Award Pay Rates in Australia: Minimum Wages by Industry

The National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week for a 38-hour week, from 1 July 2026. A casual on that figure is paid $33.05 an hour, being the base plus the 25 per cent casual loading.

That figure only applies when no award and no registered agreement covers the job, which is uncommon. Most employees are covered by an award, and 13 of the 19 awards below start above the National Minimum Wage at their lowest adult classification. Entry rates run from $25.74 to $28.81 an hour.

The lowest adult classification in each award, with the casual rate at the same level. Junior, apprentice and trainee scales sit below these and are on the award pages. Each figure is read from the award text, not from a summary.

Rates are the entry classification only. Every award below has its own page with every level and pay point, casual rates, and what each leaves after tax.

A modern award is an industry or occupation-wide minimum set by the Fair Work Commission. It fixes the lowest lawful hourly rate for each classification, and it also sets casual loading, penalty rates, overtime and allowances. Most Australian employees are covered by one.

Each award divides work into levels, and most levels contain several pay points. Your level is set by the work you do, your qualifications and how much supervision you carry, not by your job title. Within a level you usually move up one pay point for each twelve months of experience until you reach the top.

Each award below has its own page with every classification level and pay point, read directly from the award text and dated to the pay period it takes effect from. More awards are added once their rates have been verified the same way.

• Casual LoadingTwenty-five per cent in every award we publish. What differs is whether the award prints the casual rate or leaves it to be worked out.
• Penalty RatesSaturday, Sunday and public holiday percentages from the three awards that publish them, and the rule that casual loading is absorbed rather than multiplied.
• Fitness Award Pay RatesGyms, fitness centres and instructors. Nine classifications including the separate Level 3A and Level 4A scales, MA000094.
• Road Transport Award Pay RatesTruck driving, distribution and oil distribution. Two working weeks, 38 hours and 35, MA000038.
• Hair and Beauty Award Pay RatesHairdressing and beauty salons. Six classification levels with casual rates, MA000005.
• Health Services Award Pay RatesHealth professionals and support services, both rate clauses, including the dental assistant and pathology collector transitional scales. MA000027.
• SCHADS Award Pay RatesSocial and community services, home care, disability support, crisis accommodation and family day care. Five separate rate scales, MA000100.
• Retail Award Pay RatesShops, supermarkets and general retail. Eight classification levels with casual rates, MA000004.
• Hospitality Award Pay RatesHotels, pubs, restaurants and cafes, plus a separate casino gaming scale. MA000009.
• Clerks Award Pay RatesClerical and administrative work in the private sector, including call centres. MA000002.
• Fast Food Award Pay RatesFast food outlets and takeaway. Four adult classifications, MA000003.
• Nurses Award Pay RatesNursing assistants, enrolled and registered nurses, with a separate aged care scale. MA000034.
• Children's Services Award Pay RatesLong day care, preschool and family day care educators. This award publishes no hourly rates schedule, so its casual rates are derived. MA000120.
• Restaurant Award Pay RatesRestaurants and cafes, with a separate cooking apprentice scale. MA000119.
• Cleaning Services Award Pay RatesContract and commercial cleaning. Three classification levels, MA000022.
• Security Award Pay RatesSecurity officers, guards and patrol work. Five officer levels, MA000016.
• Pharmacy Award Pay RatesPharmacy assistants, pharmacists, interns and managers. MA000012.
• Warehouse Award Pay RatesWarehousing, storage and wholesale distribution. Storeworker grades and wholesale levels, MA000084.
• Manufacturing Award Pay RatesMetal, engineering, food and general manufacturing. The C14 to C2 scale plus driver classifications, MA000010.
• Clubs Award Pay RatesRegistered and licensed clubs, including club managers. MA000058.
• Gardening and Landscaping Award Pay RatesGardening, landscaping and grounds maintenance. Six levels, MA000101.

A casual has no paid leave, so awards add a loading to the base hourly rate to compensate, most commonly 25 per cent. Penalty rates apply on top for work at times the award treats as unsociable: evenings, weekends, public holidays, overtime and shift work. Both are set by the award and neither is optional.

The Fair Work Commission runs an Annual Wage Review each year, and the outcome applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. A rate quoted without an effective date is close to useless, because rates published for three different financial years are usually all still online at the same time.

1. Identify the industry your employer operates in, not your own job title.
2. Search that industry in the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool.
3. Match your duties to a classification description in the award.
4. Confirm your pay point from your years of experience at that level.

Compare your hourly rate against the current pay guide for your award. If it falls short, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94. The Ombudsman is free, and recovering underpaid wages is what it is there for.

Every award rate on this site is read from the award text published by the Fair Work Commission, with the date it takes effect from recorded alongside it. The National Minimum Wage figure comes from the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Fair Work Ombudsman, award and agreement free wages and conditions, last updated 2026-08-07, retrieved 2026-09-11. Every rate this site uses is listed on the Methodology page.