Weekly Salary Calculator: Check Your Pay Against Australian Minimums

Using a weekly salary calculator to check your pay

If you are an employee in Australia, knowing whether your weekly pay meets the legal minimum is important. A weekly salary calculator can quickly convert your hourly rate to a weekly figure, or vice versa, so you can compare it against the national minimum wage or the relevant award rate. This guide explains the different pay floors and how to interpret the results.

The legal minimum: national minimum wage

From 1 July 2026, the Fair Work Commission set the adult national minimum wage at $26.44 per hour, which equals $1,004.90 for a 38-hour ordinary week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, giving a casual hourly rate of $33.05 and a casual weekly rate of $1,255.90 (based on 38 ordinary hours). These figures apply to award-free and agreement-free employees in the national system. However, many employees are covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement, which can require a higher rate. For example, the lowest ongoing classification in a modern award cannot be less than $26.44 per hour, but many awards pay more. Introductory rates for the first six months are capped at $25.74 per hour ($978.10 per week). Juniors, apprentices, and trainees have lower percentages – see the Rate tables for details.

Separating the legal minimum from other pay measures

It is important to distinguish the legal minimum from other figures you might see. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported in May 2026 that full-time adult ordinary-time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week, and all employees (including part-time) averaged $1,579.20 per week. These are averages, not minimums. A weekly salary calculator can show you where your pay sits relative to these averages, but the only enforceable floor is the national minimum wage or the applicable award/agreement rate. Negotiated salaries can be above the minimum but must never fall below it.

Superannuation is paid on top

When using a weekly salary calculator, remember that the superannuation guarantee requires your employer to pay an additional 12% of your ordinary time earnings into your super fund. This is on top of your base salary or wages. So if your weekly pay is $1,004.90, your employer must also contribute $120.59 to super. The calculator typically shows your gross pay before tax and super.

Award-free juniors and other variations

For award-free employees under 21, the national minimum wage is a percentage of the adult rate. For example, a 17-year-old gets 57.8% of $26.44, which is $15.29 per hour ($580.82 per week). Casual loadings apply as well. Apprentices and trainees have their own rates based on the Miscellaneous Award. Always check your specific situation using the Which minimum wage applies guide.

Using the calculator effectively

To use a weekly salary calculator, enter your hourly rate (or weekly pay) and the number of ordinary hours per week (usually 38). The calculator will give you the corresponding weekly or hourly figure. Compare that to the national minimum or your award rate. If your pay is below the minimum, you may be underpaid. Remember that penalties, allowances, and overtime are separate – the calculator only shows base ordinary time earnings.

Chart: average weekly earnings vs. minimum

The chart below shows the average weekly total earnings for all employees ($1,579.20) compared to the adult national minimum weekly wage ($1,004.90). This highlights that many workers earn above the minimum, but the minimum is the legal floor.

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