Apprentice Mechanic 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 | No Year 12: hourly | No Year 12: weekly | Year 12: hourly | Year 12: weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $14.73 | $559.55 | $16.20 | $615.51 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $17.67 | $671.46 | $19.14 | $727.42 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $22.09 | $839.33 | $22.09 | $839.33 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $25.92 | $984.81 | $25.92 | $984.81 |
Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 [MA000089], cl 16.9(b), 16.10(b) and Schedule B.5 to B.6. Junior apprentice who started on or after 1 January 2014, 38-hour week, 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 RS&R Level R6 (tradesperson) weekly rate of $1,119.10, before allowances. Junior apprentices are under 21 when they start; adult apprentices are over 21 (cl 16.9, 16.10).
If you supply your own hand tools
| Year | Allowance a week | Weekly with allowance (no Year 12) | Weekly with allowance (Year 12) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $5.88 | $565.43 | $621.39 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $7.59 | $679.05 | $735.01 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $10.46 | $849.79 | $849.79 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $12.14 | $996.95 | $996.95 |
Apprentice tool allowance (cl 19.6(b)). Payable only where the employer requires the apprentice to provide their own tools. Not subject to overtime, penalties or annual leave loading (cl 19.6(c)). Not part of the hourly rate, so no hourly figure is shown.
Adult vs Junior Start
The award treats an apprentice who starts at 21 or older as an adult apprentice, with its own rates.
| Adult apprentice | Hourly minimum | Weekly minimum (38 hrs) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $23.56 | $895.28 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $25.74 | $978.10 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $26.44 | $1,004.90 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $27.08 | $1,029.10 |
Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 [MA000089]. A person who was already employed by the same employer before the apprenticeship generally cannot be paid less than they were.
In first year the adult rate is $23.56 an hour, which is $7.36 more than a junior with Year 12 ($16.20). By fourth year the gap narrows to $1.16 an hour.
Weekend and Public Holiday Rates
Schedule B.5.1 of the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award prints the rates for a junior apprentice as a percentage of the ordinary hourly rate: Saturday 150%, Sunday 200% and public holidays 250%. Applied to the Year 12 rates in the first table:
| Year | Ordinary | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $16.20 | $24.30 | $32.40 | $40.50 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $19.14 | $28.71 | $38.28 | $47.85 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $22.09 | $33.14 | $44.18 | $55.23 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $25.92 | $38.88 | $51.84 | $64.80 |
Hourly dollars, matching the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide. The apprentice tool allowance is not subject to penalty additions (cl 19.6(c)).
How Much Do Apprentice Mechanics Earn After Tax?
On the award wage alone a first-year apprentice mechanic 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 $51,218 gross and $856.54 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 (Year 12) | Weekly take-home (Year 12) | Yearly gross (no Year 12) | Weekly take-home (no Year 12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $32,011 | $581.52 | $29,106 | $539.62 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $37,821 | $669.35 | $34,916 | $623.42 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $43,650 | $756.77 | $43,650 | $756.77 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $51,218 | $856.54 | $51,218 | $856.54 |
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 Mechanic Apprentices
A motor mechanic apprentice in a workshop, dealership or service centre is usually covered by the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020. The award splits apprentices at 21: a junior apprentice is under 21 (cl 16.9(a)) and an adult apprentice is over 21 when the apprenticeship starts (cl 16.10(a)). Junior rates are a percentage of the Level R6 tradesperson rate of $1,119.10 a week.
Adult apprentices are paid by reference to award classification levels instead of percentages: 80% of R6 in first year, then Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, and the full R6 rate after the apprenticeship (cl 16.10(b)). A person already employed in the vehicle industry before becoming an adult apprentice with that employer cannot have their pay cut by signing the contract (cl 16.10(c)).
The tool allowance for apprentices rises by year, from $5.88 to $12.14 a week, against $13.86 for a tradesperson, and is payable only where the apprentice is required to provide their own tools (cl 19.6(a), (b)).
Qualification: AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology. It is current on training.gov.au: 36 units, 20 core and 16 elective.
Once qualified, see mechanic pay rates (qualified). Other award detail: Manufacturing Award rates.
Check Your Payslip
- Find your year of apprenticeship and whether you completed Year 12 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 Hairdresser Pay
- Apprentice Chef Pay
- Apprentice Boilermaker Pay
- Apprentice Butcher Pay
- Junior Pay Rates for non-apprentices
Frequently Asked Questions
Apprentice mechanic pay questions and answers
How much does a first-year apprentice mechanic earn?
From 1 July 2026 the award minimum for a first-year apprentice mechanic is $14.73 an hour ($559.55 a week) if they did not complete Year 12 and $16.20 an hour ($615.51 a week) if they did, for a 38-hour week. Allowances are paid on top where they apply. An enterprise agreement or the employer may pay more.
How much does a fourth-year apprentice mechanic earn?
The award minimum in fourth year is $25.92 an hour ($984.81 a week, about $51,218 a year for 38 hours), from 1 July 2026. That is before any allowances that sit outside the rate.
How much do apprentice mechanics earn after tax?
On the award wage alone for 38 hours a week all year, a first-year apprentice mechanic (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 $51,218 gross and $856.54 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 mechanics get paid more than juniors?
Under the award, an apprentice who starts at 21 or older is paid $23.56 an hour in first year and $27.08 an hour in fourth year (from 1 July 2026), against $16.20 and $25.92 for a junior with Year 12. Someone already employed by the same employer before the apprenticeship usually cannot be paid less than they were. An enterprise agreement can differ.
What is the penalty rate for an apprentice mechanic on a Saturday?
Under Schedule B.5.1 of the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020, a junior apprentice is paid 150% of their hourly rate on a Saturday, 200% on a Sunday and 250% on a public holiday. A first-year junior apprentice who completed Year 12 is on $16.20 an hour, so $24.30 on a Saturday.
Do apprentice mechanics get a tool allowance?
Yes, where the employer requires them to supply their own tools. Clause 19.6(b) sets it by year of apprenticeship at $5.88, $7.59, $10.46 and $12.14 a week. It is not subject to overtime, shift premium or other penalties, and it is not in the hourly minimums on this page.
When does an apprentice mechanic'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 Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology. 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, plus the adult rates the award prints. 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
- 1
- 2Pay guide: Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 [MA000089]— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3AUR30620 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology— 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.
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