Hospitality Award Pay Rates
These are the adult rates for full-time and part-time employees. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rate as full-time employees for their classification — the difference is hours, not rate.
| Classification level | Weekly (38 hrs) | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.17 |
| Level 1 | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| Level 2 | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Level 3 | $1,062.90 | $27.97 | $34.96 |
| Level 4 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 5 | $1,189.40 | $31.30 | $39.13 |
| Level 6 | $1,221.10 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
| Managerial staff (hotels) | $1,223.39 | $32.19 | $40.24 |
Weekly rates are as published by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Hourly is the weekly rate divided by 38 ordinary hours. The casual column adds the 25% loading. The managerial (hotels) weekly figure comes from the Fair Work pay guide — the award itself sets a minimum annual salary of $63,617 at cl 18.2 and never states a weekly rate for that classification.
The 4.75% increase was not applied to every rate
The 2026-27 Annual Wage Review increase was subject to two floors: $1,004.90 a week for ongoing employment, and $978.10 for an entry-level rate applying during the first six months.
Hospitality Introductory ($978.10) and Level 1 ($1,004.90) sit exactly on those floors. They were lifted to the floor, not escalated by 4.75%. If you work out this year’s rates by adding 4.75% to last year’s figures, you will get the wrong number for both.
Which Level Am I? Hospitality Classifications
The award classifies by the work performed, not by job title. These are the classifications that map to each pay level for food and beverage, kitchen and cooking roles.
| Classification | Level | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Food & beverage attendant grade 1 | Level 1 | $26.44 |
| Food & beverage attendant grade 2 | Level 2 | $27.08 |
| Food & beverage attendant grade 3 | Level 3 | $27.97 |
| Food & beverage attendant (tradesperson) grade 4 | Level 4 | $29.45 |
| Food & beverage supervisor | Level 5 | $31.30 |
| Cook grade 1 | Level 2 | $27.08 |
| Cook grade 2 | Level 3 | $27.97 |
| Cook (tradesperson) grade 3 | Level 4 | $29.45 |
| Cook (tradesperson) grade 4 | Level 5 | $31.30 |
| Cook (tradesperson) grade 5 | Level 6 | $32.13 |
| Kitchen attendant grade 1 | Level 1 | $26.44 |
| Kitchen attendant grade 2 | Level 2 | $27.08 |
| Kitchen attendant grade 3 | Level 3 | $27.97 |
There is no food and beverage attendant grade 5. That stream runs grades 1 to 4 only; Level 5 is “food and beverage supervisor”, a different classification rather than a fifth grade. A rate table showing an F&B grade 5 has invented a classification the award does not contain.
Hospitality Penalty Rates
Weekend and public holiday penalties are percentages of the ordinary rate. The dollar columns use Level 1 ($26.44/hr) as the worked example.
| When worked | Permanent | $ on Level 1 | Casual | $ casual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 100% | $26.44 | 125% | $33.05 |
| Saturday | 125% | $33.05 | 150% | $39.66 |
| Sunday | 150% | $39.66 | 175% | $46.27 |
| Public holiday | 225% | $59.49 | 250% | $66.10 |
Evening and night work is a flat cash amount
This is the part most hospitality pay calculators get wrong. Evening and night loadings in this award are not multipliers. You are paid your ordinary rate plus a fixed number of dollars per hour:
| Loading | Added per hour | Level 1 becomes | Level 6 becomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evening | +$2.95 | $29.39 | $35.08 |
| Night | +$4.42 | $30.86 | $36.55 |
Because the amount is fixed, it is worth proportionally more at lower classifications — $4.42 is 16.7% on Level 1 but only 13.8% on Level 6. The retail award does the opposite, using a percentage for evening work.
Penalties do not stack. Where more than one penalty could apply to the same hours, only the highest is paid — with one exception: the clause 16 Breaks penalty is payable in addition to the highest applicable penalty rate (cl 29.3(c)).
And casual penalties are additive, not compounded — casual Sunday is 175%, being 150% plus the 25% loading, not 150% multiplied by 1.25 which would give 187.5%.
