What is a salary certificate and what does it include?

A salary certificate is a document that verifies your income, often used for loan applications or rental agreements. It typically lists your gross annual or weekly pay, your employer, and your employment status. It does not usually include superannuation, which is an additional 12% employer contribution on top of your ordinary time earnings.

Can a salary certificate show a rate below the national minimum wage?

No. If you are an award-free adult employee, your salary certificate must show pay at or above the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week (from 1 July 2026). However, junior, apprentice, trainee, or supported wage employees may legally receive lower rates. If you are covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement, your certificate should reflect the higher rate required by that instrument.

How does a salary certificate relate to award coverage?

If you are covered by a modern award, your salary certificate should show at least the minimum rate for your classification under that award. Award-free employees use the national minimum wage as the floor. A salary certificate does not itself determine which award applies, but it can help you check whether your pay meets the legal minimum for your role. Always compare your certificate against the relevant award or the national minimum if award-free.

What a Salary Certificate Tells You About Your Pay Floor

A salary certificate reflects your actual pay, which must be at least the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for award-free adult employees from 1 July 2026, but awards or agreements may require more.

Salary Certificate and the Legal Pay Floor

A salary certificate is a formal statement of your earnings, often requested by banks, landlords, or government agencies. It shows your gross pay over a period, but it does not automatically tell you whether that pay is legal. To understand that, you need to compare the figure on your certificate with the correct pay floor for your employment situation.

The National Minimum Wage as a Baseline

For award-free adult employees, the legal floor is the national minimum wage set by the Fair Work Commission. From 1 July 2026, that rate is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour ordinary week. Casual employees receive a loading of at least 25%, bringing the casual minimum to $33.05 per hour. Your salary certificate should show at least these amounts if you are award-free and over 21. Remember, superannuation of 12% is paid on top of your ordinary time earnings and is not included in the hourly or weekly rate shown on your certificate.

Award Coverage Can Raise the Floor

If you are covered by a modern award, your salary certificate must reflect the minimum rate for your classification under that award. Awards often set higher rates than the national minimum, especially for skilled roles, shift work, or overtime. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains and enforces these awards, while the Fair Work Commission sets the national minimum. Your salary certificate is not a determination of your award classification, but it can be a starting point to check if your pay meets the award minimum. For example, the lowest ongoing award classification cannot fall below $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026, but most award rates are higher.

Award-Free Juniors and Other Exceptions

For award-free employees under 21, the national minimum is a percentage of the adult rate. A salary certificate for a 17-year-old award-free worker, for instance, should show at least $15.29 per hour (57.8% of $26.44). Apprentices and trainees are covered by the Miscellaneous Award, not the junior percentages. If your certificate shows a figure below the adult minimum, it may still be legal if you are a junior, apprentice, or on a supported wage. Always check the applicable rules.

Survey Averages vs. Your Certificate

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that full-time adult ordinary-time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week in May 2026. That is a survey average, not a legal requirement. Your salary certificate may show a figure above or below that average. The only binding floor is the national minimum wage or your award rate. A salary certificate that shows $1,004.90 per week is legal for an award-free adult, even though it is well below the average.

Using Your Salary Certificate to Check Compliance

To verify your pay, compare your certificate against the relevant minimum. If you are unsure whether an award covers you, use the Which minimum wage applies guide on this site. You can also check the Rate tables for award and national minimum figures. Your employer must give you a pay slip that shows your hourly rate, but a salary certificate is a separate document often used for external purposes. If your certificate shows a rate below the legal floor, you may be underpaid.

Superannuation and Salary Certificates

A salary certificate typically shows gross earnings before tax. Superannuation is an additional 12% that your employer must pay into your super fund. It is not part of your take-home pay or the rate on your certificate. When comparing your certificate to the minimum wage, remember that the $26.44 hourly rate does not include super; it is the base rate on which super is calculated.

FAQs

(FAQs are listed in the JSON above.)

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