Aged care jobs in Cairns

Sanctuary Recruitment is currently seeking candidates for aged care jobs in Cairns CBD/metro area
and various locations throughout regional and rural Queensland. We are a specialist aged care recruitment
consultancy with years of industry expertise. We pride ourselves on our long-lasting relationships with
aged care homes and nurses and are committed to strengthening and
maintaining relationships within the aged care sector.

Get in touch
Submit CV

Explore aged care jobs in Cairns

Featured Jobs

test

No jobs found. Please try different search filter.

Create job alert

Browse all job locations

Register with Sanctuary

register with sanctuary

Express your interest

Send in your resume or register your interest and our industry expert consultants will be in contact.

register with sanctuary

Prepare for work

Complete the onboarding process and become fully compliant. Our compliance team can help you through this step by step.

register with sanctuary

Being working with Sanctuary

Choose from 100's of roles that suit your needs, values and requirements.

Get In touch

Rewards and benefits

market leading pay rates

Market leading pay rates

bonuses and incentives

Bonuses and incentives

industry expert consultants

Industry expert consultants

discount programs

Discount programs

Free online education modules

Free online education modules

Referral scheme

Referral scheme

Apply today

Aged care jobs in Cairns FAQs

Aged care workers provide the direct care of residents on a physical, personal and emotional level. An entry level role in this industry would be an Assistant in nursing/Personal care worker, and you can develop your clinical skills to become a registered nurse and beyond.

Our longstanding relationships with over 400 aged care providers across the country, in metro, regional, rural and remote areas of the country.

Alongside Cairns, in Queensland we have roles in:

  • Bribie Island
  • Brisbane
  • Darling Downs
  • Far North Queensland
  • Gold Coast
  • Sunshine Coast
  • Toowoomba
  • Whitsundays
  • Wide Bay

There are a lot of variances when it comes to pay rates, as aged care casual rates depend on your position, experience level and shift times that you work. Our casual pay rates range from:

  • AIN: $38 - $75 per hour
  • EN: $40 - $81 per hour
  • RN: $50 -  $120 per hour

Incentives, allowances and bonuses are applicable for certain areas and contract placements. Reforms in aged care have led to pay rises for aged care workers in recent years, with more developments to come.

We have a scheme where we offer nurses who have less than 6 months experience a trial period within a residential aged care home. If you have less than 6 months experience or have an aged care certificate, please get in contact to see what your options are.

To work as an AIN/PCA you need to hold a Cert III/IV in Ageing Support/Individual Support/Health Services Assistance. To work as an EN you will need a Diploma of Nursing and an AHPRA number, and for RN's you need a Bachelor of Nursing degree and an AHPRA number. 

We are recruiting aged care positions on a clinical and non clinical basis (direct and non direct care), for temporary/casual, contract and permanent assignments. Temporary work, or casual work, is done on an ad-hoc or block booking basis. Contract roles are usually up to 12 weeks long in rural, regional and remote areas of the country and permanent positions are salary based, with you being employed directly by the home.

Absolutely. We offer continuous online training via our Learning Management System (LMS) at no cost to you. This is regularly updated to reflect new legislation and regulations.

We are seeking healthcare professionals in the following roles:

Through working on a short term or ad-hoc basis, you can:

  • Structure your work day/week to your lifestyle
  • Through our contract roles, you can explore areas of Australia whilst getting paid for it, with free travel and accommodation included.
  • Set your own work/life balance
  • Receive a higher hourly rate than if you were a permanent employee
Aged care blog
Journeying through care: insights from a travel nurse exploring Western Australia

First published: February 2025 In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, travel nursing offers a unique opportunity for nursing professionals to expand their horizons while making a significant impact on patient and resident care across different regions of the country. Our contract team oversees short and long-term assignments in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia,…
Aged care careers

First published: April 2025 Aged care careers cover working in clinical and non-clinical roles across an array of environments including residential aged care, home care/independent living and retirement communities. There is a wealth of employment opportunities that will allow you to explore roles that fit your knowledge and skills, that you can make a long…
Once in a generation aged care reform

First published: September 2024 On the 12th September 2024 the Albanese Government announced their plans to deliver historic aged care reforms, with $5.6 billion being invested into a package that will bring the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years. It is projected that within the next 40 years, those aged 65 and over…
How to become an approved aged care provider

First published: May 2025 To become an approved aged care provider, which is an organisation that has been approved by the Department of Health and Aged Care to provide aged care services to the elderly population, a successful application must be submitted to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Aged care services can be delivered…
A guide to the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) and AN-ACC

First published: Demember 2024 For those receiving aged care services in residential aged care homes, the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) was used by the Australian Government to allocate subsidy amounts of residential aged care providers. Payments were based on the ongoing needs of residents and included a variety of factors such as activities of…
What is duty of care in aged care?

First published: November 2024 Duty of care in aged care is the legal and moral obligation and responsibility an aged care worker has, to ensure the physical and emotional safety of residents in their care. Alongside being legally and ethically sound, this encompasses providing a high-quality level of care that meets the clients needs, keeping…
Creating a heartwarming holiday season in aged care

First published: December 2023 The festive season in Residential Aged Care is a time to bring the residents and their families together to celebrate the Christmas period. It may be a new experience for those observing this occasion away from the comfort of their family home, so making sure that everyone feels included in the…
Care minutes in residential aged care

First published: November 2024 As part of the aged care reform roadmap, the Department of Health and Aged Care are making changes to the number of direct care minutes a resident in residential aged care receives each day from a clinical aged care worker. As of 2023, it sat at 200 minutes per day with…
Delivering impact: how our partnership with Alphacrucis University College is changing the lives of Pacific Islander aged care workers

First published: October 2024 Sanctuary Recruitment and Pulse Staffing Australia, under the global healthcare partner Acacium Group, have secured a bid for this year’s Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme. Aiming to fill labour gaps and alleviate work shortages across the country in a multitude of sectors, the PALM scheme allows for workers from the…
What skills do you need to work in aged care?

Revised: June 2025 Are you interested in working in aged care? Developing aged care skills is key to becoming a great worker and succeeding in the industry.  Through gaining aged care skills that allow you to interact with residents from a diverse range of backgrounds, deliver quality care and maintain a safe environment, you’ll improve…