What is the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026?

The national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for adult employees not covered by an award or enterprise agreement. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual rate $33.05 per hour. These rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, as set by the Fair Work Commission.

How does the Seek salary calculator compare to the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool?

Seek’s salary calculator uses market data from job advertisements and surveys to estimate typical salaries for roles, industries, and locations. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool calculates the legal minimum pay under a specific award, including penalty rates and allowances. For a precise legal minimum, use the Ombudsman’s tool; for a market comparison, the Seek calculator can show how your pay compares to advertised salaries.

Does the minimum wage include superannuation?

No. The minimum wage is the gross amount paid to the employee before tax. Superannuation is an additional payment the employer must make into the employee’s super fund. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings, and employers must pay super at the same time as wages (payday super).

Using Seek’s Salary Calculator to Compare Your Pay to the National Minimum Wage

From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for award-free adult employees, with casual loading of 25% bringing the casual rate to $33.05 per hour.

How Seek’s Salary Calculator Can Help You Understand Your Pay

When you use Seek’s salary calculator, you enter a job title, location, and experience to see a typical salary range. That range is based on advertised roles and survey data, not the legal minimum. To know whether your pay meets the law, you need to compare it against the correct pay floor: the national minimum wage, a modern award, or an enterprise agreement. This guide explains the difference and shows how your weekly packet—after tax, Medicare, and super—stacks up.

The Legal Minimum vs. Market Averages

The national minimum wage is set by the Fair Work Commission. From 1 July 2026, it is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for adult employees not covered by an award or agreement. Casual employees get a 25% loading, so $33.05 per hour. This is the absolute floor.

Most employees, however, are covered by a modern award. Awards set minimum rates for specific industries and occupations. From 1 July 2026, award minimum wages rose by 4.75%, but the lowest ongoing classification cannot fall below the national minimum ($26.44/h or $1,004.90/week). Introductory rates for the first six months cannot go under $25.74/h or $978.10/week. Some awards have higher rates than the national minimum.

Enterprise agreements can also set pay, but the base rate must be at least the award rate. A negotiated salary is whatever you and your employer agree, as long as it is not below the applicable minimum.

Seek’s salary calculator shows what employers are offering for similar roles. That average may be much higher than the minimum. For example, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported in May 2026 that full-time adult ordinary-time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week, and all employees averaged $1,579.20 per week. These figures include overtime, bonuses, and higher-skilled roles. The national minimum is about half the all-employees average.

Your Weekly Packet: Tax, Medicare, and Super

Your gross pay is what you earn before deductions. From that, your employer withholds Pay As You Go (PAYG) tax and sends it to the Australian Taxation Office. For the 2026–27 tax year, resident rates with the full tax-free threshold apply. Medicare levy is 2% once your annualised ordinary gross income exceeds $30,000. The low-income tax offset and other offsets are not included in this simple model, so your actual take-home may be slightly higher if you qualify.

Superannuation is separate. From 1 July 2026, employers must pay 12% of your ordinary time earnings into your super fund, on top of your gross pay. This is not deducted from your wage; it is an extra cost to the employer. So if your salary is $1,004.90 per week, the employer also contributes $120.59 to super.

Award-Free Juniors and Special Rates

If you are under 21 and not covered by an award, the national minimum wage is reduced by a percentage based on age. For example, a 16-year-old gets 47.3% of the adult rate, or $12.51 per hour ($15.64 casual). These percentages are set by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Apprentices and trainees have their own rates under the Miscellaneous Award or the National Training Wage schedule.

How to Check Your Rate

Start by determining if you are covered by a modern award. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool or check the award coverage clause. If you are award-free and agreement-free, the national minimum applies. If you have an enterprise agreement, check that its base rate is not less than the award rate.

Seek’s salary calculator can give you a market benchmark, but it is not a legal tool. For a binding minimum, rely on the official sources: the Fair Work Commission sets the rates, and the Fair Work Ombudsman explains and enforces them.

For more detail, see our Which minimum wage applies guide and the Rate tables for current figures.

Important Caveats

The national minimum wage is $26.44/h for adults, but juniors, apprentices, trainees, and employees on introductory award rates may be paid less.
The weekly figure of $1,004.90 is the published amount; multiplying $26.44 by 38 hours gives $1,004.72 due to rounding. The official weekly rate prevails.
Casual employees get the 25% loading but no paid leave. The casual weekly figure here is $33.05 × 38 = $1,255.90, before penalty rates.
State system employees (some in WA state awards) may have different minimums; check with your state authority.

This site provides orientation only. It is not a pay determination, tax advice, or legal advice. Always consult the Fair Work Ombudsman or a qualified professional for your specific situation.

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