Hospitality Award Pay Rates
The table below gives the adult hospitality award 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 | $32.18 |
| 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.
Hospitality Pay Guide 2026-27: Every Level, Every Day
The two tables below give the hospitality award hourly rate for every classification on each day of the week, first for permanent employees and then for casuals, in the layout of the Fair Work pay guide. Evening and night work add a flat amount on top, set out under penalty rates.
Full-time and part-time
| Classification | Mon–Fri100% | Saturday125% | Sunday150% | Public holiday225% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory | $25.74 | $32.18 | $38.61 | $57.92 |
| Level 1 | $26.44 | $33.05 | $39.66 | $59.49 |
| Level 2 | $27.08 | $33.85 | $40.62 | $60.93 |
| Level 3 | $27.97 | $34.96 | $41.96 | $62.93 |
| Level 4 | $29.45 | $36.81 | $44.18 | $66.26 |
| Level 5 | $31.30 | $39.13 | $46.95 | $70.43 |
| Level 6 | $32.13 | $40.16 | $48.20 | $72.29 |
| Managerial staff (hotels) | $32.19 | $40.24 | $48.29 | $72.43 |
Casual (includes the 25% loading)
| Classification | Mon–Fri125% | Saturday150% | Sunday175% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory | $32.18 | $38.61 | $45.05 | $64.35 |
| Level 1 | $33.05 | $39.66 | $46.27 | $66.10 |
| Level 2 | $33.85 | $40.62 | $47.39 | $67.70 |
| Level 3 | $34.96 | $41.96 | $48.95 | $69.93 |
| Level 4 | $36.81 | $44.18 | $51.54 | $73.63 |
| Level 5 | $39.13 | $46.95 | $54.78 | $78.25 |
| Level 6 | $40.16 | $48.20 | $56.23 | $80.33 |
| Managerial staff (hotels) | $40.24 | $48.29 | $56.33 | $80.48 |
Rates are the percentages in award Table 14 applied to each classification’s hourly rate and rounded to the cent. Casual weekend and public holiday percentages already include the loading.
Which Award for Hospitality Applies to You?
The award for hospitality that applies to you depends on what your employer's business does, not on your job title. Venues that serve food or drink are not all under the same award. Work through this list in order:
- Hotel, motel, pub, bar, resort, casino, caterer or accommodation business: the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009), the rates on this page.
- A restaurant or cafe that is not part of a hotel or resort: the Restaurant Industry Award 2020. See the restaurant award rates.
- A fast food outlet: the Fast Food Industry Award 2010. See the fast food award rates.
- A registered or licensed club: the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award, not the hospitality award.
- A shop that also sells coffee: usually the General Retail Industry Award.
- An employer with an enterprise agreement that covers you: the agreement applies instead of the award, and it cannot pay less than the award. Use the enterprise agreement guide to find yours.
If you are unsure, the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool will name the award from your industry and job. The full list of awards is on our award rates by industry page.
The Hospitality Industry Award: Who It Covers
The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 is an industry award: clause 4 says it covers, to the exclusion of any other modern award, employers in the hospitality industry throughout Australia and their employees who hold a classification in Schedule A. The hospitality industry is defined to include hotels, motor inns and motels, boarding establishments, private hotels, guest houses and serviced apartments, caravan parks, resorts, wine bars and taverns, caterers, casinos and function or convention facilities, and restaurants operating in or in connection with premises owned or run by those employers.
It also covers on-hire employees working in the hospitality industry, and apprentices or trainees hosted by an employer the award covers. It does not cover employees under an enterprise agreement or modern enterprise award, or employers in several named industries including registered clubs, hospitals, boarding schools, theme parks, in-flight catering, and restaurants that fall under the Fast Food, Registered and Licensed Clubs or Restaurant Industry awards.
The award text is published by the Fair Work Commission at awards.fairwork.gov.au, and the pay rates above are the clause 18 minimum rates in that text.
Which Level Am I? Hospitality Classifications
The hospitality award classifies you by the work you perform, not by your job title. The table below maps each food and beverage, kitchen and cooking classification to its pay level and hourly rate.
| 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. The food and beverage attendant 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 holidayPublic holiday pay calculator & dates by state. What this rate pays on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Australia Day and Easter. | 225% | $59.49 | 250% | $66.10 |
Evening and night work is a flat cash amount
Evening and night loadings in the hospitality award work differently from weekend penalties: they 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)).
Casual hospitality 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. As a result, 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 rates 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 for the first 3 hours Monday to Saturday is 175% against 150% for permanents. One payroll configuration cannot apply both awards' overtime rules.
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 | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 17 | 50% | $502.45 | $13.22 | $16.53 |
| 17 | 60% | $602.94 | $15.87 | $19.84 |
| 18 | 70% | $703.43 | $18.51 | $23.14 |
| 19 | 85% | $854.17 | $22.48 | $28.10 |
| 20 and over | 100% | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
Two junior rules set the hospitality award apart from the retail award. 19-year-olds receive 85% where the retail award pays 80% (rising to 85% from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 for 19-year-olds with more than 6 months’ service). And the full adult rate starts at 20 with no service condition, where a retail 20-year-old gets it only after more than 6 months with the employer (90% before that).
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 | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 45% | $452.21 | $11.90 | $14.88 |
| 16 | 55.0% | $552.70 | $14.54 | $18.18 |
| 17 | 65% | $653.19 | $17.19 | $21.49 |
| 18 | 75% | $753.68 | $19.83 | $24.79 |
| 19 | 90% | $904.41 | $23.80 | $29.75 |
| 20 and over | 100% | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
For how junior rates compare across awards and against the National Minimum Wage, see our junior pay rates guide.
