Building and Construction Award Pay Rates by Level
Ordinary hourly rates (weekly hire; the minimum rate plus the all-purpose industry allowance) for full-time and part-time employees under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rate as full-time employees at their classification — the difference is hours, not rate. The casual column adds the 25% loading (cl 12.4).
| Classification level | Weekly (38 hrs) | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1) | $1,080.65 | $28.44 | $35.55 |
| Level 1(b) (CW/ECW 1) | $1,100.65 | $28.96 | $36.20 |
| Level 1(c) (CW/ECW 1) | $1,114.45 | $29.33 | $36.66 |
| Level 1(d) (CW/ECW 1) | $1,133.15 | $29.82 | $37.28 |
| Level 2 (CW/ECW 2) | $1,154.65 | $30.39 | $37.99 |
| Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) | $1,186.25 | $31.22 | $39.03 |
| Level 4 (CW/ECW 4) | $1,221.55 | $32.15 | $40.19 |
| Level 5 (CW/ECW 5) | $1,256.75 | $33.07 | $41.34 |
| Level 6 (CW/ECW 6) | $1,288.45 | $33.91 | $42.39 |
| Level 7 (CW/ECW 7) | $1,323.45 | $34.83 | $43.54 |
| Level 8 (CW/ECW 8) | $1,353.85 | $35.63 | $44.54 |
| Level 9 (ECW 9) | $1,376.65 | $36.23 | $45.29 |
Weekly = the award's minimum weekly rate (cl 19.1(a)) plus the $67.15 industry allowance (cl 22.1(a)); hourly = that total divided by 38 (cl 19.3(b)). This is the "ordinary hourly rate" the award's percentages apply to. Weekly hire, general building, civil and metal and engineering construction sectors; before tool, leading hand and other all-purpose allowances.
Which level am I?
- CW and ECW: CW is a construction worker in general building and construction or civil construction; ECW is an engineering construction worker in the metal and engineering construction sector (cl 19.1(c)).
- Minimum rates before the industry allowance: Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1) $1013.50 a week ($26.67 an hour); Level 1(b) (CW/ECW 1) $1033.50 a week ($27.20 an hour); Level 1(c) (CW/ECW 1) $1047.30 a week ($27.56 an hour); Level 1(d) (CW/ECW 1) $1066.00 a week ($28.05 an hour); Level 2 (CW/ECW 2) $1087.50 a week ($28.62 an hour); Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) $1119.10 a week ($29.45 an hour); Level 4 (CW/ECW 4) $1154.40 a week ($30.38 an hour); Level 5 (CW/ECW 5) $1189.60 a week ($31.31 an hour); Level 6 (CW/ECW 6) $1221.30 a week ($32.14 an hour); Level 7 (CW/ECW 7) $1256.30 a week ($33.06 an hour); Level 8 (CW/ECW 8) $1286.70 a week ($33.86 an hour); Level 9 (ECW 9) $1309.50 a week ($34.46 an hour) (cl 19.1(a)).
The award's rate table is not what you are paid — the allowance is on top, for all purposes
The weekly rates in clause 19.1(a) are minimum classification rates only. The industry allowance of $67.15 a week (general building, civil and engineering construction; $53.72 for residential) is paid for all purposes, so it is part of the "ordinary hourly rate" that every penalty and overtime percentage applies to (cl 19.1(b), 19.3(b), 22.3). That is why a CW3 is $31.22 an hour here, not the $29.45 in the award's table. Tradespeople who get tool allowances, and daily hire employees, are paid more again — see the notes below.
Worked example: a Level 3 carpenter's Saturday
Dan is a weekly hire CW3 in general building who is asked to work 5 hours on a Saturday. His ordinary hourly rate is $31.22 ($1,119.10 + $67.15 = $1,186.25 a week, divided by 38). Ordinary hours are Monday to Friday, so Saturday is overtime.
- First 2 hours at 150%: $31.22 × 1.5 = $46.83 an hour → $93.66.
- Next 3 hours at 200%: $31.22 × 2 = $62.44 an hour → $187.32.
- Total: $280.98 before tax. The minimum payment for Saturday overtime is 3 hours, so a short call-in still pays at least that.
A carpenter or joiner also receives the $41.22 weekly tool allowance for all purposes, which lifts the ordinary rate and every percentage on top of it. See the carpenter pay page for the version with tools included.
