Admitted lawyers are award-free: the $33.99 an hour law graduate rate stops applying once you are admitted and practising, and the only legal floor becomes the National Minimum Wage ($26.44 an hour).
Which award covers lawyers
Admitted lawyers — solicitors, barristers and legal practitioners — are award-free. The Fair Work Ombudsman's guidance is that a qualified lawyer working at a law firm is not covered by the Legal Services Award, because it has no classification for their work, and is not covered by the Miscellaneous Award, because that award excludes professional employees.
An award-free lawyer is still entitled to the National Minimum Wage and the National Employment Standards. Above that floor, pay is set by the employment contract or an enterprise agreement.
Law graduates are different. A graduate working in a private law firm to complete the training required for admission is covered by the Legal Services Award 2020 [MA000116] and classified at Level 5 — Law graduate. Law clerks are Level 6, and legal secretaries and other support staff are Levels 1 to 5.
The Legal Services Award does not cover community legal centres or Aboriginal legal services (cl 4.3). Lawyers in government are paid under public service agreements.
Read the Legal Services Award 2020 [MA000116] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 July 2026).
Lawyer 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.
Law graduate and law clerk award rates — Legal Services Award
Clause 15.1, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Casual rates are Schedule B.2.1 exactly.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 — Law graduateBefore admission, completing practical legal training | $33.99 | $1,291.80 | $67,174 | $42.49 |
| Level 6 — Law clerk | $36.03 | $1,369.20 | $71,198 | $45.04 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
The legal minimum for an admitted lawyer (award-free)
The National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279) is the only legal floor for an admitted lawyer. It is not a typical lawyer's salary.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Minimum Wage (adult)Admitted lawyers — award-free | $26.44 | $1,004.90 | $52,255 | $33.05 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Lawyer penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Saturday until 12 noon, outside ordinary hours — first 3 hours | 150% | 175% |
| Monday–Saturday until 12 noon — after 3 hours | 200% | 225% |
| Saturday after 12 noon; Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
These are the Legal Services Award rates for day workers, whose ordinary hours are 7 am to 6.30 pm Monday to Friday (cl 13.1): all other work is overtime (cl 20.2). Admitted, award-free lawyers have no award penalty or overtime rates.
Overtime
- Law graduates and other Legal Services Award day workers: overtime Monday to Saturday until 12 noon is 150% for the first 3 hours, then 200%; after 12 noon Saturday and Sunday 200%; public holidays 250%, with a 3-hour minimum on weekends and public holidays (cl 20.2).
- Admitted lawyers: no award overtime. The NES allows an employer to require reasonable additional hours; whether they are paid depends on the contract.
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Lawyer pay after tax
On the Level 5 — Law graduate rate of $1,291.80 a week, a full-time lawyer earns $67,174 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $67,174 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$10,672 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,343 |
| Take-home per year | $55,159 |
| Take-home per week | $1,061 |
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 $67,174), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What lawyers actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Solicitors (ANZSCO 2713) at $2,070 a week ($56 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
- A graduate-to-partner salary ladder: no primary source publishes one, and we do not estimate salaries.
- Legal secretary and legal support rates (Legal Services Award Levels 1–5 clerical), junior rates and shiftwork rates.
Lawyer 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 Legal Services 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
- 1Award coverage for lawyers and law graduates working in law firms (K600646)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 2Legal Services Award 2020 [MA000116] — consolidated to 1 July 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 3National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279)— Fair Work Commission
- 4Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 5Solicitors (ANZSCO 2713) occupation profile — ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025— Jobs and Skills Australia
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
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