Hospitality Allowances
The table lists the fixed-dollar allowances in clause 26 of the hospitality award, from 1 July 2026. Each is paid only where the clause’s conditions are met; reimbursements of actual cost (such as special clothing) are not listed.
| Allowance | Amount | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Meal allowance (overtime of more than 2 hours, not advised the previous day)Full-time and part-time employees, unless the employer supplies a meal. | $17.42 per occasion | cl 26.4(b)(i) |
| Tool and equipment allowance (cook or apprentice cook using their own tools)Up to a maximum of $9.94 per week. | $2.03 per day | cl 26.5(a) |
| First aid allowance (full-time) | $13.43 per week | cl 26.12(b)(i) |
| First aid allowance (part-time or casual)Up to a maximum of $13.43 per week. | $2.69 per day | cl 26.12(b)(ii) |
| Split shift allowance (2 to 3 hours between shifts)Full-time and part-time employees. | $3.69 per day | cl 26.14(b)(i) |
| Split shift allowance (more than 3 hours between shifts)Full-time and part-time employees. | $5.60 per day | cl 26.14(b)(ii) |
| Motor vehicle allowance | $1.01 per km | cl 26.7 |
| Fork-lift driver allowanceAll-purpose. | $0.44 per hour | cl 26.3(a) |
| Overnight stay allowance (staying on the premises to assist guests)Work of more than an hour during the stay is paid at 150%. | $67.15 per overnight stay | cl 26.15(b)(i) |
See how these compare with the allowances in other awards, and how each is taxed, in the allowances guide.
What does a hospitality rate take home?
For a week with a mix of shifts, enter your hours in theweekly 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 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): these 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
Hospitality Award rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. The start date is therefore not 1 July for every employee. 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. This is 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.
Hospitality Level 1 and Level 2 Casual Pay Rates: What Each Level Does
Most casual hospitality jobs are classified at Level 1 or Level 2. Rates apply from 1 July 2026. The casual hourly column adds the 25% loading; the Saturday, Sunday and public holiday columns apply the award’s casual percentages (150%, 175% and 250%), which already include that loading.
| Level | Full-time hourly | Casual hourly | Casual Saturday | Casual Sunday | Casual public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $26.44 | $33.05 | $39.66 | $46.27 | $66.10 |
| Level 2 | $27.08 | $33.85 | $40.62 | $47.39 | $67.70 |
- Level 1 covers the food & beverage attendant grade 1, kitchen attendant grade 1 classifications: serving, clearing, basic food preparation and kitchen cleaning under direction. The introductory level ($25.74 an hour) is for a new entrant who has not yet shown the Level 1 competencies, for up to three months while that training is done.
- Level 2 covers the food & beverage attendant grade 2, cook grade 1, kitchen attendant grade 2 classifications: taking orders and serving alcohol, cooking breakfasts or snacks, and general kitchen duties without close supervision.
A casual moves from Level 1 to Level 2 when the work they do matches the Level 2 classification descriptor in the award’s classification schedule, not after a set period of service. The Fair Work Ombudsman award summary lists the duties for each grade.
The figures above are adult rates. A junior casual is paid the age percentage in the Hospitality Junior Rates table of the adult casual rate, from 50% under 17 to 85% at 19, unless a trade qualification or liquor service work requires the adult rate. To turn a casual hourly rate into a fortnightly take-home amount, use the tax on every salary tables or the take-home pay calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hospitality award rate questions and answers
How much do hospitality workers get paid per hour?
Under the Hospitality Award the minimum for a Level 1 worker is $26.44 an hour, or $33.05 as a casual, from 1 July 2026. Rates rise with the classification to $32.13 at Level 6. Evenings, weekends and public holidays pay more, and workers under 20 can be paid a junior percentage.
What does the hospitality award mean?
The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009) is the modern award that sets minimum pay and conditions for hospitality employers and their staff. It covers hotels, motels, resorts and other accommodation, taverns and wine bars, caterers, casinos, and restaurants or nightclubs connected to those businesses. Registered clubs and standalone restaurants have their own awards.
How much did hospitality award rates increase in 2026?
Most rates rose 4.75% from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, under the Annual Wage Review 2026. The introductory rate and Level 1 were instead lifted to the new floors of $978.10 and $1,004.90 a week. The next increase is due from 1 July 2027 after the Annual Wage Review 2027.
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 under the Hospitality Award 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?
Hospitality Award penalty rates for permanent employees are Saturday 125%, Sunday 150% and public holidays 225% of the ordinary rate. Casuals are paid 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 (cl 29.3(b)). The clause 16 Breaks penalty is payable in addition to the highest applicable penalty rate (cl 29.3(c)).
How do hospitality evening and night rates work?
Hospitality evening and night rates are flat cash amounts per hour, not percentage multipliers. 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. The General Retail Industry Award uses a percentage for evening work instead.
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. As a result, 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 for the first three hours, Monday to Saturday, is 175% against 150% for permanents. One payroll rule cannot serve both awards.
What is the hospitality overtime rate?
Hospitality Award overtime is 150% for the first two hours on a weekday 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%. In hospitality, 19-year-olds receive 85% where the retail award pays 80%, and hospitality pays every 20-year-old the full adult rate, where retail pays a 20-year-old with 6 months' service or less 90%. 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?
A cook's Hospitality Award rate depends on the cook 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?
Hospitality Award rates apply 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. This is 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 three rules of this award: 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. This is 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: 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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