Mechanic Hourly Rate and Award Wage 2026-27
A qualified motor mechanic is paid at least $29.45 an hour ($58,193 a year) under the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020, as a tradesperson at level R6. A master technician or diagnostic technician with a Certificate IV automotive qualification is paid at least $32.22 an hour at R7. Both are legal minimums; many workshops pay more.
The employer decides the award, not the job title
This award covers a mechanic employed by a business principally in vehicle repair, service or retail: a workshop, a dealership, a tyre or fuel business, or a roadside or mobile service (clause 4.2). A mechanic maintaining equipment for a mine, a manufacturer, a transport operator or a council may be covered by a different award or an enterprise agreement, with a different rate.
The short answer
A qualified motor mechanic at R6 is paid at least $29.45 an hour, $1,119.10 a week. Over a year that is $58,193 before tax and about $49,051 after it. A casual is paid $36.81 Monday to Friday between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm and $44.18 between 6.00 pm and 6.00 am. A master technician at R7 is paid at least $32.22 an hour. Yearly figures are the weekly rate times 52.
Qualified mechanic
$29.45
Tradesperson or equivalent Level I (R6), an hour
Master technician
$32.22
Tradesperson or equivalent Level II (R7), an hour
Casual, qualified mechanic
$36.81
Includes the 25% loading
Take-home a year
$49,051
$1,887 a fortnight, as a qualified mechanic
These are legal minimums set by a modern award, not a market average. This site does not publish average or advertised salaries, because the number that matters on a payslip is the floor an employer cannot go below. Many employers pay more, and an enterprise agreement can set a higher rate again.
Mechanic pay rates by level.
A mechanic who holds a trade certificate starts at R6, the award’s tradesperson or equivalent Level I, and moves to R7 with a Certificate IV automotive qualification and a job that uses it. The levels below the trade cover workshop roles that do not need one. Each casual figure is the Monday to Friday daytime rate, 125% of the minimum hourly rate.
Qualified mechanics, R6 and R7
1 July 2026 · PR799369
Clause 16.2 prints every weekly and hourly figure in this table, and Schedule B.2.1 prints every casual figure. The titles are classifications Schedule A places at each level.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tradesperson or equivalent Level I (R6)Motor mechanic/automotive technician, Brake mechanic, Motorcycle or motor scooter mechanic | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 | $49,051 |
| Tradesperson or equivalent Level II (R7)Master Technician, Automotive Master Diagnostic Technician | $1,224.40 | $32.22 | $40.28 | $52,775 |
Workshop levels below the trade, R1 to R5
1 July 2026 · PR799369
For workshop employees without a trade qualification. Schedule A describes R3 as having completed 8 modules of a nationally accredited RS&R certificate or equivalent training, R4 as normally 16 and R5 as 20.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (R1)Workshop cleaner, Car cleaner/washer | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 | $44,066 |
| Level 2 (R2)Tyre fitter, Lubritorium attendant | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 | $45,013 |
| Level 3 (R3)Paint shop assistant, Service receptionist, not being a tradesperson | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 | $45,869 |
| Level 4 (R4)Brake servicer, after 6 months’ experience, Exhaust repairer, after 6 months | $1,062.90 | $27.97 | $34.96 | $47,064 |
| Level 5 (R5)Automotive servicer or checker, Radiator repairer, 1st class | $1,088.20 | $28.64 | $35.80 | $47,959 |
Hourly figures are the weekly rate over 38 ordinary hours. Take-home is an estimate for a single Australian resident for tax purposes with no study loan debt and no Medicare levy surcharge, worked out with the same Wage Calculator used across this site. Superannuation is paid by your employer on top of these rates and is never deducted from them.
Mechanic weekend, public holiday and overtime rates.
Ordinary hours average 38 a week, on no more than 5 days a week and up to 10 a day (clauses 22.2 and 22.3), and ordinary hours that fall on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday are paid at the clause 23.2 rates. Time worked outside ordinary hours is overtime under clause 24.3, paid for at least 4 hours on a Sunday or public holiday (clause 24.5(b)). Every figure below is printed in Schedule B of the award.
| Per hour | Tradesperson or equivalent Level I (R6) | Tradesperson or equivalent Level II (R7) |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours, Monday to Friday100% of the minimum hourly rate | $29.45 | $32.22 |
| Ordinary hours, Saturday150% of the minimum hourly rate | $44.18 | $48.33 |
| Ordinary hours, Sunday200% of the minimum hourly rate | $58.90 | $64.44 |
| Ordinary hours, public holiday250% of the minimum hourly rate | $73.63 | $80.55 |
| Overtime, first 3 hours, Monday to Saturday150% of the minimum hourly rate | $44.18 | $48.33 |
| Overtime after that, Monday to Saturday200% of the minimum hourly rate | $58.90 | $64.44 |
| Overtime, Sunday200% of the minimum hourly rate | $58.90 | $64.44 |
| Overtime, public holiday250% of the minimum hourly rate | $73.63 | $80.55 |
Casual mechanic rates by day and time.
