This blog was actually sparked by a reel posted by one of my husband’s friends, he’s a mortgage broker, talking about the cost of a McChicken burger. It made me pause and think, hang on… he’s right.
The McChicken has quietly gone up 31% since 2019. No outrage. No big headlines. It just happened.
And it got me wondering, if that kind of increase is accepted without question, why are we still treating meaningful wage increases for educators like they’re unrealistic?
So I looked into it. And the numbers speak for themselves.
Let’s dive into it.
In 2019, a McChicken burger cost about $5.60.
In 2025? $7.35 for the burger alone. Add chips and a drink, you’re closer to $12.25.
That’s a 31% increase in six years. No one’s questioning it. No one’s asking McDonald’s to justify their margins. It just happened – because things cost more now.
Meanwhile, wages under the Children’s Services Award have inched up just over 21% (approx. using Level 3.1 as the comparison) in the same period. That’s not even keeping pace.
And this isn’t a fast food problem, it’s a value problem.
We keep hearing that there’s “no budget” for meaningful pay rises.
That Award rates are the best we can do.
But when your team can’t afford lunch, or fuel, or rent – it’s not just about wages anymore. It’s about value.
And right now, it’s not adding up.
The McChicken Index & and why it matters
This isn’t about fast food.
It’s about calling out the fact that burgers are tracking closer to inflation than educator wages.
Educators are asked to show up every day and shape young lives, but when they ask for $2 more an hour, it’s treated like a radical idea.
Meanwhile, the cost of a basic meal has quietly crept up without resistance.
We’re not saying every service can suddenly throw big dollars around, but we are saying we need to stop pretending the current system is good enough.
This is about retention
If you’re a director or leadership team member reading this, you already know the impact:
- Casuals you can’t replace
- Great educators leaving the sector
- Strained rosters and patchwork planning
We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: paying people fairly is a quality strategy. It’s how you keep good people. It’s how you keep continuity for children.
And yes, there are temporary grants out there, like the Workforce Retention Grant, offering up to 10 – 15% above Award.
But the process is complex, short term, and full of red tape.
We can’t rely on occasional funding rounds to fix a systemic issue. Fair wages shouldn’t be an admin burden, they should be the baseline.
What can services do?
Some thoughts if you’re in a position to influence wages:
- Review what’s possible – look at your numbers with fresh eyes.
- Use banding – especially for senior educators or long term team members.
- Talk to us – we’ve helped lots of services figure out sustainable, stepped wage approaches that are still above Award.
We’re not saying throw money at everything. But we are saying – if you’re not factoring in cost of living, don’t be surprised when people quietly exit.
To the educators reading this
You’re not asking for luxury.
You’re asking for liveable. For fair. For the ability to do the job and live.
Keep advocating. You deserve better than a system that’s falling behind the price of a burger.
Let’s stop accepting scraps when the price of lunch is rising faster than the people educating our children.
If a burger can go up 31%, so can we!
Sharper Framing: 2019–2025 Only
| Year | McChicken | % Increase (vs 2019) | Level 3.1 | % Increase (vs 2019) |
| 2019 | $5.60 | – | $940.00 | – |
| 2020 | $5.90 | +5.4% | $969.60 | +3.1% |
| 2021 | $6.20 | +10.7% | $998.00 | +6.2% |
| 2022 | $6.50 | +16.1% | $1,033.50 | +9.9% |
| 2023 | $6.80 | +21.4 | $1,090.60 | +16.0 |
| 2024 | $7.10 | +26.8% | $1,120.00 | +19.1% (est) |
| 2025 | $7.35 | +31.3% | $1,139.90 | +21.3% (est) |