Hospitality Overtime Rates
| Overtime worked | Rate | $ on Level 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday — first 2 hours | 150% | $39.66 |
| Monday to Friday — after 2 hours | 200% | $52.88 |
| Saturday or Sunday | 200% | $52.88 |
| On a rostered day off | 200% | $52.88 |
Casuals do not get the loading on overtime — and retail casuals do
In hospitality the overtime clause operates on the ordinary hourly rate, and the award’s definitions clause excludes the casual loading from that term. The consequence is concrete: for Monday to Friday, weekend and rostered-day-off overtime, a casual and a full-time employee on the same classification are paid identical overtime dollars. On Level 1 that is $39.66 an hour for both.
Public holidays are the exception. There the two do diverge — full-time overtime is 225% and casual overtime is 250%, or $59.49 against $66.10 on Level 1. Stating the rule without that carve-out understates casual public holiday pay.
The General Retail Industry Award does the opposite — the loading is included, so retail casual overtime is 175% against 150% for permanents. Two awards, two rules, and one payroll configuration cannot serve both. This is a common source of underpayment when a venue runs a bistro under one award and a shop under the other.
Hospitality Junior Rates
Junior rates are a percentage of the adult rate for the employee’s classification. The dollar columns below apply the percentage to Level 1 ($1,004.90 a week).
| Age | % of adult rate | Weekly on Level 1 | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 17 | 50% | $502.45 | $13.22 |
| 17 | 60% | $602.94 | $15.87 |
| 18 | 70% | $703.43 | $18.51 |
| 19 | 85% | $854.17 | $22.48 |
| 20 and over | 100% | $1,004.90 | $26.44 |
Two things set hospitality apart. 19-year-olds receive 85% where the retail award pays 80%. And the full adult rate starts at 20, not 21.
Junior employees with a trade qualification, or who are liquor service employees, must be paid the adult rate. The liquor service rule is award clause 13.5; the trade-qualification rule is stated in the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide.
Junior office employees are on a different scale
Office employees under this award have their own junior table, which starts lower and runs a year longer.
| Age | % of adult rate | Weekly on Level 1 | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 45% | $452.21 | $11.90 |
| 16 | 55.0% | $552.70 | $14.54 |
| 17 | 65% | $653.19 | $17.19 |
| 18 | 75% | $753.68 | $19.83 |
| 19 | 90% | $904.41 | $23.80 |
| 20 and over | 100% | $1,004.90 | $26.44 |
For how junior rates compare across awards and against the National Minimum Wage, see our junior pay rates guide.
What This Page Does Not Cover
These parts of the award carry rates we have not verified against a primary source, so we publish no figures for them:
- Hospitality apprentice rates
- Casino stream penalty detail
- Loaded rate arrangements (hospitality cl 24) — produce different results from the standard tables
Loaded rate arrangements deserve particular care. A venue may pay a single higher hourly rate that absorbs penalties and overtime instead of applying them separately. Those arrangements produce different results from the tables above, and whether one leaves you better off depends entirely on the shifts you actually work.
When These Rates Took Effect
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. That is 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 most common reason a July payslip looks wrong when it is not.
The award was varied by determination PR799290, and the Fair Work Ombudsman published the updated pay guide on 24 June 2026. If you have been paid below these rates, our backpay calculator works out what is owed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hospitality award rate questions and answers
What are the hospitality award rates for 2026-27?
Under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009), adult rates run from $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week) at the introductory level to $32.13 an hour ($1,221.10 a week) at Level 6. Level 1, the standard entry classification, is $26.44 an hour. Rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.
What is the hospitality casual rate?
Casuals receive a 25% loading, so Level 1 becomes $33.05 an hour and Level 4 becomes $36.81. Weekend and public holiday penalties for casuals are additive rather than compounded — casual Sunday is 175% of the base rate, being the 150% Sunday rate plus the 25% loading, not 150% multiplied by the loading.
What are the hospitality penalty rates?
For permanent employees: Saturday 125%, Sunday 150% and public holidays 225% of the ordinary rate. For casuals: Saturday 150%, Sunday 175% and public holidays 250%. Evening and night work are handled differently — see the next question. Where more than one penalty could apply to the same hours, only the highest is paid.