Try your own hours in the overtime pay calculator or the casual loading calculator, add up a full week in the weekly pay calculator, or check the public holiday pay guide.
Building and Construction Award Pay Guide 2026-27: Every Level, Every Day
The hourly rate for each classification at each penalty band, in the layout of the Fair Work pay guide. Find your level, then the day you worked.
Full-time and part-time
| Classification | Mon–Fri ordinary hours100% | Saturday — first 2 hrs150% | Saturday — after 2 hrs / after noon200% | Sunday200% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1) | $28.44 | $42.66 | $56.88 | $56.88 | $71.10 |
| Level 1(b) (CW/ECW 1) | $28.96 | $43.44 | $57.92 | $57.92 | $72.40 |
| Level 1(c) (CW/ECW 1) | $29.33 | $44.00 | $58.66 | $58.66 | $73.33 |
| Level 1(d) (CW/ECW 1) | $29.82 | $44.73 | $59.64 | $59.64 | $74.55 |
| Level 2 (CW/ECW 2) | $30.39 | $45.59 | $60.78 | $60.78 | $75.98 |
| Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) | $31.22 | $46.83 | $62.44 | $62.44 | $78.05 |
| Level 4 (CW/ECW 4) | $32.15 | $48.23 | $64.30 | $64.30 | $80.38 |
| Level 5 (CW/ECW 5) | $33.07 | $49.61 | $66.14 | $66.14 | $82.68 |
| Level 6 (CW/ECW 6) | $33.91 | $50.87 | $67.82 | $67.82 | $84.78 |
| Level 7 (CW/ECW 7) | $34.83 | $52.25 | $69.66 | $69.66 | $87.08 |
| Level 8 (CW/ECW 8) | $35.63 | $53.45 | $71.26 | $71.26 | $89.08 |
| Level 9 (ECW 9) | $36.23 | $54.35 | $72.46 | $72.46 | $90.58 |
Casual
| Classification | Mon–Fri ordinary hours125% | Saturday — first 2 hrs175% | Saturday — after 2 hrs / after noon225% | Sunday225% | Public holiday275% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1) | $35.55 | $49.77 | $63.99 | $63.99 | $78.21 |
| Level 1(b) (CW/ECW 1) | $36.20 | $50.68 | $65.16 | $65.16 | $79.64 |
| Level 1(c) (CW/ECW 1) | $36.66 | $51.33 | $65.99 | $65.99 | $80.66 |
| Level 1(d) (CW/ECW 1) | $37.28 | $52.19 | $67.10 | $67.10 | $82.01 |
| Level 2 (CW/ECW 2) | $37.99 | $53.18 | $68.38 | $68.38 | $83.57 |
| Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) | $39.03 | $54.64 | $70.25 | $70.25 | $85.86 |
| Level 4 (CW/ECW 4) | $40.19 | $56.26 | $72.34 | $72.34 | $88.41 |
| Level 5 (CW/ECW 5) | $41.34 | $57.87 | $74.41 | $74.41 | $90.94 |
| Level 6 (CW/ECW 6) | $42.39 | $59.34 | $76.30 | $76.30 | $93.25 |
| Level 7 (CW/ECW 7) | $43.54 | $60.95 | $78.37 | $78.37 | $95.78 |
| Level 8 (CW/ECW 8) | $44.54 | $62.35 | $80.17 | $80.17 | $97.98 |
| Level 9 (ECW 9) | $45.29 | $63.40 | $81.52 | $81.52 | $99.63 |
Casual figures are the award's casual percentages, which already include the 25% loading where it applies. Figures are rounded to the cent. A dash means the column does not apply to that classification.
Building and Construction Award Penalty Rates
| When worked | Full-time / part-time | $ on Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1) | Casual | $ casual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday — first 2 hours (overtime)Saturday work is overtime for day workers; minimum 3 hours (cl 30.2(a)). | 150% | $42.66 | 175% | $49.77 |
| Saturday — after 2 hours, and all overtime after 12 noon | 200% | $56.88 | 225% | $63.99 |
| Sunday — all time workedMinimum 4 hours for overtime on a Sunday (cl 30.2(c)). | 200% | $56.88 | 225% | $63.99 |
| Public holidayMinimum 4 hours (cl 30.2(d)). Casuals are paid 275% (cl 12.6).Public holiday pay calculator & dates by state → | 250% | $71.10 | 275% | $78.21 |
| Saturday following Good FridayMinimum 4 hours (cl 30.2(b)). The award sets no separate casual rate for this day. | 250% | $71.10 | – | – |
Source: cl 30.1 and cl 12.5–12.6.