A casual is paid a loading that depends on when the work is done, and only the highest loading that applies (clause 11.3). Overtime for a casual starts after 10 hours in a day or an average of 38 a week.
| Per hour | Tradesperson or equivalent Level I (R6) | Tradesperson or equivalent Level II (R7) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, 6.00 am to 6.00 pm125% of the minimum hourly rate | $36.81 | $40.28 |
| Monday to Friday, 6.00 pm to 6.00 am150% of the minimum hourly rate | $44.18 | $48.33 |
| Saturday175% of the minimum hourly rate | $51.54 | $56.39 |
| Sunday225% of the minimum hourly rate | $66.26 | $72.50 |
| Public holiday275% of the minimum hourly rate | $80.99 | $88.61 |
| Overtime, first 3 hours175% of the minimum hourly rate | $51.54* | $56.39* |
| Overtime after that225% of the minimum hourly rate | $66.26* | $72.50* |
* Clause 11.3(a) sets casual overtime at 175% and 225% of the minimum hourly rate. Schedule B prints no casual overtime column; these are the same figures it prints for the casual Saturday and Sunday rates, which use the same percentages.
How a mechanic’s hourly rate is worked out.
Clause 16.2 sets $1,119.10 a week for R6, and the hourly rate is that figure over 38 ordinary hours: $29.45. Unlike some trade awards, this one pays no allowance for all purposes, so overtime and penalty rates are worked out from $29.45 itself. The Electrical Award is one that does: a grade 5 electrician's clause minimum of $1,119.10 a week carries industry and tool allowances for all purposes, which makes $31.13 an hour, as Electrician Wage shows.
A mechanic the employer requires to supply their own hand tools is also paid the $13.86 a week tool allowance (clause 19.6(a)). Clause 19.6(c): “Notwithstanding anything else contained in this award, the tool allowance is not subject to overtime, shift premium or other penalty additions or annual leave loading.”
Which level a mechanic is on.
Schedule A.1.5 describes R6: “An employee at this level is an employee who holds a Trade Certificate, Tradesperson’s Rights Certificate or equivalent, nationally accredited training achieved through Australian apprenticeship arrangements as prescribed by the National Quality Council in the Australian Qualifications Framework Qualifications Issuance Policy.” It lists 19 classifications at that level, among them motor mechanic/automotive technician, brake mechanic, automotive electrician, panel beater and motorcycle or motor scooter mechanic.
R7 (Schedule A.1.6) adds a Certificate IV automotive qualification in Automotive Mechanical Diagnosis, Automotive Mechanical Overhauling, Automotive Body Repair Technology, Automotive Electrical Technology, Automotive Motorsport Technology or Automotive Performance Enhancement, and a role the employer requires to perform technical duties above R6. Its classifications are Master Technician, Automotive Technical Advisor, Performance Technical Advisor, Automotive Workshop Technical Advisor, Automotive Master Diagnostic Technician and Workshop Technical Advisor for Panel and Paint.
Apprentice mechanics.
An apprentice is paid a percentage of the R6 rate by stage and by whether they finished Year 12, and an adult apprentice moves up through the Level 1 to Level 3 rates before reaching R6. Each stage is set out on Apprentice Mechanic Wages.
Which award covers a mechanic.
Clause 4.1 of the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 (MA000089): “This award covers employers throughout Australia of employees engaged in the vehicle repair, services and retail industry to the exclusion of any other modern award and where the employer’s establishment, plant or undertaking is principally connected or concerned with the vehicle repair, services and retail industry.”
Clause 4.2 takes in selling, repairing, servicing, towing, wrecking and customising motor vehicles of all kinds, supplying fuel, fitting and retreading tyres, repairing vehicles in a rental business, and roadside and mobile service. Where an employer is covered by more than one award, the employee is covered by the classification most appropriate to their work and where they do it (clause 4.7).
An enterprise agreement can set higher rates than the award, and an employer in Western Australia that is not in the national workplace relations system is covered by the state system instead. Neither is published here.
Every classification in this award, including the ones this page leaves out, is listed on the Vehicle Repair Award Pay Rates page.
What $29.45 an hour leaves on a payslip.
A full-time week at the Tradesperson or equivalent Level I (R6) rate is $1,119.10 before tax. The ATO weekly withholding schedule for 2026-27 takes $176.00 from it when the tax-free threshold is claimed, so $943.10 reaches your account. Paid fortnightly, it is $1,886.20.
| 38 hours a week | Gross a week | Tax withheld | Take-home a week | Take-home a fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time$29.45 an hour | $1,119.10 | $176.00 | $943.10 | $1,886.20 |
| Casual, same hours$36.81 an hour | $1,398.78 | $266.00 | $1,132.78 | $2,265.56 |
Withholding is the payslip figure, not the year’s tax: the schedule rounds each pay to the dollar and leaves offsets to the tax return, which is why it differs a little from the take-home a year above. Super is paid on top. For a different number of hours, the Weekly Pay Calculator opens with $29.45 and 38 hours filled in, and the Overtime Calculator adds hours at time and a half and double time to the same rate, before any award-specific overtime rules.