How do hospitality evening and night rates work?
They are flat cash amounts per hour, not percentage multipliers — this is where most hospitality pay calculators get it wrong. You are paid your ordinary rate plus $2.95 an hour for evening work, or plus $4.42 an hour for night work. On the Level 1 rate of $26.44, an evening hour is $29.39 and a night hour is $30.86. Because the amount is fixed, it is worth proportionally more on lower classifications. Retail works the opposite way, using a percentage.
Do casuals get the casual loading on overtime in hospitality?
No. In hospitality the overtime clause operates on the "ordinary hourly rate", and the award's definitions clause excludes the casual loading from that term. The practical result is that a casual and a full-time employee on the same classification are paid identical overtime dollars. This is the opposite of the General Retail Industry Award, where the loading is included and casual overtime is 175% against 150% for permanents. One payroll rule cannot serve both awards.
What is the hospitality overtime rate?
150% for the first two hours on a normal day and 200% after that. Overtime worked on a weekend is 200%, as is overtime on a rostered day off. These percentages apply to the ordinary hourly rate, which for casuals excludes the 25% loading.
What are the junior rates in the hospitality award?
Junior rates are a percentage of the adult rate for the classification: Under 17 — 50%, 17 — 60%, 18 — 70%, 19 — 85%, 20 and over — 100%. Note that 19-year-olds receive 85% in hospitality where the retail award pays 80%, and that hospitality reaches the full adult rate at 20 rather than 21. Junior office employees are on a different scale again. Juniors with a trade qualification, and any junior working as a liquor service employee, must be paid the full adult rate regardless of age.
Is there a food and beverage attendant grade 5?
No. The food and beverage stream runs grades 1 to 4 only. Level 5 in the pay table is 'food and beverage supervisor', which is a different classification, not a fifth grade of attendant. Any rate table showing a food and beverage attendant grade 5 has invented a classification that does not exist in the award.
Was the 4.75% increase applied to every hospitality rate?
No, and this is the trap in working out this year's rates. The 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase was subject to two floors: $1,004.90 a week for ongoing employment and $978.10 for an entry-level rate applying in the first six months. The hospitality introductory rate and Level 1 sit exactly on those two floors — they were lifted to the floor, not escalated by 4.75%. Calculating this year's figures by inflating last year's gives the wrong numbers for those classifications.
What is a cook paid under the hospitality award?
It depends on the grade. A cook grade 1 sits at Level 2, grade 2 at Level 3, a tradesperson cook grade 3 at Level 4 ($29.45 an hour), grade 4 at Level 5 and grade 5 at Level 6 ($32.13 an hour). The word "chef" does not appear as a classification — what matters is the grade in the award's classification structure, and whether the role is a trade-qualified one.
When did the new hospitality rates take effect?
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. That is not universally 1 July. If your pay period began before 1 July 2026, the previous rate lawfully applies to that whole period and the increase starts with your next one — the most common reason a July payslip looks wrong when it is not. The award was varied by determination PR799290, and the Fair Work Ombudsman published the updated pay guide on 24 June 2026.
How these rates were verified▼
Every rate comes from a single constants file checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for MA000009 effective 1 July 2026 (published 24 June 2026) and the consolidated award text. Hourly is the published weekly rate divided by 38; casual rates add the 25% loading.
Automated tests assert the three rules this award is most often modelled wrongly on: that evening and night loadings are flat cash rather than multipliers, that casual penalties are additive rather than compounded, and that the casual loading is excluded from overtime. Junior figures are the award percentage applied to the weekly classification rate and then divided by 38 — the order Fair Work uses. Classifications we could not verify are listed as gaps rather than estimated.
Sources & References
- 1Pay guide — Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 2Consolidated award text MA000009— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2026— Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 28 July 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Penny Ward
Verified AuthorEmployment & Workplace Rights Editor
B.Com (Hons), Cert IV Financial Planning
Penny is a financial journalist and workplace compliance specialist with over a decade of experience writing about Australian employment law, Fair Work entitlements, and payroll. She has contributed to publications covering industrial relations and personal finance, and previously advised small businesses on award interpretation and pay compliance.
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