Coles Pay Rates 2026-27
Coles supermarket and Liquorland store staff are paid under the Coles Retail Enterprise Agreement 2024, approved by the Fair Work Commission in [2024] FWCFB 250. An adult Level 1 team member is paid about $28.42 an hour from July 2026.
The short answer
An adult Level 1 team member at Coles is paid about $28.42 an hour, or $1,079.96 a week full-time. Level 6, the department and duty manager level, is about $31.83 an hour. A casual at Level 1 is paid about $35.53 an hour, including the 25% loading. Each is derived from the agreement’s increase rule and can differ by a cent.
Level 1 rate
$28.42
Level 1 team member, an hour
Level 6 rate
$31.83
Level 6 team member, an hour
Casual, entry level
$35.53
Includes the 25% casual loading
Take-home a year
$47,667
$1,833 a fortnight, full-time at entry level
These are the minimum rates in Coles Retail Enterprise Agreement 2024, the enterprise agreement approved by the Fair Work Commission. The agreement does not print the rates in force now, so each figure is worked out from its own increase rule and marked as derived. They are not advertised or average pay.
Coles pay rates, level by level.
Adult base rates for the six levels in clause 3.1.1. The agreement prints hourly rates only; weekly figures are the hourly rate times 38. Read against the award’s weekly Level 1 figure instead of its hourly one, 6 of the six come out one cent different.
In force from the first full pay period after 1 July 2026. Every figure marked * is derived.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 team member | $1,079.96* | $28.42* | $35.53* | $47,667 |
| Level 2 team member | $1,105.80* | $29.10* | $36.38* | $48,581 |
| Level 3 team member | $1,123.28* | $29.56* | $36.95* | $49,199 |
| Level 4 team member | $1,145.70* | $30.15* | $37.69* | $49,992 |
| Level 5 team member | $1,192.06* | $31.37* | $39.21* | $51,631 |
| Level 6 team member | $1,209.54* | $31.83* | $39.79* | $52,249 |
* Clause 3.4.1 lifts every printed rate in July 2024, 2025 and 2026 by the percentage increase to the retail award’s Level 1 rate. Each rate here is the printed hourly rate multiplied by the award’s new Level 1 hourly rate over its old one, one year at a time, and rounded to the cent at each step. The agreement does not print the results, does not say how to round, and does not say whether the award’s weekly or hourly Level 1 figure is meant. Read against the weekly figure instead, 6 of the 6 rates come out one cent different. Take-home is an estimate for a single Australian resident for tax purposes working 38 hours a week, with no study loan and no Medicare levy surcharge, using the same Wage Calculator as the rest of this site. Superannuation is paid on top.
When the rates change.
Each increase starts with a pay period rather than on the date itself, so a payslip that spans a changeover can carry the old rate for part of the period.
- 1 July 2024First July increase under clause 3.4.1: the award’s Level 1 hourly rate went from $24.73 to $25.65 (PR773888).
- 7 October 2024Agreement begins operating, at the printed rates with the July 2024 increase applied.
- 1 July 2025Second increase: the award’s Level 1 hourly rate went from $25.65 to $26.55 (PR786542).
- 1 July 2026Third increase: the award’s Level 1 hourly rate went from $26.55 to $27.81 (PR799285). These are the rates in force now.
- 1 July 2027Last increase under clause 3.4.1, by the percentage the 2027 Annual Wage Review gives the award’s Level 1 rate. That figure is not yet published.
- 3 May 2028Nominal expiry date, four years after approval. The agreement keeps applying after it until replaced or terminated.
How the agreement compares with the retail award.
The award that would otherwise cover Coles stores is the General Retail Industry Award. The table sets the agreement’s Level 1 rate against the award’s lowest adult rate, and each junior rate against the award’s rate for the same age, because the agreement does not map its levels onto the award’s.
| Agreement classification | Agreement | Award comparator | Award | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 team member | $28.42 | Retail Employee Level 1 | $27.81 | $0.61 above |
Junior rates now.
| Agreement classification | Agreement | Award comparator | Award | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | $13.22 | Under 16, 45% | $12.51 | $0.71 above |
| 16 years | $14.49 | 16 years of age, 50% | $13.91 | $0.58 above |
| 17 years | $17.34 | 17 years of age, 60% | $16.69 | $0.65 above |
| 18 years | $20.18 | 18 years of age, 70% | $19.47 | $0.71 above |
| 19 years | $22.88 | 19 years of age, 80% | $22.25 | $0.63 above |
From 1 December 2026, for 18 and 19 year olds.
