Apprentice Chef Pay by Year
These are the minimums the award sets for a junior apprentice on a standard four-year term, in dollars, from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Your actual rate may be higher if you are on an enterprise agreement or your employer simply pays above the award; it cannot lawfully be lower.
| Year | Hourly minimum | Weekly minimum (38 hrs) | Percent of standard rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $16.20 | $615.51 | 55% |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $19.14 | $727.42 | 65% |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $23.56 | $895.28 | 80% |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $27.98 | $1,063.15 | 95% |
Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009], cl 19.1(b) (Table 7). In force from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.
Allowances and What the Table Leaves Out
The table shows the wage only. What the rate contains: Percentage of the standard weekly rate ($1,119.10; the award divides by 38 for the hourly rate). The award does not split rates by Year 12 completion.
If you must supply your own knives and tools
| Year | Allowance a week | Weekly with allowance |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $9.94 | $625.45 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $9.94 | $737.36 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $9.94 | $905.22 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $9.94 | $1,073.09 |
Tool and equipment allowance (weekly maximum) (cl 26.5(a)). $2.03 a day or part day, capped at $9.94 a week, so the cap is reached on the fifth day. Not part of the hourly rate, so no hourly figure is shown.
Adult vs Junior Start
An adult cookery apprentice who started on or after 1 January 2014 gets at least 80% of the standard weekly rate in first year ($895.28, $23.56 an hour) and, from second year, at least the Introductory level rate ($978.10, $25.74 an hour) or the year rate if that is higher (cl 19.5(a), (b)). The Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide shows $23.56, $25.74, $25.74 and then $27.98 an hour in 4th year, where the 95% rate is higher. Someone already employed by the same employer cannot have their rate cut (cl 19.5(c)).
Weekend, Public Holiday and Evening Rates
Table 14 in clause 29.2 of the Hospitality Industry (General) Award sets the rates for full-time and part-time employees, apprentices included: 125% of the hourly rate on a Saturday, 150% on a Sunday and 225% on a public holiday. Monday to Friday hours between 7pm and midnight attract an extra $2.95 an hour, and between midnight and 7am an extra $4.42 an hour. Applied to the rates in the first table:
| Year | Ordinary | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $16.20 | $20.25 | $24.30 | $36.45 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $19.14 | $23.93 | $28.71 | $43.07 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $23.56 | $29.45 | $35.34 | $53.01 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $27.98 | $34.98 | $41.97 | $62.96 |
Hourly dollars, matching the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide. Casual apprentices have different percentages that include the casual loading.
How Much Do Apprentice Chefs Earn After Tax?
On the award wage alone a first-year apprentice chef on a full-time 38-hour week is paid about $32,011 a year (Year 12 completed) and takes home about $581.52 a week. By fourth year the same hours give about $55,288 gross and $908.58 a week after tax. Apprentices pay the same income tax as everyone else, but the low income offset and the tax-free threshold mean the tax in the early years is small.
| Year | Yearly gross | Weekly take-home |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $32,011 | $581.52 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $37,821 | $669.35 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $46,555 | $796.90 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $55,288 | $908.58 |
Award wage only, 38 hours a week for 52 weeks, resident taxpayer, 2026-27 rates with the low income offset and Medicare levy, private hospital cover, no HELP debt. Allowances and overtime are not included.
To see your own figure, put your hourly rate and hours into the calculator above, or use the take-home pay calculator to add overtime. Your hourly rate to a yearly salary is on the hourly to annual salary calculator.
What Is Specific to Chef Apprentices
The rates here come from the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, which covers hotels, pubs, clubs and similar venues. An apprentice cook in a restaurant or cafe may instead be under the Restaurant Industry Award 2020, which has its own apprentice rates that are not tabulated on this page. Check which award your employer says applies.
The hospitality award does not split cookery apprentice rates by Year 12. The first year is 55% of the $1,119.10 standard weekly rate, then 65%, 80% and 95%. That makes the first-year minimum the same for everyone and a little higher than the 50% some other trades pay a first-year apprentice who did not finish Year 12.
Proficiency pay (cl 19.3) applies to an apprentice who has completed their schooling in a given year. Reaching the standard of proficiency on one occasion earns the standard hourly rate of $29.45 for the last 3 months of 4th year, on two occasions for the last 6 months, and on all three for the whole of 4th year, instead of $27.98.
A cook or apprentice cook who has to supply their own tools is entitled to $2.03 a day, up to $9.94 a week (cl 26.5(a)). Knives, utensils and other items you must provide that this allowance does not cover are reimbursed (cl 26.5(b)).
Qualification: SIT30821 Certificate III in Commercial Cookery. It is current on training.gov.au: 25 units, 20 core and 5 elective.
