Cleaning Award Pay Rates by Level
Adult minimum rates under the Cleaning Services Award 2020. Unusually, this award pays part-time employees more per hour than full-timers: a 15% part-time allowance on every ordinary hour (cl 10.2). The casual column adds the 25% loading (cl 11.2).
| Classification level | Weekly (38 hrs) | Full-time hourly | Part-time hourly (+15%) | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $1,028.90 | $27.08 | $31.14 | $33.85 |
| Level 2 | $1,062.90 | $27.97 | $32.17 | $34.96 |
| Level 3 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $33.87 | $36.81 |
Weekly rates are the award’s minimum weekly rate for a full-time employee (cl 15.1, Table 2); hourly is the weekly rate divided by 38.
Part-time cleaners are paid 15% more per hour than full-timers
The Cleaning Services Award pays part-time employees a 15% allowance on every ordinary hour (cl 10.2), so a part-time Level 1 cleaner's base rate is $31.14, not $27.08. The penalty table has a separate part-time column: a part-timer's Saturday is 165% and Sunday 215%. Junior rates apply only to shopping trolley collectors — every other cleaner gets the adult rate at any age.
Cleaning 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
| Classification | Day (Mon–Fri)100% | Early morning / afternoon / non-permanent night115% | Permanent night130% | Saturday150% | Sunday200% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $27.08 | $31.14 | $35.20 | $40.62 | $54.16 | $67.70 |
| Level 2 | $27.97 | $32.17 | $36.36 | $41.96 | $55.94 | $69.93 |
| Level 3 | $29.45 | $33.87 | $38.29 | $44.18 | $58.90 | $73.63 |
Part-time
| Classification | Day (Mon–Fri)115% | Early morning / afternoon / non-permanent night130% | Permanent night130% | Saturday165% | Sunday215% | Public holiday265% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $31.14 | $35.20 | $35.20 | $44.68 | $58.22 | $71.76 |
| Level 2 | $32.17 | $36.36 | $36.36 | $46.15 | $60.14 | $74.12 |
| Level 3 | $33.87 | $38.29 | $38.29 | $48.59 | $63.32 | $78.04 |
Casual
| Classification | Day (Mon–Fri)125% | Early morning / afternoon / non-permanent night140% | Permanent night155% | Saturday175% | Sunday225% | Public holiday275% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $33.85 | $37.91 | $41.97 | $47.39 | $60.93 | $74.47 |
| Level 2 | $34.96 | $39.16 | $43.35 | $48.95 | $62.93 | $76.92 |
| Level 3 | $36.81 | $41.23 | $45.65 | $51.54 | $66.26 | $80.99 |
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.
Cleaning Award Penalty Rates
| When worked | Full-time | $ on Level 1 | Part-time | $ part-time | Casual | $ casual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday shift starting before 6.00 am or finishing after 6.00 pm (whole shift) | 115% | $31.14 | 130% | $35.20 | 140% | $37.91 |
| Permanent night shift — finishes after midnight and by 8.00 am, and does not rotate with other shifts | 130% | $35.20 | 130% | $35.20 | 155% | $41.97 |
| Saturday (midnight Friday to midnight Saturday) | 150% | $40.62 | 165% | $44.68 | 175% | $47.39 |
| Sunday (midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday) | 200% | $54.16 | 215% | $58.22 | 225% | $60.93 |
| Public holidayPublic holiday pay calculator & dates by state → | 250% | $67.70 | 265% | $71.76 | 275% | $74.47 |
Source: cl 20.2, Table 7.
Part-time employees are paid a 15% allowance on every ordinary hour (cl 10.2), and Table 7's part-time column already includes it. In exchange a part-timer can be rostered up to 7.6 hours a day, 5 days a week without overtime.
The award's own worked example: a part-time Level 1 cleaner working 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday is paid $35.20, $44.68 and $58.22 an hour — $690.50 for the three shifts (cl 20, Example 1).
Cleaning Award Overtime Rates
| Overtime worked | Full-time / part-time | $ on Level 1 | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday — first 2 hours | 150% | $40.62 | 175% · $47.39 |
| Monday to Saturday — after 2 hours | 200% | $54.16 | 225% · $60.93 |
| Sunday — all day | 200% | $54.16 | 225% · $60.93 |
| Public holiday — all day | 250% | $67.70 | 275% · $74.47 |
Source: cl 19.3, Table 5.
Full-time and part-time employees share one overtime column; casual overtime includes the loading. For part-time and casual cleaners, everything over 7.6 hours a day, 5 days a week or 38 hours a week is overtime (cl 19.2(b)).
A cleaner called back after leaving work is paid for at least 2 hours at the overtime rate (cl 19.6).
Cleaning Award Junior Rates
Junior rates are a percentage of the adult rate for the classification (cl 15.2, Table 3), and apply to employees of shopping trolley collection contractors only — every other cleaner is paid the adult rate at any age. The dollar columns apply the percentage to Level 1 ($1,028.90 a week) and divide by 38. The full adult rate applies from age 21.
| Age | % of adult rate | Weekly on Level 1 | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 45% | $463.01 | $12.18 | $15.23 |
| 16 | 50% | $514.45 | $13.54 | $16.93 |
| 17 | 60% | $617.34 | $16.25 | $20.31 |
| 18 | 70% | $720.23 | $18.95 | $23.69 |
| 19 | 80% | $823.12 | $21.66 | $27.08 |
| 20 | 90% | $926.01 | $24.37 | $30.46 |
| 21 and over | 100% | $1,028.90 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
For how junior scales compare across awards and against the National Minimum Wage, see our junior pay rates guide.