Ordinary hours are Monday to Friday, 7.00 am to 6.00 pm (cl 16.1). All Saturday and Sunday work is therefore paid at the rates above rather than at ordinary rates.
Casual penalties are the permanent percentage plus the 25% loading: 150% becomes 175%, 200% becomes 225%, and a public holiday is 275% (cl 12.5–12.6).
Every percentage applies to the ordinary hourly rate, which includes the industry allowance. That is why the dollar figures here are higher than the percentage of the bare classification minimum.
Building and Construction Award Overtime Rates
| Overtime worked | Full-time / part-time | $ on Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1) | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday — first 2 hours | 150% | $42.66 | 175% · $49.77 |
| Monday to Friday — after 2 hours | 200% | $56.88 | 225% · $63.99 |
| Saturday — first 2 hours | 150% | $42.66 | 175% · $49.77 |
| Saturday — after 2 hours, or any time after noon | 200% | $56.88 | 225% · $63.99 |
| Sunday — all day | 200% | $56.88 | 225% · $63.99 |
| Public holiday — all day | 250% | $71.10 | 275% · $78.21 |
Source: cl 29.4(a), cl 30.1 and cl 12.5–12.6.
Overtime is all time beyond ordinary working hours, Monday to Friday, including time worked for RDO accrual purposes (cl 29.4(a)). Each day stands alone.
An employee recalled to work overtime after leaving the premises is paid for a minimum of 3 hours (cl 29.5). No employee under 18 can be required to work overtime or shiftwork (cl 29.2).
Building and Construction Award Junior Rates
The Building and Construction General On-site Award has no junior rates scale for labourers or tradespeople. Apprentices are paid a percentage of the standard rate by stage of apprenticeship (cl 19.7), which this page does not reproduce. Any age-percentage table attributed to the Building and Construction Award is not from the award.
Building and Construction Award Allowances
Fixed-dollar allowances in cl 21 and cl 22, operative from 1 July 2026. Each is paid only where the clause’s conditions are met.
| Allowance | Amount | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Industry allowance — general building, civil and metal and engineering constructionPaid for all purposes. Already included in the rates above. | $67.15 per week | cl 22.1(a) |
| Industry allowance — residential building and constructionPaid for all purposes. Replaces the general allowance for single and dual occupancy residential work. | $53.72 per week | cl 22.1(b) |
| Tool allowance — carpenter, joiner, tilelayer, stonemason and similarPaid for all purposes. Not in the rates above. | $41.22 per week | cl 21.1(a) |
| Tool allowance — caster, fixer, floorlayer, plasterer | $34.10 per week | cl 21.1(a) |
| Tool allowance — bricklayer | $29.26 per week | cl 21.1(a) |
| Tool allowance — roof tiler, trades in metals and engineering construction | $21.59 per week | cl 21.1(a) |
| Tool allowance — painter, signwriter, glazier | $9.89 per week | cl 21.1(a) |
| Meal allowance (overtime of at least 1.5 hours after ordinary hours) | $19.74 per occasion | cl 21.2(a) |
Minimum Shifts and Hours
- Ordinary hours are 38 a week averaged over a 20-day, 4-week cycle: 8 hours each day, of which 7.6 are paid and 0.4 accrue towards a rostered day off (cl 16.1–16.2).
- A casual must be paid for at least 4 hours each engagement (cl 12.3). Casuals are paid the 25% loading instead of annual leave, personal leave, notice and redundancy (cl 12.4).
- An employee working on a public holiday must be afforded at least 4 hours' work or paid for 4 hours (cl 29.10).
What does a building and construction award rate take home?
Working a mix of shifts? Enter your hours in the weekly pay calculator, or turn a salary into net pay with the take-home pay calculator.