The retail award lifts its junior percentages for 18 and 19 year olds who have been with their employer for more than six months, in steps from 1 December 2026 (PR813655). On these figures the award rate will then be higher than this agreement’s junior rate. Section 206 of the Fair Work Act 2009 does not let an agreement’s base rate fall below the award’s, so the award rate is the one owed.
| Agreement classification | Agreement now | Award comparator | Award | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 years | $20.18 | 18, more than 6 months’ service, 75% | $20.86 | $0.68 below |
| 19 years | $22.88 | 19, more than 6 months’ service, 85% | $23.64 | $0.76 below |
Award figures are the General Retail Industry Award rates in force from 1 July 2026 (PR799285), as published on the Retail Award Pay Rates page. Every comparison here is arithmetic on the two sets of figures, and covers base rates only, before penalties, allowances and loadings.
Junior rates.
Clause A3.3 applies to Coles Supermarkets team members under 20, and adult rates start at 20. The table sits in Appendix 3, which applies only to Coles Supermarkets team members (clause A3.1.1).
| Age | Percentage | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 years | 80.5% | $22.88* | $28.60* |
| 18 years | 71% | $20.18* | $25.23* |
| 17 years | 61% | $17.34* | $21.68* |
| 16 years | 51% | $14.49* | $18.11* |
| Under 16 years | 46.5% | $13.22* | $16.53* |
* The percentage of the Level 1 hourly rate in force now, rounded to the cent.
Evening, weekend and public holiday rates.
Clause 3.3.1. Each figure is added to the base rate for ordinary hours worked in that span. The casual column already includes the 25% casual loading. Shiftworkers have their own rates in clause 4.5.4.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, before 6pm | Base rate | +25% |
| Monday to Friday, 6pm to 11pm | +25% | +50% |
| Saturday, 7am to 11pm | +25% | +50% |
| Sunday, 9am to 11pm | +50% | +75% |
| Public holiday, 7am to 11pm (9am on a Sunday) | +125% | +150% |
The rates as the agreement prints them.
Clause 3.1.1 prints one hourly rate for each level. These are the rates from before the July 2024 Annual Wage Review, which clause 3.4.1 then applied, so none of them was ever paid under this agreement. The allowances in clause 3.7 carry the award amounts that the July 2024 determination replaced, which dates them.
| Classification | Hourly |
|---|---|
| Level 1 team member | $25.27 |
| Level 2 team member | $25.88 |
| Level 3 team member | $26.28 |
| Level 4 team member | $26.80 |
| Level 5 team member | $27.89 |
| Level 6 team member | $28.31 |
Who the Coles agreement covers.
Clause 1.2.1 covers Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (“Coles Supermarkets”) and Liquorland (Australia) Pty Ltd (“Coles Liquor”), and their wages-paid team members who perform work in Coles Supermarkets Retail Operations or Coles Liquor Retail Stores. Clause 1.2.3 adds: “This Agreement does not cover or apply to salaried team members, or any team members (including clerical or administrative team members) principally based at a Store Support Centre.”
Clause 2.1.3 gives typical job titles for each level. Level 1 is a store team member, store cleaner or personal shopper; Level 3 a skilled non-tradesperson or customer service agent; Level 4 a baker, administration assistant or service supervisor of up to 15 team members; and Level 6 a department manager, team leader or duty manager.
The agreement replaced all earlier agreements for these team members (clause 1.3.2). It was approved by a Full Bench of the Commission on 3 May 2024 and began operating on 7 October 2024.
Where these figures come from.
