What the Fair Work Pay Calculator (PACT) Is
PACT is a set of four calculators on the Fair Work Ombudsman’s site: a pay calculator for base and penalty rates, a shift calculator that prices a roster of shifts, a leave calculator for annual and personal leave balances, and a notice and redundancy calculator. It also holds Find My Award, which works out which award covers a job.
It covers employees in the national workplace system who are paid under a modern award: the base rate for each classification, the casual loading, penalty rates, overtime and the allowances the award fixes in dollars. It does not cover pay set by an enterprise agreement, above-award rates in a contract, unincorporated employers in the Western Australian state system, or state public sector pay. Where an agreement applies, PACT’s figure is still the floor the agreement’s base rate cannot go under.
Step by Step: What PACT Asks and Where to Find the Answer
- Your award. Named on many payslips and in most contracts; otherwise run Find My Award or start from our award rates A–Z.
- Your classification. The level or grade in your contract or position description (for example “retail employee level 1”). If it is missing, the award’s classification schedule matches duties to a level.
- Employment type. Full-time, part-time or casual. A casual payslip usually shows the loading as part of the hourly rate.
- Your age. Some awards pay a junior percentage under 21; others pay the adult rate at any age.
- Hours, and the day and time worked. From your roster or timesheet. PACT prices each day separately, so weekend, evening and public holiday hours get their own line.
The result is a gross amount for the period: base rate plus loading and penalties, before tax and super. The same figures are printed in the FWO pay guides, one PDF per award.
Award Base Rates by Level for 2026-27
The base rates PACT starts from, for the 30 awards this site carries in full. Each row shows the lowest and highest adult classification; the linked page lists every level, plus penalty, overtime and junior rates.
| Award | Levels | Lowest adult rate | Highest adult rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018) | 17 | $27.77 (General — level 1) | $40.58 (Direct care — level 6 (Team Leader)) |
| Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020) | 12 | $28.44 (Level 1(a) (CW/ECW 1)) | $36.23 (Level 9 (ECW 9)) |
| Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022) | 3 | $27.08 (Level 1) | $29.45 (Level 3) |
| Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020 (MA000002) | 10 | $26.97 (Level 1 — Year 1) | $37.24 (Call centre technical associate) |
| Commercial Sales Award 2020 (MA000083) | 3 | $26.59 (Probationary Traveller) | $29.55 (Commercial Traveller / Advertising Sales Representative) |
| Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025) | 10 | $27.53 (Electrical worker grade 1) | $38.91 (Electrical worker grade 10) |
| Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003) | 4 | $27.81 (Level 1) | $30.27 (Level 3 (in charge of 2 or more people)) |
| Fitness Industry Award 2020 (MA000094) | 9 | $25.74 (Level 1) | $34.89 (Level 7) |
| General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004) | 8 | $27.81 (Level 1) | $33.99 (Level 8) |
| Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 (MA000005) | 6 | $27.81 (Level 1) | $32.00 (Level 6) |
| Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (MA000027) | 37 | $26.97 (Support Services Level 1) | $65.77 (Health Professional Level 4) |
| Horticulture Award 2020 (MA000028) | 5 | $25.74 (Level 1) | $29.45 (Level 5) |
| Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009) | 8 | $25.74 (Introductory) | $32.19 (Managerial staff (hotels)) |
| Legal Services Award 2020 (MA000116) | 7 | $28.24 (Level 1 — Legal clerical and administrative) | $36.03 (Level 6 — Law clerk) |
| Live Performance Award 2020 (MA000081) | 8 | $25.74 (Level 1 — Production and Support Staff 1 (induction/training)) | $34.46 (Level 10 — Production and Support Staff 8) |
| Local Government Industry Award 2020 (MA000112) | 11 | $27.11 (Level 1) | $49.09 (Level 11) |
| Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010) | 19 | $25.74 (C14 / V1) | $39.83 (C2(b) / V14) |
| Meat Industry Award 2020 (MA000059) | 8 | $25.74 (MI 1) | $30.53 (MI 8) |
| Mining Industry Award 2020 (MA000011) | 8 | $27.53 (Entry level (Introductory)) | $37.62 (Level 7 (Dual trade instrumentation)) |
| Miscellaneous Award 2020 (MA000104) | 4 | $25.74 (Level 1) | $32.13 (Level 4) |
| Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) | 67 | $25.69 (Student enrolled nurse — under 21) | $71.35 (Aged care registered nurse level 5) |
| Pastoral Award 2020 (MA000035) | 8 | $25.74 (FLH1) | $31.64 (FLH8) |
| Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 (MA000012) | 14 | $27.81 (Pharmacy assistant level 1) | $52.15 (Pharmacist manager) |
| Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 (MA000036) | 28 | $27.97 (Plumbing worker Level 1(a) — new entrant) | $37.12 (Plumbing advanced tradesperson Level 2 (registered)) |
| Real Estate Industry Award 2020 (MA000106) | 5 | $26.59 (Level 1 (Associate) — first 12 months) | $33.88 (Level 4 (In-Charge)) |
| Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119) | 7 | $25.74 (Introductory Level) | $32.13 (Level 6) |
| Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 (MA000038) | 14 | $26.87 (Transport Worker Grade 1) | $31.55 (Transport Worker Grade 10) |
| Security Services Industry Award 2020 (MA000016) | 5 | $28.42 (Security Officer Level 1) | $31.20 (Security Officer Level 5) |
| Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100) | 27 | $27.55 (Level 1 pay point 1) | $71.19 (Level 8 pay point 3) |
| Timber Industry Award 2020 (MA000071) | 24 | $25.74 (General Timber — Level 1) | $33.06 (Pulp and Paper — Level 9) |
Adult full-time hourly rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, read from the FWO pay guide for each award. Casuals add 25%.
