What is the legal minimum wage for a project engineer?

The legal minimum depends on coverage. If a modern award applies, the award rate is the floor. For project engineers, the Professional Employees Award 2020 typically sets minimum rates that are higher than the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour. If no award or enterprise agreement applies, the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour applies, but this is rare for professional engineers. Award rates vary by classification level and are updated annually.

Does the project engineer salary include superannuation?

Superannuation is paid on top of the salary. The employer must contribute 12% of ordinary time earnings into the employee's super fund. The salary figure in most job advertisements and the Engineers Remuneration Report refers to base salary before super. When comparing job offers, check whether the quoted amount includes super or is exclusive. The legal minimum wage and award rates are also before super.

Project Engineer Salary: Legal Minimums, Award Rates, and Market Benchmarks

Q: How does the project engineer salary compare to the national average?

According to the 2026 Engineers Remuneration Report by Professionals Australia, the median regular remuneration for engineers was $142,000 per year, or about $2,730 per week. This is well above the national average full-time adult average weekly earnings of $2,083.70 (ABS May 2026). However, the bottom 10% of engineers earned less than $90,000, so individual project engineer salaries vary widely.

The legal minimum for a project engineer is at least the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour, but award rates and market salaries are typically much higher.

Project engineer salary: what you need to know

If you are researching a project engineer salary in Australia, you need to separate the legal minimum from what the market pays. The legal floor is set by the Fair Work Commission through the national minimum wage or a modern award. The market average comes from surveys such as the 2026 Engineers Remuneration Report from Professionals Australia. This guide explains each layer and how they relate to each other.

Legal minimum wage

For most project engineers, the Professional Employees Award 2020 covers professional engineers. The award sets minimum rates for each classification levels with minimum hourly rates that are higher than the national minimum wage. As of 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a full-time adult employee. However, award rates for engineers are typically above that. If no award or enterprise agreement applies, the national minimum wage is the floor, but that is rare for project engineers. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that award rates can be lower than the national minimum for introductory periods (limited to six months) at $25.74 per hour. Juniors, apprentices, and trainees have lower percentages.

Award rates and enterprise agreements

If you are covered by the Professional Employees Award, your minimum wage is the award classification rate. The Fair Work Commission publishes the Modern Awards Pay Database with current rates. For example, a Level 1 engineer under that award may have a rate around $30–$35 per hour, but exact figures depend on the classification. An enterprise agreement can set higher rates. Always check your award or agreement for the exact minimum. Our Which minimum wage applies guide can help you identify your coverage.

Survey benchmarks

The 2026 Engineers Remuneration Report by Professionals Australia provides a market snapshot. The median regular remuneration for all engineers was $142,000 per year, with the middle half earning between $110,000 and $183,000. Project engineers specifically are often in the project engineering or project management function, which had a median of $150,000. These figures are before tax and do not include bonuses, overtime, or allowances. The report notes that the median effective hourly value was about $71 per hour based on contracted 38 hours per week, but actual hours worked are often higher, reducing the effective rate to about $64 per hour. These are not legal minimums but benchmarks for negotiation.

Superannuation on top

All minimum wages and award rates are before super. The employer must pay 12% of ordinary time earnings into the employee's super fund. When comparing a project engineer salary, check whether the quoted amount includes super or is exclusive. The national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour is before super. The award rates are also before super. The survey medians from the Engineers Remuneration Report are regular remuneration before super.

How the figures work

Our How the figures work page explains the difference between the national minimum wage, award rates, and market averages. The national minimum wage is set by the Fair Work Commission and applies to award-free employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman enforces it. Award rates are set by the Fair Work Commission and can be higher than the national minimum. Survey averages come from organisations such as the ABS and Professionals Australia.

Frequently asked questions

What is the legal minimum for a project engineer salary? The legal minimum is at least the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour, but if the Professional Employees Award applies, the award rate is higher. Check your award classification.

How does the project engineer salary compare to the national average? The median project engineer salary is about $2,730 per week, well above the national average weekly earnings of $2,083.70.

Does the project engineer salary include super? No, super is paid on top. The employer contributes 12% of ordinary time earnings.

For the published floors, see the rate tables and how the figures work.