$26 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$26 an hour is $51,376 a year before tax and $44,645 after tax in 2026-27, based on a 38-hour week.
$26 an Hour After Tax
$26 an hour after tax is $858.56 a week on a 38-hour week: you keep $22.59 of every hour. The effective tax rate is 13.1%, and the next dollar is taxed at 32%.
| 38 hrs a week | Hour | Day | Week | Fortnight | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $26.00 | $197.60 | $988.00 | $1,976.00 | $4,281.33 | $51,376.00 |
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$2.89 | −$21.93 | −$109.67 | −$219.35 | −$475.25 | −$5,703.00 |
| Medicare levy | −$0.52 | −$3.95 | −$19.77 | −$39.54 | −$85.67 | −$1,028.00 |
| Take-home pay | $22.59 | $171.71 | $858.56 | $1,717.12 | $3,720.42 | $44,645.00 |
| Employer super (on top) | $3.12 | $23.71 | $118.56 | $237.12 | $513.75 | $6,165.00 |
2026-27 resident rates, tax-free threshold claimed; each pay's withholding can differ by a few dollars.
$26 an Hour Is Below the Adult Minimum Wage
$26 an hour is $0.44 under the $26.44 national minimum wage that an adult (21 or older) in the national system must be paid from 1 July 2026 (Annual Wage Review 2026). For an adult it is an underpayment unless it is one of these:
- A junior rate. The national junior scale sets $25.84 at age 20 and $26.44 at 21, so $26 meets the minimum for employees aged 20 and under (minimum wage at 20). Awards set their own junior percentages.
- An apprentice rate. Apprentice award minimums within 50c of $26:
- $25.74: 2nd-year adult apprentice (Automotive repair (motor mechanic); Manufacturing and engineering (boilermaker, fabrication); Meat industry (apprentice butcher))
- $25.74: 3rd-year adult apprentice (Meat industry (apprentice butcher))
- $25.87: 1st-year adult apprentice (Electrical (apprentice electrician))
- $25.92: 4th-year junior apprentice (Automotive repair (motor mechanic))
- $25.92: 4th-year junior apprentice, Year 12 not completed (Manufacturing and engineering (boilermaker, fabrication))
- $26.44: 3rd-year adult apprentice (Automotive repair (motor mechanic); Manufacturing and engineering (boilermaker, fabrication))
- An award entry-level rate. The 2026 review set a $25.74 floor for entry-level rates in an employee's first 6 months (the Hospitality Award's Introductory level, for one), which $26 clears.
$51,376 a year is ahead of 6–10% of full-time employees (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) and $56,976 below the average full-time salary of $108,352 (May 2026).
Award Jobs With a Minimum Rate of About $26 an Hour
These award classifications have an adult minimum rate within $0.50 of $26 an hour.
| Award and classification | Minimum rate | vs $26 | Casual minimum | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality AwardIntroductory | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
| Manufacturing AwardC14 / V1 | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
| Meat Industry AwardMI 1 | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
| Timber AwardGeneral Timber — Level 1; Wood and Timber Furniture — Level 1 | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
| Live Performance AwardLevel 1 — Production and Support Staff 1 (induction/training) | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
| Fitness Industry AwardLevel 1 | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
| Miscellaneous AwardLevel 1 | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
| Restaurant AwardIntroductory Level | $25.74 | −$0.26 | $32.18 | 1 July 2026 |
Adult minimums for ordinary hours from the first full pay period on or after the date shown; pay can be higher. Casual: plus the 25% loading. Sources: Hospitality Award (MA000009) award text and FWO pay guide, determination PR799290; Manufacturing Award (MA000010) cl 20.1(a); Meat Industry Award (MA000059) cl 16.1; Timber Award (MA000071) cl 20.1(a)–(c); Live Performance Award (MA000081) cl 11.1 (Production and Support Staff categories); Fitness Industry Award (MA000094) cl 15.1; Miscellaneous Award (MA000104) cl 15.1; Restaurant Award (MA000119) cl 18.1, Table 3.
Pay Scale Points Near $51,376 a Year
$26 an hour full time is $51,376 a year. Points within $988 of $51,376 on published public service and aviation pay scales, one per employer (full-time hours vary, so compare salaries):
| Employer and point | Salary | vs $51,376 |
|---|---|---|
| Pilots (Air Pilots Award minimums)Aerial application (agricultural) pilots (clause C.9.1): 0–1000From 1 July 2026 | $51,001 | −$375 |
| Queensland public serviceAdministrative Officer 1, AO1/2From 1 September 2026 | $51,982 | +$606 |
Base salaries as published; allowances, loadings and super are extra.