Once qualified, see chef pay rates (qualified). Other award detail: Hospitality Award rates, Restaurant Award rates.
Check Your Payslip
- Find your year of apprenticeship and read the matching hourly figure in the first table.
- Add any allowance that applies to you from the allowances section, and compare the total with the hourly rate on your payslip. The payslip guide explains each line.
- If you are paid less, ask your employer to explain which award or agreement they use, then contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94. The backpay calculator shows what a shortfall adds up to.
Pre-2014 apprentices, three-year terms, school-based apprentices and trainees are paid under other schedules and are not covered here. Rates change each 1 July, so check the date on this page.
Other Apprentice Pay Guides
- Apprentice Pay Rates by Trade: every trade side by side
- Apprentice Electrician Pay: adult, junior and penalty rates
- Apprentice Carpenter Pay
- Apprentice Bricklayer Pay
- Apprentice Painter Pay
- Apprentice Plumber Pay
- Apprentice Mechanic Pay
- Apprentice Hairdresser Pay
- Apprentice Boilermaker Pay
- Apprentice Butcher Pay
- Junior Pay Rates for non-apprentices
Frequently Asked Questions
Apprentice chef pay questions and answers
How much does a first-year apprentice chef earn?
From 1 July 2026 the award minimum for a first-year apprentice chef is $16.20 an hour ($615.51 a week for 38 hours), with no difference for Year 12 completion. Allowances are paid on top where they apply, and an enterprise agreement or the employer may pay more.
How much does a fourth-year apprentice chef earn?
The award minimum in fourth year is $27.98 an hour ($1,063.15 a week, about $55,288 a year for 38 hours), from 1 July 2026. That is before any allowances that sit outside the rate.
How much do apprentice chefs earn after tax?
On the award wage alone for 38 hours a week all year, a first-year apprentice chef (Year 12 completed) earns about $32,011 a year before tax and takes home about $581.52 a week. In fourth year the same hours give about $55,288 gross and $908.58 a week after tax and the Medicare levy. These use the 2026-27 resident rates, private hospital cover and no HELP debt, and leave out allowances and overtime.
Do adult apprentice chefs get paid more than juniors?
Yes, until 4th year. An adult cookery apprentice gets at least $23.56 an hour in first year and $25.74 in second and third year (cl 19.5), against $16.20, $19.14 and $23.56 for a junior. In 4th year both are on $27.98.
What does an apprentice chef earn in the first year?
Under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, a first-year cookery apprentice earns at least $16.20 an hour, which is 55% of the standard rate, and $615.51 for a 38-hour week from 1 July 2026. Cooks in restaurants and cafes may be covered by the Restaurant Industry Award instead.
Do apprentice chefs get a knife or tool allowance?
A cook or apprentice cook who is required to supply their own tools gets $2.03 a day, up to $9.94 a week, under clause 26.5(a) of the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020. It is not included in the hourly rates on this page.
What do apprentice chefs get paid on weekends and late nights?
The award pays 125% of the hourly rate on a Saturday, 150% on a Sunday and 225% on a public holiday (cl 29.2). A first-year apprentice on $16.20 gets $20.25 on a Saturday and $24.30 on a Sunday. Monday to Friday work between 7pm and midnight adds $2.95 an hour, and between midnight and 7am $4.42 an hour.
When does an apprentice chef's pay go up?
Two things lift it. The wage steps up at each stage of the apprenticeship, usually each year, and earlier where the award lets an apprentice move up when they complete enough of their training plan for the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery. And every award minimum rises each 1 July with the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review, from the first full pay period starting on or after that date.
How we worked this out▼
Every rate is the minimum printed in the award’s apprentice clause or schedule, or the award’s percentage applied to its reference rate ($1,119.10 a week) and rounded to the cent, and each was checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide. Hourly is the award’s published figure or weekly divided by 38. Allowances are the amounts in the award’s allowance clauses in force from 1 July 2026. Penalty rates are the hourly rate times the award percentage, rounded to the cent, and match the pay guide.
Take-home is the site’s 2026-27 resident calculation for 38 hours, 52 weeks, with the low income offset and the Medicare levy (private hospital cover, no HELP debt). The qualification details are from training.gov.au, checked 9 October 2026.
Scope: a junior apprentice on a four-year term who started on or after 1 January 2014. Pre-2014 apprentices, three-year terms, school-based apprentices, trainees, enterprise agreements and state licensing rules are not modelled. General information, not advice.
Sources & References
- 1Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009], cl 19.1(b) (Table 7)— Fair Work Commission
- 2Pay guide: Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009]— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3SIT30821 Certificate III in Commercial Cookery— training.gov.au
- 4Annual Wage Review 2025-26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 5Tax rates for resident individuals 2026-27— Australian Taxation Office
Last verified: 9 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
Areas of Expertise