What does dental staff cover cost in 2026?
The award rate, casual loading, super and booking cost for each role, on Cover and through an agency. Rates effective 1 July 2026 for dental assistants and receptionists, and 1 October 2026 for hygienists and oral health therapists.
Sarah Morrison
3 min read
On Cover, an 8-hour weekday shift costs from $394.52 for a dental assistant, $355.59 for a receptionist, and $536.90 for a hygienist or oral health therapist. That's the Platform minimum rate with its 25% casual loading, 12% super and Cover's 15% fee, before GST on the fee.1,2,3 An agency typically adds a margin of 25% to 110% on pay and super, plus a callout fee.4
How is a shift's cost worked out?
One 8-hour weekday shift, by role
| Excluding GST | Dental assistant | Receptionist | Hygienist | Oral health therapist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $40.84 | $36.81 | $55.58 | $55.58 |
| Pay, 7.5 hours | $306.30 | $276.08 | $416.85 | $416.85 |
| Super, 12% | $36.76 | $33.13 | $50.02 | $50.02 |
| Pay and super | $343.06 | $309.21 | $466.87 | $466.87 |
| Cover fee, 15% | $51.46 | $46.38 | $70.03 | $70.03 |
| On Cover | $394.52 | $355.59 | $536.90 | $536.90 |
| Agency margin4 | $85.77 (25%) | $77.30 (25%) | $350.15 (75%) | $513.56 (110%) |
| Agency callout fee | $90.00 | $90.00 | $90.00 | $90.00 |
| Through an agency | $518.83 | $476.51 | $907.02 | $1,070.43 |
GST applies to Cover's fee only, and is claimable as an input tax credit. Each line is rounded to the cent, and totals add the lines shown.
Fee calculator
What you save against an agency
Pick the role and how often you need it. Everything else is a shift we've already priced.
Estimated saving per week
$249
Roughly $12,928 a year on one dental assistant shift pattern, before you've filled anything else.
Both excluding GST, which is claimable either way. Agency figure assumes a $90 callout per shift and a 25% margin on a dental assistant's pay and super, typical of current agency charge rates, and the part you don't see on the invoice. Your agency's rates, and so your saving, may be higher or lower.
Post a dental assistant shiftPriced at the Platform minimum for each role, effective 1 October 2026: the lowest hourly rate you can post, informed by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027]. You can pay more on any shift.
A 30-minute unpaid meal break is assumed on the 8-hour shift. Weekend and public-holiday penalties aren't modelled here. Post the actual shift and the app prices it exactly, on top of these figures.
What about weekends and public holidays?
The award pays more on weekends and public holidays. These are the hourly casual rates Cover starts from.1
| Per hour | Weekday | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental assistant | $40.84 | $57.17 | $57.17 | $89.84 |
| Receptionist | $36.81 | $51.54 | $51.54 | $80.99 |
| Hygienist or oral health therapist | $55.58 | $77.81 | $77.81 | $122.27 |
Dental assistant rates are changing
Dental assistants, still called dental nurses in some states, are being reclassified under the award in two stages, on 1 April 2026 and 1 January 2027.5 This guide is updated when stage 2 takes effect.
Questions clinics ask
Who employs someone booked through Cover?
Your clinic does, as a casual employee. Their pay goes through Cover's weekly pay run, which you review and declare. An agency employs its staff itself, and part of its margin pays for that.
Is there a subscription or sign-up cost?
No. Cover charges its 15% fee only on shifts that are worked, with no subscription, sign-up cost or minimum spend.3
Can I pay more than the Platform minimum?
Yes. You set the rate when you post, at or above the Platform minimum.
What does a dental hygienist cost per day?
From $536.90 for an 8-hour weekday on Cover, including super and the fee. Through an agency, expect closer to $907.4
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], pay guide published 26 August 2026. Casual rates, the highest classification ordinarily applicable to each role
- Australian Taxation Office, super guarantee rate of 12% from 1 July 2025
- Cover pricing
- Cover's estimate from a current dental agency rate card, weekday rates excluding GST, rounded down to the nearest 5%
- Fair Work Commission, [2025] FWCFB 297
Next review 1 January 2027.
Written by
Sarah Morrison
Sarah worked as a dental assistant for nearly 20 years, much of it covering shifts at other clinics, before she co-founded Cover. She leads Cover's strategy and outreach.