A daily hire carpenter on a general building site has a higher ordinary hourly rate: ($1,227.47 x 52/50.4) / 38 = $33.33 an hour (cl 19.3(a)).
Which award covers carpenters
Carpenters employed by builders and construction contractors are covered by the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 [MA000020]. The award classifies a qualified carpenter as a Construction Worker Level 3 (CW3).
A carpenter's minimum is more than the CW3 rate printed in clause 19.1. The award adds an industry allowance ($67.15 a week in general building and civil construction, $53.72 on single and dual occupancy residential jobs) and a $41.22 carpenter's tool allowance, and says both are paid for all purposes. Quoting the bare $1,119.10 CW3 rate understates a carpenter's minimum by up to $108.37 a week.
The rates below are for weekly hire employees. Daily hire employees, who follow the job, get a higher hourly rate because the award multiplies their weekly amount by 52/50.4 to cover time between jobs (cl 19.3(a)).
Carpenters working for a joinery or cabinet-making business, or in manufacturing, may be covered by a different award such as the Joinery and Building Trades Award.
Read the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 [MA000020] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 July 2026).
Carpenter award pay rates 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
Carpenter pay rates by sector, 2026–27 (weekly hire)
Weekly = CW3 minimum ($1,119.10) + industry allowance + carpenter tool allowance ($41.22), all paid for all purposes. Hourly is that weekly amount over 38 hours; casual adds the 25% loading (cl 12.4).
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenter (CW3) — residential buildingSingle or dual occupancy homes | $31.95 | $1,214.04 | $63,130 | $39.94 |
| Carpenter (CW3) — general building and constructionCommercial, multi-unit and civil work | $32.30 | $1,227.47 | $63,828 | $40.38 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Construction worker levels, general building (weekly hire, without tool allowance)
Clause 19.1 minimum + the $67.15 general building industry allowance. A carpenter classified above CW3 still receives the $41.22 tool allowance on top of these figures.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CW/ECW 1 (level a) — new entrant | $28.44 | $1,080.65 | $56,194 | $35.55 |
| CW/ECW 2 | $30.39 | $1,154.65 | $60,042 | $37.99 |
| CW/ECW 3 — tradesperson | $31.22 | $1,186.25 | $61,685 | $39.03 |
| CW/ECW 4 | $32.15 | $1,221.55 | $63,521 | $40.19 |
| CW/ECW 5 | $33.07 | $1,256.75 | $65,351 | $41.34 |
| CW/ECW 6 | $33.91 | $1,288.45 | $66,999 | $42.39 |
| CW/ECW 7 | $34.83 | $1,323.45 | $68,819 | $43.54 |
| CW/ECW 8 | $35.63 | $1,353.85 | $70,400 | $44.54 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Carpenter penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours (Monday–Friday, 7 am–6 pm) | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday (overtime) — first 2 hours | 150% | 175% |
| Saturday after 2 hours or after 12 noon; Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
Percentages of the ordinary hourly rate, which already includes the industry allowance and any other all-purpose allowance. Ordinary hours run Monday to Friday (cl 16.1), so all weekend work is overtime (cl 29.12, 30.1). Casual rates are from cl 12.5 and 12.6.
Overtime
- Monday to Friday: 150% for the first 2 hours beyond ordinary hours, then 200% (cl 29.4(a)).
- Saturday: 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200%; all Saturday work after 12 noon is 200% (cl 30.1). Sunday: 200%. Public holiday: 250%.
- Minimum payments: 3 hours for Saturday overtime, 4 hours for Sunday and public holidays, and 3 hours for a recall (cl 29.5, 30.2).
- Casuals: 175% where the permanent rate is 150%, and 225% where it is 200% (cl 12.5).
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Allowances
| Allowance | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Industry allowance | $67.15 per week (residential $53.72) | All purposes, paid to every employee (cl 22.1); included in the table. |
| Carpenter tool allowance | $41.22 per week | All purposes, for a carpenter and/or joiner (cl 21.1(a)); included in the carpenter table. |
| Multistorey allowance | $0.77 to $2.24 per hour | Paid to everyone on site while building or renovating a building of 5 or more storeys, rising with the floor level reached (cl 23.3(e)). |
| In charge of plant | $52.60 per week | When you are in charge of plant (cl 23.9). |
| Underground allowance | $20.14 per week | All purposes, when required to work underground (cl 23.2). |
Carpenter pay after tax
On the Carpenter (CW3) — general building and construction rate of $1,227.47 a week, a full-time carpenter earns $63,828 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $63,828 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$9,626 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,277 |
| Take-home per year | $52,925 |
| Take-home per week | $1,018 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $65,000 (the nearest step to $63,828), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What carpenters actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Carpenters and Joiners (ANZSCO 3312) at $1,760 a week ($45 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations.
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) as published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It reflects what employers actually pay, including people on enterprise agreements or above-award salaries, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum.
What this page does not show
- Apprentice carpenter rates, which are percentages of the CW3 standard rate by stage and whether the apprentice finished Year 12 (cl 19.7), plus the allowances.
- Leading hand rates, fares and travel allowances, and special rates for work in wet, hot or confined conditions (cl 23.10).
- Rates under enterprise agreements, which cover much of the commercial construction workforce.
Carpenter pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
Every minimum rate was read from the Fair Work Commission's consolidated text of the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020, consolidated to 1 July 2026, on 23 September 2026. Casual rates are the award's own published figures wherever it publishes them. Nothing is estimated.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1
- 2Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 4
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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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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