Apprentice Plumber 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) | $16.56 | $629.23 | $18.11 | $688.01 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $19.65 | $746.79 | $21.20 | $805.57 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $22.75 | $864.35 | $22.75 | $864.35 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $28.93 | $1,099.48 | $28.93 | $1,099.48 |
Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 [MA000036], cl 18.2(c) and Schedule E.2.1. 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
What the rate contains: Percentage of the tradesperson level 1 weekly rate plus the full industry allowance and the relevant percentage of the tool and plumbing trade allowances (all purposes). Hourly is Schedule E.2.1 exactly; weekly is the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide figure. So unlike most trades you do not add the tool or industry allowance to the number in the table.
Adult vs Junior Start
An adult plumbing apprentice is paid at least the greater of the federal minimum wage plus the full $41.41 a week industry allowance and the apprentice rate for their year (cl 18.3(b)). With the minimum wage at $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026, the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide puts that at $1,046.31 a week ($27.53 an hour) in years 1 to 3; in 4th year the apprentice rate of $1,099.48 ($28.93) is higher. A person already employed by the employer keeps their previous rate, including all-purpose allowances.
Weekend and Public Holiday Rates
Schedule E.2.1(b) of the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award prints the apprentice's weekend and public holiday rates as a percentage of the apprentice hourly rate: Saturday 150% for the first 2 hours and 200% after that, Sunday 200% and public holidays 250%. Applied to the Year 12 rates in the first table:
| Year | Ordinary | Saturday first 2 hours | Saturday after 2 hours | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year (stage 1) | $18.11 | $27.17 | $36.22 | $36.22 | $45.28 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $21.20 | $31.80 | $42.40 | $42.40 | $53.00 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $22.75 | $34.13 | $45.50 | $45.50 | $56.88 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $28.93 | $43.40 | $57.86 | $57.86 | $72.33 |
Hourly dollars, matching Schedule E.2.1(b) and the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide. The allowances are already inside these rates.
How Much Do Apprentice Plumbers Earn After Tax?
On the award wage alone a first-year apprentice plumber on a full-time 38-hour week is paid about $35,785 a year (Year 12 completed) and takes home about $637.13 a week. By fourth year the same hours give about $57,166 gross and $932.62 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) | $35,785 | $637.13 | $32,723 | $591.81 |
| 2nd year (stage 2) | $41,891 | $730.38 | $38,828 | $684.42 |
| 3rd year (stage 3) | $44,954 | $776.33 | $44,954 | $776.33 |
| 4th year (stage 4) | $57,166 | $932.62 | $57,166 | $932.62 |
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 Plumber Apprentices
Apprentice plumbers, mechanical services and irrigation installers are covered by the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020. Its apprentice hourly rate in Schedule E.2.1 already contains the allowances: the percentage of the tradesperson level 1 weekly rate plus the full industry allowance and the same percentage of the tool and plumbing trade allowances, all paid for all purposes.
Compare like with like. Once the building award's allowances are counted, a first-year carpentry apprentice with Year 12 on a general building site must get $19.05 an hour, against $18.11 for a plumbing apprentice, both from the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides. The bare building percentage rate of $16.20 leaves the allowances out.
The weekly figures are the pay guide's, not the hourly rate times 38: $864.35 in 3rd year, for example, where $22.75 x 38 would give $864.50. The 4th-year rate is 90% of the tradesperson rate and allowances. Apprentice sprinkler fitters have their own rates in Schedule E.2.2 and are not shown here.
Qualification: CPC32420 Certificate III in Plumbing. It is current on training.gov.au, with two specialisations: general plumber, roofing and mechanical (77 units) and general plumber and mechanical (73 units).
Once qualified, see plumber pay rates (qualified). Other award detail: Construction and Trades Pay Guide.
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 Mechanic Pay
- Apprentice Hairdresser Pay
- Apprentice Chef Pay
- Apprentice Boilermaker Pay
- Apprentice Butcher Pay
- Junior Pay Rates for non-apprentices
Frequently Asked Questions
Apprentice plumber pay questions and answers
How much does a first-year apprentice plumber earn?
From 1 July 2026 the award minimum for a first-year apprentice plumber is $16.56 an hour ($629.23 a week) if they did not complete Year 12 and $18.11 an hour ($688.01 a week) if they did, for a 38-hour week. That rate already includes the all-purpose allowances. An enterprise agreement or the employer may pay more.
How much does a fourth-year apprentice plumber earn?
The award minimum in fourth year is $28.93 an hour ($1,099.48 a week, about $57,166 a year for 38 hours), from 1 July 2026. That rate already includes the all-purpose allowances.
How much do apprentice plumbers earn after tax?
On the award wage alone for 38 hours a week all year, a first-year apprentice plumber (Year 12 completed) earns about $35,785 a year before tax and takes home about $637.13 a week. In fourth year the same hours give about $57,166 gross and $932.62 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 plumbers get paid more than juniors?
In years 1 to 3, yes. An adult plumbing apprentice gets at least the national minimum wage plus the industry allowance, $27.53 an hour from 1 July 2026, against $18.11 for a first-year junior with Year 12. In 4th year both are on $28.93 (cl 18.3(b)).
Are allowances included in the apprentice plumber rate?
Yes. The hourly rates in Schedule E.2.1 of the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 already include the full industry allowance and the relevant percentage of the tool and plumbing trade allowances, all paid for all purposes. You do not add them again on top.
What do apprentice sprinkler fitters get paid?
Sprinkler fitting apprentices have separate rates in Schedule E.2.2 of the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020. They are not shown on this page, which covers plumbing, mechanical services and irrigation apprentices.
When does an apprentice plumber'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 Plumbing. 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
- 1Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 [MA000036], cl 18.2(c) and Schedule E.2.1— Fair Work Commission
- 2Pay guide: Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 [MA000036]— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3CPC32420 Certificate III in Plumbing— 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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