Weekend and Overtime Rates Near $26 an Hour
The closest award minimum to $26 with published penalty tables is Manufacturing Award C14 / V1 at $25.74 an hour from 1 July 2026. For a full-time or part-time employee on that minimum, the award's own tables give:
| When worked | Rate | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Day worker — Saturday ordinary hours (only where agreed under cl 17.2(c)) | 150% | $38.61 |
| Day worker — Sunday ordinary hours (only where agreed under cl 17.2(c)) | 200% | $51.48 |
| Day worker — public holiday (minimum 3 hours) | 250% | $64.35 |
| Afternoon or night shift | 115% | $29.60 |
| Permanent night shift | 130% | $33.46 |
| Shiftworker — Saturday | 150% | $38.61 |
| Shiftworker (other than continuous) — Sunday | 200% | $51.48 |
| Shiftworker (other than continuous) — public holiday | 250% | $64.35 |
| Overtime: Overtime — first 3 hours (other than continuous shiftworkers) | 150% | $38.61 |
| Overtime: Overtime — after 3 hours | 200% | $51.48 |
| Overtime: Saturday overtime, day worker — first 3 hours (minimum 4 hours) | 150% | $38.61 |
| Overtime: Saturday overtime, day worker — after 3 hours | 200% | $51.48 |
| Overtime: Sunday overtime (minimum 3 hours) | 200% | $51.48 |
| Overtime: Public holiday overtime, day worker (minimum 3 hours) | 250% | $64.35 |
| Overtime: Continuous shiftworker — all overtime | 200% | $51.48 |
Manufacturing Award (MA000010) cl 33 and cl 32, applied to the $25.74 minimum; casual rates differ. Full Manufacturing Award rates.
$26 an Hour by Hours Worked
| Hours a week | Week before tax | Week after tax | Year before tax | Year after tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $520.00 | $507.96 | $27,040 | $26,414 |
| 25 | $650.00 | $607.33 | $33,800 | $31,581 |
| 30 | $780.00 | $710.42 | $40,560 | $36,942 |
| 38 (full time) | $988.00 | $858.56 | $51,376 | $44,645 |
| 45 | $1,170.00 | $979.58 | $60,840 | $50,938 |
| 38 as a casual$32.50 an hour: $26 plus 25% | $1,235.00 | $1,022.83 | $64,220 | $53,187 |
Dropping to 25 hours a week cuts gross pay by 34% but take-home by only 29%, because the part-time income ($33,800) tops out in the 15% bracket and no longer reaches the 30% rate: you keep $24.29 of each hour, against $22.59 full time. The 37% rate starts above $135,000, $68.32 an hour full time. Every threshold at this income: take-home pay on $50,000.
Quick Answers
- Is $26 an hour legal in Australia?
- Not as an adult's ordinary pay: $26 is $0.44 under the $26.44 national minimum wage for adults from 1 July 2026. It meets the national junior minimum for employees aged 20 and under ($25.84 at 20); it is within 50c of the $25.92 minimum for a 4th-year junior apprentice (Automotive repair (motor mechanic)); it clears the $25.74 floor for award entry-level rates in the first 6 months.
- Which award jobs have a minimum rate of about $26 an hour?
- From 1 July 2026, adult minimum rates within $0.50 of $26 an hour include: Hospitality Award Introductory at $25.74; Manufacturing Award C14 / V1 at $25.74; Meat Industry Award MI 1 at $25.74; Timber Award General Timber — Level 1 and Wood and Timber Furniture — Level 1 at $25.74; Live Performance Award Level 1 — Production and Support Staff 1 (induction/training) at $25.74; Fitness Industry Award Level 1 at $25.74; Miscellaneous Award Level 1 at $25.74; Restaurant Award Introductory Level at $25.74. These are legal minimums for ordinary hours, not typical pay: many employees are paid more.
- What are weekend and overtime rates near $26 an hour?
- On the Manufacturing Award C14 / V1 minimum of $25.74 (from 1 July 2026), a full-time or part-time employee gets Day worker — Saturday ordinary hours (only where agreed under cl 17.2(c)): 150%, $38.61; Day worker — Sunday ordinary hours (only where agreed under cl 17.2(c)): 200%, $51.48; Day worker — public holiday (minimum 3 hours): 250%, $64.35; overtime, Overtime — first 3 hours (other than continuous shiftworkers): 150%, $38.61. Casuals and other classifications are paid differently.
- Which published pay scales pay about $51,376 a year?
- Within $988 of $51,376, one point per employer: Pilots (Air Pilots Award minimums), Aerial application (agricultural) pilots (clause C.9.1): 0–1000, $51,001; Queensland public service, Administrative Officer 1, AO1/2, $51,982. These are full-time base salaries; hours, allowances and super differ between employers.
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