National Minimum Wage and Junior Percentages
If no award or agreement covers you, the floor is the national minimum wage of $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 for a 38-hour week, set by the National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279) from 1 July 2026. Award-free juniors are paid a percentage of it by age; award-free casuals add the 25% loading.
| Age | Percentage of adult rate | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 36.8% | $9.73 | $12.16 |
| 16 | 47.3% | $12.51 | $15.64 |
| 17 | 57.8% | $15.29 | $19.11 |
| 18 | 68.3% | $18.06 | $22.58 |
| 19 | 82.5% | $21.82 | $27.28 |
| 20 | 97.7% | $25.84 | $32.30 |
| 21 and over | 100.0% | $26.44 | $33.05 |
Special national minimum wage 3 percentages applied to the weekly rate, then divided by 38. Full guide: minimum wage Australia and junior pay rates.
Casual Loading and Penalty Rates PACT Adds on Top
PACT adds two things to the base rate. The casual loading of 25% applies to every casual hour. Penalty rates then apply to particular days and times, and each award tabulates them. The Fast Food Award (MA000003) table below is typical: the casual column is the full-time percentage plus the loading.
| When worked | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday — between 10.00 pm and midnight | 110% | 135% |
| Monday to Friday — between midnight and 6.00 am | 115% | 140% |
| Saturday — any time of day | 125% | 150% |
| Sunday (Level 1 employees) — any time of day | 125% | 150% |
| Sunday (Level 2 and 3 employees) — any time of day | 150% | 175% |
| Public holiday — any time of day | 225% | 250% |
Fast Food Award cl 21, Table 6. Other awards: penalty rates by award.
A worked week for a Fast Food Award Level 1 casual on the $27.81 base rate:
| Day | Hours | Rate | Hourly | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 6 | casual base (125%) | $34.76 | $208.56 |
| Thursday | 6 | casual base (125%) | $34.76 | $208.56 |
| Saturday | 6 | casual Saturday (150%) | $41.72 | $250.32 |
| Sunday | 5 | casual Sunday, Level 1 (150%) | $41.72 | $208.60 |
| Week | 23 | $876.04 |
Gross before tax. Overtime, allowances and public holidays are not in this example.
Check Your Payslip Rate Against the Award
Pick your award and classification, enter the base hourly rate from your payslip or agreement, and the checker shows the gap to the award floor. The award rates are the same constants as the tables above.
Is Your Agreement Rate Above the Award?
An enterprise agreement can’t pay a lower base rate than the award that would otherwise cover you. Compare your agreement’s hourly rate with the award rate from 1 July 2026.
- Award base rate
- $27.81/h
- Your agreement rate
- $28.50/h
- Above the award by
- $0.69/h (2.5%)
- Over a 38-hour week
- $26.22
Your base rate meets the award floor. Penalty rates, allowances and other terms are set by the agreement itself, which had to pass the better off overall test when it was approved.
Award rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Full classification tables: General Retail Award rates.
If your rate is below the award, the backpay calculator works out what is owed over the period; underpayments can be recovered for up to six years.
From Award Gross to Take-Home Pay
PACT stops at gross pay. A General Retail Industry Award 2020 level 1 full-timer on $27.81 an hour earns $54,953 a year at 38 hours a week; on the 2026-27 resident rates that is $904 a week after income tax and the Medicare levy, with $6,594 a year of super paid on top by the employer. Enter your own award rate and hours in the take-home pay calculator, or read the figure off the tax on every salary tables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fair Work pay calculator questions and answers
Is the Fair Work pay calculator accurate?
The Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) is the Fair Work Ombudsman's own calculator and applies the award text, so its figures are the legal minimums for the award, classification, employment type, age and hours you enter. Its accuracy depends on those inputs: the most common error is choosing the wrong award or classification level. The result is a minimum, not what an enterprise agreement or contract may pay, and it does not deduct tax or super.
What if my enterprise agreement pays more than the award?
Then the agreement applies and PACT does not calculate your pay. An enterprise agreement replaces the award for the employees it covers, but its base rate cannot be lower than the award base rate for the same classification, so the award figure is still the floor to check against. Find your agreement in the Fair Work Commission's document search and read its pay table.
How often do Fair Work pay rates change?
Once a year. The Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review sets new minimums that apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review lifted the national minimum wage to $26.44 an hour and award rates by 4.75% from 1 July 2026; the next changes apply from 1 July 2027. Some awards also change on other dates: junior rates in the retail, fast food and pharmacy awards start a phase-in on 1 December 2026, and SCHADS home care disability rates rise on 1 December 2026.
What should I do if the calculator shows I am being underpaid?
First confirm the classification and the pay period, since rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July rather than 1 July itself. Then raise it with your employer in writing, showing the PACT result or pay guide. Our backpay calculator works out the shortfall over the period. If it is not fixed, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94; underpayments can be recovered for up to six years.
Does the Fair Work pay calculator show take-home pay?
No. PACT gives gross pay before tax and superannuation. On the national minimum wage of $26.44 an hour, a 38-hour week is $1,004.90 gross and about $870 after income tax and the Medicare levy on the current resident rates, with super paid on top by the employer. Use our take-home pay calculator for your own rate and hours.
How we worked this out▼
The description of PACT follows the Fair Work Ombudsman’s tool as published. Every rate on this page is rendered at build time from the site’s award constants, which are transcribed from the FWO pay guides and consolidated award texts for the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 and tested against them. Take-home figures use the 2026-27 resident tax rates with the Medicare levy and no study loan.
General information, not legal advice. For a ruling on your own pay, use PACT or contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
Sources & References
- 1Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 2Pay guides— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2026 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 4National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279)— Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 25 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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