Pay
A$26.44 an hour: minimum wage, casual loading and super from 1 July 2026
July brought a new minimum wage and a new way your super gets paid. Here’s what changed and how to check your own rate.
The Fair Work Commission announced its Annual Wage Review decision on 2 June 2026. The national minimum wage, which covers adults not covered by an award or agreement, is now A$1,004.90 a week for 38 hours, or A$26.44 an hour. Most workers are covered by a modern award, and award minimum rates rose by 4.75%.
| Who | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Adult, award/agreement-free | A$26.44 an hour · A$1,004.90 a week |
| Casual, award/agreement-free | A$33.05 an hour (includes 25% loading) |
| Covered by an award | The award’s rate for your classification (up 4.75%) |
Special minimum rates apply to junior employees, apprentices, trainees and some employees with disability. Use the FWO’s Pay Calculator to check an award rate.
Are you really a casual?
You’re a casual if, when you start, there’s no “firm advance commitment” to ongoing work, and you get casual loading or a casual rate. Whether that’s true depends on the reality: how work is offered and accepted, whether future work is likely, and whether permanent staff do the same job. A regular pattern of hours alone doesn’t stop you being casual.
Payday Super
The Superannuation Guarantee rate is 12%. From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, employers pay it each payday, based on your qualifying earnings, rather than at least quarterly. Check your super fund to see contributions arriving.
Leave
Full-time and part-time employees get four weeks of paid annual leave a year under the National Employment Standards; some shiftworkers get more. Casuals don’t get paid annual leave, which is what the casual loading is for.
Aged care pay
Following the Fair Work Commission’s Aged Care Work Value Case, increases for direct care workers under the Aged Care Award and the SCHADS Award finished phasing in on 1 October 2025. Nurses in aged care received further increases on 1 October 2025 and 1 August 2026. The 4.75% award increase from July 2026 is separate.
Sources
- The national minimum wageFair Work Commission, 2026
- Annual Wage Review 2026Fair Work Commission, 2026
- Minimum wages increase from 1 July 2026Fair Work Ombudsman, 2026
- Casual employeesFair Work Ombudsman, accessed 2026
- Super guaranteeAustralian Taxation Office, 2026
- Payday SuperAustralian Taxation Office, accessed 2026
- Annual leaveFair Work Ombudsman, accessed 2026
- Additional pay increases for nurses and aged care employeesFair Work Ombudsman, 2025
This guide is general information, not legal advice. We checked the figures against these sources on 25 September 2026. Rules and rates change, so check the official source for your situation.