FY 2025–26 rates
Income Sensitivity Calculator
See exactly how your childcare costs change at every income level — from $40,000 to $600,000. Enter your care details below to find your sweet spots and pain points.
Your childcare details
Rate cap: $14.63/hr
State average: $158/day
Default for Centre-Based Day Care: 10 hrs
Showing costs for 3 days/week of centre-based day care at $158/day (10 hrs/day). Your income of $120,000 is highlighted in the table.
Your position
83% CCS
at $120,000/yr · $110/wk out-of-pocket
CCS cuts out at
$535,000
$415,000 above your income
Biggest cost jump
+$229/yr
per extra $5,000 between $90,000–$95,000
Smallest cost jump
+$228/yr
per extra $5,000 between $85,000–$90,000
Key income levels
Showing your area + key thresholds ·
| Income | CCS % | Weekly cost | Annual cost | Marginal +$5k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 90% | $79 | $4,107 | — |
| ··· | ||||
| $80,000 | 90% | $79 | $4,107 | — |
| $85,000 | 90% | $79 | $4,107 | — |
| $90,000 | 89% | $83 | $4,335 | +$228🟢 |
| ··· | ||||
| $100,000 | 87% | $92 | $4,792 | +$228 |
| $105,000 | 86% | $97 | $5,020 | +$228 |
| $110,000 | 85% | $101 | $5,248 | +$228 |
| $115,000 | 84% | $105 | $5,477 | +$229 |
| $120,000You | 83% | $110 | $5,705 | +$228 |
| $125,000 | 82% | $114 | $5,933 | +$228 |
| $130,000 | 81% | $119 | $6,162 | +$229 |
| $135,000 | 80% | $123 | $6,390 | +$228 |
| $140,000 | 79% | $127 | $6,618 | +$228 |
| ··· | ||||
| $530,000 | 1% | $470 | $24,420 | +$229 |
| $535,000 | 0% | $474 | $24,648 | +$228 |
| ··· | ||||
| $600,000 | 0% | $474 | $24,648 | — |
How to read this table: The Marginal +$5k column shows how much your annual out-of-pocket childcare cost increases for each extra $5,000 of family income. A higher number means that income range is more “expensive” in terms of lost CCS.
🔴 Biggest jump (pain point) — the $5,000 income band where earning more costs you the most in lost CCS.
🟢 Smallest jump (sweet spot) — the $5,000 income band where earning more has the least CCS impact. Good timing for a pay rise or extra income.
Annual cost uses 5% withholding. Services Australia withholds 5% of CCS each fortnight as a buffer against overpayment. The withheld amount is reconciled at year-end, so your true annual cost is the gap fee — not the withheld amount.
Want a full personalised estimate?
The CCS Calculator includes back-to-work analysis, multi-child comparisons, and next steps.