What This Page Does Not Cover
These parts of the award carry rules or rates we have not verified line by line, so we publish no figures for them:
- Daily hire employees: their hourly rate includes a follow-the-job loading (52 over 50.4) and a different divisor for carpenter-divers (cl 19.3(a))
- Leading hand percentages (cl 19.2), shiftwork rates (cl 17), forepersons and supervisors (cl 43), and the lift industry (cl 42)
- Apprentice and trainee rates (cl 19.7 and Schedule D) and the other site, height, towers, underground and multi-storey allowances in cl 23
- The weekly hire rate for the residential sector — use the $53.72 allowance in cl 22.1(b) instead of $67.15 and divide by 38
An enterprise agreement, if one covers your workplace, replaces these award rates — though it must leave you better off overall.
When These Rates Took Effect
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not universally 1 July. If your pay period began before 1 July 2026, the previous rate lawfully applies to that whole period and the rise starts with the next one. The award was varied by determination PR799301 following the Annual Wage Review 2026. If you have been paid below these rates, our backpay calculator works out what is owed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Building and Construction Award questions and answers
What are the building and construction award pay rates for 2026-27?
On a weekly hire basis in general building, civil and metal and engineering construction, the ordinary hourly rate runs from $28.44 (Level 1(a), $1,080.65 a week) to $36.23 (Level 9, $1,376.65 a week). That is the cl 19.1(a) minimum weekly rate plus the $67.15 industry allowance, divided by 38. The rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.
What is the casual rate under the Building and Construction Award?
Casuals receive a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate, so Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1) becomes $35.55 an hour. Casual penalty rates add the loading rather than multiplying by it — the casual column in the award is the permanent percentage plus 25 percentage points.
What allowances are paid under the Building and Construction Award?
The award's allowances clause (cl 21 and cl 22) includes: industry allowance — general building, civil and metal and engineering construction $67.15 per week; industry allowance — residential building and construction $53.72 per week; tool allowance — carpenter, joiner, tilelayer, stonemason and similar $41.22 per week; tool allowance — caster, fixer, floorlayer, plasterer $34.10 per week; tool allowance — bricklayer $29.26 per week. Allowances are paid on top of the classification rate when the employee meets the clause's conditions.
Does the Building and Construction Award have junior rates?
The Building and Construction General On-site Award has no junior rates scale for labourers or tradespeople. Apprentices are paid a percentage of the standard rate by stage of apprenticeship (cl 19.7), which this page does not reproduce.
When did the new building and construction award rates start?
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not universally 1 July. The MA000020 rates were varied by determination PR799301 following the Annual Wage Review 2026. If your pay period started before 1 July 2026, the old rate lawfully applies to that whole period.
What are weekend rates on a building site?
Ordinary hours are Monday to Friday between 7.00 am and 6.00 pm (cl 16.1), so Saturday and Sunday work is paid as overtime. Saturday is 150% for the first 2 hours then 200% (all overtime after 12 noon is 200%), Sunday is 200% and a public holiday 250%. Casuals add the 25% loading: 175%, 225%, 225% and 275%. At Level 3 that is $46.83, $62.44 and $78.05 for a permanent worker.
What is the residential industry allowance?
Work on single or dual occupancy residential buildings that are not multi-storey attracts a $53.72 weekly industry allowance instead of $67.15 (cl 22.1(b), 22.2). At Level 3 on weekly hire that gives $30.86 an hour instead of $31.22.
How is a daily hire employee's rate different?
Daily hire employees (a tradesperson or labourer engaged by the day) carry a follow-the-job loading: the weekly rate plus allowances is multiplied by 52 over 50.4 before dividing by 38 (cl 19.3(a)), which compensates for time between jobs. We do not publish dollar figures for daily hire, so check your pay guide.
How does this page differ from the construction and trades pay guide?
This page is the award: the hourly rate for each CW/ECW level, with overtime and weekend multipliers. The construction and trades pay guide covers what tradies and apprentices actually earn, including apprentice wages and take-home pay. Use this page to check an hourly rate against the award, and the guide to see the bigger picture.
How these rates were verified▼
Every figure comes from one constants file transcribed on 5 October 2026 from the Fair Work Commission’s consolidated MA000020 award text, which incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 July 2026 (PR799301 and PR799458). Clause numbers are cited against each table. Hourly is the published weekly rate divided by 38; derived dollar figures are rounded half up to the cent.
Automated tests pin the published rates, check every hourly rate against its weekly rate, and assert the rules this award is most often modelled wrongly on — including that casual penalties add the loading rather than multiplying by it. Parts of the award we have not verified are listed as gaps rather than estimated.
Sources & References
- 1
- 2Award summary and pay guide — MA000020— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2026— Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 5 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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