Jobs and Skills Australia's $2,606 a week median is for all metal fitters and machinists, a group that includes mining maintenance fitters, and the same profile reports an average of 50 hours a week for full-time workers. It reflects overtime and enterprise agreements, not the award minimum.
The penalty and overtime rules below are the Manufacturing Award's. A fitter on a mine site or a construction project follows that award's rules instead.
Which award covers fitters and turners
Fitters and turners employed in manufacturing and engineering workshops are covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 [MA000010]. A tradesperson with a trade certificate or a Certificate III in Engineering — Mechanical Trade is an Engineering Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level I at wage group C10, the award's trade rate (Schedule A.3.1, A.4.7). The award's vehicle manufacturing stream lists "Fitter and turner" by name at Level V5, which is paid the same as C10 (Schedule B.6.3).
Above C10 the mechanical trade has its own ladder, and each step is tied to post-trade study: C9 needs C10 plus 20% of a Diploma of Engineering, C8 40%, C7 a Certificate IV in Engineering or 60%, C6 (Advanced Engineering Tradesperson Level I) 80% of a Diploma of Engineering — Advanced Trade, and C5 the Diploma itself (Schedule A.3.1). The level depends on the training you hold and the work you are required to do, not on years of service.
The employer's industry decides the award. The Mining Industry Award covers servicing and maintaining mining plant by employees principally working where the mining is done (cl 4.2(d)); a trade-qualified maintenance fitter there is at least Level 3—Competent (Schedule A.3.4). A fitter employed in the metal and engineering construction sector is under the Building and Construction General On-site Award, which lists Fitter at CW/ECW3. Both are in the second table.
Read the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 [MA000010] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 July 2026), or see every classification on our MA000010 award rates page.
Fitter and Turner 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.
Fitter and turner pay rates by classification, 2026–27
Manufacturing Award cl 20.1(a), from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Casual is the hourly rate plus the 25% loading (cl 11.1). The training shown is the minimum Schedule A.3.1 sets for each level.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C10 — Engineering Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level ITrade certificate or Certificate III in Engineering — Mechanical Trade | $29.45 | $1,119.10 | $58,193 | $36.81 |
| C9 — Engineering Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level IIC10 + 20% towards a Diploma of Engineering | $30.38 | $1,154.30 | $60,024 | $37.98 |
| C8 — Special Class Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level IC10 + 40% towards a Diploma of Engineering | $31.30 | $1,189.40 | $61,849 | $39.13 |
| C7 — Special Class Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level IICertificate IV in Engineering, or C10 + 60% towards a Diploma | $32.13 | $1,221.10 | $63,497 | $40.16 |
| C6 — Advanced Engineering Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level IC10 + 80% towards a Diploma of Engineering — Advanced Trade | $33.77 | $1,283.10 | $66,721 | $42.21 |
| C5 — Advanced Engineering Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level IIDiploma of Engineering — Advanced Trade | $34.46 | $1,309.50 | $68,094 | $43.08 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Fitter pay rates on mine sites and engineering construction, 2026–27
The same trade under the Mining Industry Award and the Building and Construction General On-site Award, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Both rows are ordinary rates that already include the award's all-purpose allowances.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mining Industry Award — Level 3 (Competent), maintenance tradesTrade certificate; includes the $41.41 all-purpose industry allowance | $30.54 | $1,160.51 | $60,347 | $38.18 |
| Building and Construction Award — Fitter (CW/ECW 3)Metal and engineering construction; includes industry and tool allowances | $31.79 | $1,207.84 | $62,808 | $39.74 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Fitter and Turner penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday, 6 am–6 pm (ordinary hours) | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday ordinary hours (only where agreed) | 150% | 187.5% |
| Sunday ordinary hours (only where agreed) | 200% | 250% |
| Public holiday (minimum 3 hours) | 250% | 312.5% |
| Afternoon or night shift | 115% | 143.8% |
| Permanent night shift | 130% | 162.5% |
Percentages of the minimum hourly rate (cl 33). Day workers' ordinary hours are Monday to Friday, 6 am to 6 pm; Saturday or Sunday ordinary hours need agreement, and without it weekend work is overtime. For casuals this award compounds: each percentage applies to the casual hourly rate that already includes the 25% loading, so a casual Saturday at 150% is 187.5% of the base rate.
Overtime
- First 3 hours of overtime at 150% of the minimum hourly rate, then 200% (cl 32). Continuous shiftworkers are paid 200% for all overtime.
- Saturday overtime for day workers is 150% for the first 3 hours (minimum 4 hours), then 200%; Sunday overtime is 200% with a 3-hour minimum; public holiday overtime is 250%.
- For casuals, overtime is a percentage of the casual hourly rate (cl 32.1(f)). A call back after leaving work is paid for at least 4 hours at overtime rates (cl 32.13).
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Allowances
| Allowance | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Tool allowance — tradesperson | $17.90 per week | All-purpose. Not payable where the employer provides all tools (cl 30.2(c)(iii)–(iv)). (cl 30.2(c)(ii)) |
| Leading hand — in charge of 3 to 10 employees | $48.98 per week | All-purpose: added to the rate before penalties and overtime are calculated. (cl 30.2(a)(i)) |
| Leading hand — in charge of 11 to 20 employees | $73.15 per week | All-purpose. (cl 30.2(a)(i)) |
| Confined spaces | $1.12 per hour | (cl 30.4(f)) |
| Dirty work | $0.85 per hour | $1.12 an hour for certain ship repair work (cl 30.4(g)(ii)). (cl 30.4(g)(i)) |
| First aid allowance | $22.26 per week | (cl 30.3(b)) |
Fitter and Turner pay after tax
On the C10 — Engineering Tradesperson (Mechanical) Level I rate of $1,119.10 a week, a full-time fitter and turner earns $58,193 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $58,193 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$7,851 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,164 |
| Take-home per year | $49,178 |
| Take-home per week | $946 |
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 $60,000 (the nearest step to $58,193), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What fitters and turners actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Metal Fitters and Machinists (ANZSCO 3232) at $2,606 a week ($60 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 and adult apprentice rates (cl 21–24).
- Height money, ship repair and the other special rates in cl 30.4 not listed above.
- Rates under the Building and Construction General On-site Award, the Mining Industry Award and enterprise agreements, which can apply instead of this award.
- Vehicle manufacturing employees under Part 9 of the award, who have their own loadings and allowances.
- Mining Industry Award and Building and Construction Award penalty, overtime and allowance rules, which differ from the Manufacturing Award's.
Fitter and Turner 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 Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020, consolidated to 1 July 2026, on 9 October 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
- 2Mining Industry Award 2020 [MA000011] — consolidated to 1 July 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 3
- 4Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 5Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 6
Last verified: 9 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
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AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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