care recruitment is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds. If no placement is made, there is no fee. Placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. Wages, superannuation and other employment costs stay with the employer.
How long does it take to recruit aged care workers through CrossNation?
It depends on the candidate and on bodies CrossNation does not control, such as registration boards, licensing regulators and the Department of Home Affairs, so CrossNation does not give a timeline. Many employers ask for both onshore and overseas candidates so an urgent vacancy is not held up.
What are an employer's responsibilities when sponsoring overseas aged care workers?
The Department of Home Affairs says a standard business sponsor has obligations to meet while it sponsors someone. They include telling the department in writing when certain events occur, such as the sponsored person ceasing employment or a change in their duties, making sure the person works only in the occupation nominated, giving terms and conditions of employment that are not less favourable than those of an equivalent Australian worker, keeping records, and cooperating with inspectors. The sponsor must also pay the costs of the recruitment process itself, including recruitment agent fees, and must not charge them to the sponsored worker. A sponsor that does not meet its obligations can face sanctions. The employer is the sponsor. CrossNation is a recruitment agency, does not sponsor and cannot promise a visa or an approval. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
What happens if an aged care worker placed through CrossNation leaves?
Placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. How it applies is set out in the agreement between CrossNation and the employer, so ask for the guarantee terms in writing before you sign. See our terms at https://crossnation.com.au/terms. The guarantee is not a promise of any offer, visa or migration outcome.
Send a hiring brief, get a shortlist plan within the fee terms.
Our fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement.