Cleaning Award Allowances
Fixed-dollar allowances in cl 17, operative from 1 July 2026. Each is paid only where the clause’s conditions are met.
| Allowance | Amount | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Broken shift allowanceUp to $23.56 a week (cl 17.2(c)). | $4.71 per day | cl 17.2(b) |
| Leading hand — in charge of up to 10 employees | $61.73 per week | cl 17.7, Table 4 |
| Leading hand — in charge of 11 to 20 employees | $79.43 per week | cl 17.7, Table 4 |
| Leading hand — in charge of more than 20 employees | $97.13 per week | cl 17.7, Table 4 |
| Toilet cleaning allowance (major portion of the shift)Or $18.17 a week. | $3.69 per shift | cl 17.9 |
| Refuse collection allowance | $4.69 per shift | cl 17.8(b) |
| First aid allowance | $16.87 per week | cl 17.6(b) |
| Height allowance — up to and including the 22nd floor$2.27 an hour above the 22nd floor (cl 17.5(b)(ii)). | $1.11 per hour | cl 17.5(b)(i) |
| Cold work allowance (below 0°C for more than an hour) | $0.69 per hour | cl 17.3(a) |
| Hot work allowance (46°C to 54°C)$0.83 an hour above 54°C (cl 17.4(b)). | $0.69 per hour | cl 17.4(a) |
| Meal allowance (2 hours or more extra without notice the previous day) | $17.53 per occasion | cl 17.10(b)(i) |
| Vehicle allowance — motor car$0.34 per km for a motorcycle (cl 17.11(b)). | $1.01 per km | cl 17.11(a) |
Minimum Shifts and Hours
- Minimum shift for part-time and casual cleaners depends on the size of the site: 1 hour for a lone cleaner at a stand-alone site of up to 300 square metres, 2 hours up to 2,000 square metres, 3 hours from 2,000 to 5,000, and 4 hours at 5,000 square metres or more (cl 13.5(c)).
- Every employee is entitled to 2 consecutive full days off in each 7 days (cl 13.7).
What does a cleaning 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:
- Classification definitions for Levels 1 to 3 (Schedule A) — we publish the rate for each level but not the duties that place a cleaner at that level
- National Training Wage (Schedule E of the Miscellaneous Award) trainee rates
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 PR799303 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
Cleaning Award questions and answers
What are the cleaning award pay rates for 2026-27?
Under the Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022), adult minimum rates run from $27.08 an hour ($1,028.90 a week) for Level 1 to $29.45 an hour ($1,119.10 a week) for Level 3. They apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.
What is the casual rate under the Cleaning Award?
Casuals receive a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate, so Level 1 becomes $33.85 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 Cleaning Award?
The award's allowances clause (cl 17) includes: broken shift allowance $4.71 per day; leading hand — in charge of up to 10 employees $61.73 per week; leading hand — in charge of 11 to 20 employees $79.43 per week; leading hand — in charge of more than 20 employees $97.13 per week; toilet cleaning allowance (major portion of the shift) $3.69 per shift. Allowances are paid on top of the classification rate when the employee meets the clause's conditions.
What are the junior rates under the Cleaning Award?
Junior rates are a percentage of the adult rate for the classification (cl 15.2, Table 3): Under 16 45%, 16 50%, 17 60%, 18 70%, 19 80%, 20 90%. The full adult rate applies from age 21. They apply to employees of shopping trolley collection contractors only — every other cleaner is paid the adult rate at any age.
When did the new cleaning award rates start?
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not universally 1 July. The MA000022 rates were varied by determination PR799303 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 is the cleaning award night shift rate?
A Monday to Friday shift that starts before 6.00 am or finishes after 6.00 pm is paid at 115% for the whole shift (part-time 130%, casual 140%). A permanent night shift — one that finishes after midnight and by 8.00 am and does not rotate — is 130% (casual 155%). At Level 1 that is $31.14 and $35.20 an hour full-time.
What is the minimum shift for a cleaner?
It depends on the site. A part-time or casual cleaner must be rostered for at least 1 hour if working alone at a stand-alone site of up to 300 square metres, 2 hours at a site up to 2,000 square metres, 3 hours from 2,000 to 5,000 square metres and 4 hours at 5,000 square metres or more — and paid for the minimum even if the job finishes early.
Is there a toilet cleaning allowance?
Yes. A cleaner employed for the major part of a shift to clean toilets is paid $3.69 a shift or $18.17 a week. Other allowances include a broken shift allowance of $4.71 a day and a leading hand allowance from $61.73 a week.
Do junior cleaners get paid less?
Only shopping trolley collectors employed by trolley collection contractors can be paid junior rates — 45% of the adult rate under 16, rising to 90% at 20. Every other cleaner covered by the award must be paid the full adult rate regardless of age.
How these rates were verified▼
Every figure comes from one constants file transcribed on 23 September 2026 from the Fair Work Commission’s consolidated MA000022 award text, which incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 July 2026 (PR799280, PR799303 and PR799460). 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
- 1Consolidated award text — Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022)— Fair Work Commission
- 2Award summary and pay guide — MA000022— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2026— Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 23 September 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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