Provenance
Fair Work Commission- Agreement
- Coles Retail Enterprise Agreement 2024
- Agreement ID
- AE524516
- Matter
- AG2024/1124
- Approval decision
- [2024] FWCFB 250
- Approved
- 3 May 2024
- In operation from
- 7 October 2024
- Nominal expiry
- 3 May 2028, not yet reached
- Retrieved
- 27 September 2026
- Employer
- Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd
- Award rates used
- PR773888, PR786542, PR799285
Every figure on this page comes from the agreement as published by the Fair Work Commission, which prints the approval decision on its first pages, and from the Commission’s Annual Wage Review determinations for the General Retail Industry Award that the agreement’s increase rule refers to. Nothing is copied from a union, recruiter, salary survey or other pay site. The extraction stops on any cent of disagreement:
- 6 of 6: the agreement prints its base rates once, so two independent text extractions of the PDF must agree to the cent
- 6 of 6 at or above the same award level in PR762112
- 5 of 5 printed allowances equal the award amounts PR773888 replaced on 1 July 2024, which dates the printed figures
What this page does not cover.
Advertised or actual pay
These are the agreement minimums, derived to the cent. Coles can pay more.
Coles Liquor saved rates
Liquor staff kept on 2014 agreement rates under Appendix 4 are paid the higher of that rate and the rate here.
Shiftwork and baking
Shiftworkers and baking production team members have their own penalty rates in clauses 4.5.4 and A3.4.
Apprentices and trainees
Apprentice and trainee terms are in Appendix 3, clause A3.5, and are not tabled here.
Salaried and support centre staff
Clause 1.2.3 leaves them out of the agreement entirely.
Award-covered retail work
Shops not on their own agreement pay the award, which is on Retail Award Pay Rates.
Coles Pay Rates questions, answered.
How much does Coles pay an hour?
About $28.42 an hour for an adult Level 1 team member, or $1,079.96 for a 38-hour week, from the first full pay period after 1 July 2026. The agreement prints its rates from before July 2024 and lifts them each July by the percentage the retail award's Level 1 rate rises, so the figure is worked out from that rule and can be a cent either way depending on how the rise is read. Level 6, a department manager or duty manager, is about $31.83 an hour. Worked out the same way from each agreement's own rule, the adult entry rate is $28.26 an hour at Woolworths, on Woolworths Pay Rates, and $27.96 at Kmart, on Kmart Pay Rates.
Do Liquorland staff get the same pay rates as Coles?
Yes, for base rates. The same agreement covers Liquorland (Australia) Pty Ltd, which it calls Coles Liquor, and clause 3.1.1 sets one base rate for each level across both businesses. Appendix 4 kept some Coles Liquor staff on higher rates from the 2014 liquor agreement ($26.68 and $27.93 an hour) until the new rates caught up with them. The junior percentages sit in the supermarkets appendix only.
What is the casual rate at Coles?
A casual gets the base rate plus a 25% loading, $35.53 an hour at Level 1. Casual penalty rates in clause 3.3.1 already include the loading: base rate plus 50% on a Saturday, plus 75% on a Sunday between 9am and 11pm, and plus 150% on a public holiday.
How much do 15 and 16 year olds get paid at Coles?
Under 16 is paid 46.5% of the Level 1 rate, about $13.22 an hour, and 16 is paid 51%, about $14.49. The percentages rise to 61% at 17, 71% at 18 and 80.5% at 19, and adult rates start at 20. Each is 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points above the retail award's percentage for the same age; the award's own junior table is on Junior Pay Rates.
When did Coles pay rates last go up?
From the first full pay period after 1 July 2026, by the percentage increase to the retail award's Level 1 rate in the 2026 Annual Wage Review ($26.55 to $27.81 an hour, about 4.75%). The last increase under the agreement is due in July 2027. From 1 December 2026, the award also lifts its rates for 18 and 19 year olds with more than six months' service to $20.86 and $23.64 an hour, above this agreement's junior rates for those ages.
When does the Coles enterprise agreement expire?
Its nominal expiry date is 3 May 2028, four years after the Commission approved it. It keeps applying after that date until a new agreement replaces it or the Commission terminates it.
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