Where these figures come from.
Provenance
Verified- Award
- Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 (MA000089)
- Effective from
- 1 July 2026
- Consolidated to
- 1 July 2026
- Determinations
- PR799369, PR799280, PR799524
- Retrieved
- 19 September 2026
- Ordinary hours
- 38 a week
Every rate above was read from the award text at the Fair Work award library and nothing on this page is copied from another pay site. Rates change from the first full pay period on or after the effective date, so a payslip covering the changeover can lawfully carry the older figure for part of the period.
The clause 16.2 rates, the clause 11.3, 23.2 and 24.3 percentages and the clause 19.6 tool allowance were read from the award, and each rate was worked out from them and compared with every figure the award prints: 82 figures in the rate clauses and 820 in Schedule B, all agreeing to the cent. The Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide was not used. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
What this page does not cover.
Listed as plainly as what it does, because a rate page that hides its gaps is how the wrong number ends up on a payslip.
Other jobs under this award
Drivers, console operators, driveway and roadhouse attendants, vehicle salespeople and junior employees are on the Vehicle Repair Award Pay Rates page, with their own rates.
Shift rates
Afternoon and night shift rates are printed in Schedule B of the award and checked, but not published on this page.
Market pay and charge-out rates
This page publishes the award minimum an employer must pay a mechanic, not average or advertised pay, and not the hourly labour rate a workshop charges a customer. Many mechanics are paid above the award.
Other allowances
Leading hand, first aid, dirty work, confined space, meal and travel allowances are not added to any rate here.
Enterprise agreements
An agreement can set higher rates and different conditions. None is published here.
Which level applies
The level depends on qualifications, training modules and the work performed under Schedule A. This page sets out the tests, but does not assess anyone against them.
Mechanic Hourly Rate questions, answered.
How much does a mechanic earn per hour in Australia?
At least $29.45 an hour for a qualified motor mechanic under the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. That is the R6 tradesperson rate, $1,119.10 a week or $58,193 a year full-time. A mechanic at R7, with a Certificate IV automotive qualification and a diagnostic or technical role, is paid at least $32.22 an hour. These are legal minimums; many workshops pay more.
What is the award wage for a qualified mechanic?
$1,119.10 a week for a full-time mechanic on a 38-hour week, which clause 16.2 prints as $29.45 an hour. Over 52 weeks that is $58,193 before tax and about $49,051 after income tax and the Medicare levy. No allowance under this award is paid for all purposes, so nothing is added to that rate before overtime and penalties are worked out.
What is the casual rate for a mechanic?
It depends on when the work is done (clause 11.3(a)). A casual R6 mechanic is paid $36.81 an hour Monday to Friday between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm, $44.18 between 6.00 pm and 6.00 am, $51.54 on a Saturday, $66.26 on a Sunday and $80.99 on a public holiday. Only the highest loading that applies is paid, and a casual must be engaged and paid for at least 2 hours each time.
What do mechanics get paid for overtime and weekends?
Ordinary hours on a Saturday are paid at 150%, on a Sunday at 200% and on a public holiday at 250% (clause 23.2): $44.18, $58.90 and $73.63 an hour at R6. Overtime is 150% for the first 3 hours and 200% after that, $44.18 and $58.90 at R6, with Sunday overtime at 200% and public holiday overtime at 250% (clause 24.3). A mechanic recalled for breakdown or accident work is paid 200% for the time recalled, at least 2 hours for the first call-back in a day (clause 24.9).
Do mechanics get a tool allowance?
Yes, where the employer requires them to provide their own hand tools: clause 19.6(a) pays $13.86 a week to a tradesperson employed in any of the RS&R classifications who is required by an employer to provide their own hand tools. It is paid on top of the $29.45 rate, not included in it, and clause 19.6(c) keeps it out of overtime, shift premiums, penalty rates and annual leave loading. A mechanic whose employer supplies the tools is not paid it.
What is a master technician paid under the award?
A master technician is listed at R7 (Schedule A.1.6), paid at least $32.22 an hour, $1,224.40 a week. R7 needs a trade qualification plus a Certificate IV automotive qualification in one of 6 named streams, such as Automotive Mechanical Diagnosis or Automotive Mechanical Overhauling, and a role the employer requires to perform technical duties above R6, such as diagnosing complex vehicle faults.
Is a diesel mechanic paid the same as a car mechanic?
Under this award, yes, if both hold a trade qualification: the rate is set by level, not by the kind of vehicle, and Schedule A.1.5 puts an employee holding a trade certificate at R6. The award lists plant mechanic as an apprenticeship trade (clause 13.2) and defines one as a tradesperson engaged in repairing and/or overhauling wheeled, track or tractor type mobile equipment associated with construction equipment, earthmoving equipment, prime movers, or agricultural and industrial mobile equipment such as petrol, LPG and/or diesel engines, transmissions, hydraulics, electrical systems and ancillary equipment (clause 2). What changes the rate is the employer. A diesel mechanic working for a mine, a manufacturer or a transport operator rather than a vehicle repair, service or retail business may be covered by a different award or an enterprise agreement.
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