What's the minimum wage in Australia? Award-free and award-covered rates explained

What's the minimum wage in Australia?

When you ask "whats minimum wage in australia", the answer depends on whether you are covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement. The legal floor is the national minimum wage, set by the Fair Work Commission and enforced by the Fair Work Ombudsman. From 1 July 2026, the adult national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making it $33.05 per hour. On top of these rates, employers must pay superannuation guarantee of 12% of ordinary time earnings.

Award-free vs award-covered

The national minimum wage applies to employees who are not covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement. Most private-sector employees in the national system are covered by a modern award, which sets minimum pay rates for their industry or occupation. The award backstop (the lowest ongoing classification) cannot be less than the national minimum wage, but many award rates are higher. For example, the introductory award rate for the first six months of employment is $25.74 per hour or $978.10 per week. Enterprise agreements can also set higher rates. If you are award-free and agreement-free, the national minimum wage is your legal minimum.

Junior, apprentice and trainee rates

Not every worker receives the adult rate. Award-free junior employees have percentage-based rates:

• Under 16: 36.8% ($9.73/h, casual $12.16/h)
• 16: 47.3% ($12.51/h, casual $15.64/h)
• 17: 57.8% ($15.29/h, casual $19.11/h)
• 18: 68.3% ($18.06/h, casual $22.58/h)
• 19: 82.5% ($21.82/h, casual $27.28/h)
• 20: 97.7% ($25.84/h, casual $32.30/h)
• 21 and over: 100% ($26.44/h, casual $33.05/h)

Apprentices and trainees who are award-free follow the Miscellaneous Award rates, not the junior percentages. Modern awards often have their own junior, apprentice, and trainee rates, which may be lower than the adult national minimum.

How the minimum wage compares

The national minimum wage is a floor, not a typical wage. According to the ABS (May 2026), full-time adult ordinary-time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week, and all employees averaged $1,579.20 per week. The minimum wage is about half the average full-time earnings. Most employees earn above the minimum because they are covered by awards, enterprise agreements, or market rates.

Superannuation

Super guarantee is an employer payment on top of ordinary time earnings. It is not included in the hourly or weekly rates quoted above. For the national minimum wage, the employer must pay an additional 12% into the employee's super fund. This applies to all employees aged 18 and over, and to those under 18 who work more than 30 hours per week.

Which minimum wage applies to you?

To determine your correct minimum, check whether you are covered by a modern award. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides tools and resources. For more details, see Which minimum wage applies and Rate tables. Remember that this site provides orientation only, not a pay determination. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman or a qualified advisor.

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