What Is the Minimum Wage in Australia? Per Hour, Week, Year and Casual
The Fair Work Commission set these rates in the Annual Wage Review 2026 ([2026] FWCFB 3500, 2 June 2026). Applies from the start of the employee's first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
| Period | Before tax |
|---|---|
| Hourly | $26.44 |
| Daily (7.6 hours) | $200.98 |
| Weekly (38 hours) | $1,004.90 |
| Fortnightly | $2,009.80 |
| Monthly | $4,354.57 |
| Annual (52 weeks) | $52,254.80 |
| Casual hourly (+25% loading) | $33.05 |
Hourly and weekly rates are set by the order. Daily, fortnightly, monthly and annual figures are our arithmetic on the weekly rate, using 52 weeks a year.
Minimum Wage After Tax
A full-time adult on $52,254.80 a year pays about $7,025 in income tax and Medicare levy in 2026-27, leaving:
- $45,230 a year
- $1,739.62 a fortnight
- $869.81 a week
That assumes an Australian resident who claims the tax-free threshold and has no HECS-HELP debt. The employer also pays about $6,271 a year in super, on top of the wage. Check your own figure with the take-home pay calculator, or the weekly and fortnightly pay calculators.
Minimum Wage in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Other States
There is one national minimum wage. The Fair Work Commission sets the National Minimum Wage and every modern award rate for the whole national system, so a minimum-wage worker in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra or Darwin is entitled to the same $26.44 an hour.
Western Australia is the exception. WA did not refer its private-sector industrial relations powers to the Commonwealth, so employees of sole traders, partnerships, some trusts and other non-corporate employers in WA are in the WA state system. The Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (2026 State Wage Case) sets their minimum: $998.30 a week, or $26.27 an hour, for adults from 1 July 2026. Employees of companies in WA are in the national system and get the National Minimum Wage of $26.44.
State and local government employees in some states are also covered by their state’s own industrial system rather than the national one.
State by state, with each state’s public holidays, payroll tax, long service leave and a take-home calculator: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and Northern Territory.
Award Minimums vs the National Minimum Wage
Most employees are not paid under the National Minimum Wage at all but under a modern award, which sets a minimum for each classification. Award rates rose 4.75% from 1 July 2026, with two floors: the lowest adult award rate for ongoing employment is $26.44 (the same as the National Minimum Wage), and an entry-level rate for no more than the first six months must be at least $25.74. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool applies these award rates by classification, day and employment type; our Fair Work pay calculator guide explains how it works.
| Rate | Hourly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|
| National Minimum Wage (no award) | $26.44 | $1,004.90 |
| Hospitality award: Introductory level | $25.74 | $978.10 |
| Hospitality award: Level 1 | $26.44 | $1,004.90 |
| Retail award: Level 1 | $27.81 | $1,056.80 |
| Fast food award: Level 1 | $27.81 | $1,056.80 |
Adult full-time and part-time rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, from each award’s minimum rates clause. Other awards: see award rates.
Casual and Part-Time Minimum Wage
An adult casual with no award must get at least $33.05 an hour: the minimum plus a 25% casual loading, which the Commission kept at 25% in the 2026 review. The loading replaces paid leave, so it is not a pay rise as such; the casual loading calculator shows what it is worth against a permanent job.
Part-time employees get the same $26.44 hourly rate for fewer hours. For a salary quoted as full-time equivalent, the pro-rata salary calculator works out what you are paid for your actual days or hours.
Minimum Wage for Under-21s
The full rate applies from 21. Younger employees get a percentage of it, from $9.73 an hour under 16 to $25.84 at 20. See minimum wage by age, or go straight to a 15, 16, 17 or 18 year old.
When Does the Minimum Wage Go Up Next?
The Fair Work Commission reviews minimum wages every year. The next review is the Annual Wage Review 2027, and its outcome is expected to apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2027. The decision is usually announced in late May or June; the 2026 decision came on 2 June 2026. In that decision the Commission noted that the remaining real wage gap for award-reliant employees could be closed in the 2027 Review if inflation forecasts are borne out.
Recent increases
| From | Hourly | Weekly | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2026 | $26.44 | $1,004.90 | 6.0% |
| 1 Jul 2025 | $24.95 | $948.00 | 3.5% |
| 1 Jul 2024 | $24.10 | $915.90 | 3.75% |
| 1 Jul 2023 | $23.23 | $882.80 | 8.6% |
| 1 Jul 2022 | $21.38 | $812.60 | 5.2% |
| 1 Jul 2021 | $20.33 | $772.60 | 2.5% |
Every rate back to 2010 is on the minimum wage history page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Australia?
From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 for a 38-hour week, before tax. That is $52,254.80 a year for a full-time employee. It applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026 and was set by the Fair Work Commission in the Annual Wage Review 2026 ([2026] FWCFB 3500).
What is the minimum wage in Victoria, NSW and Queensland?
The same as everywhere else in Australia: $26.44 an hour. The National Minimum Wage and modern award rates are set nationally by the Fair Work Commission, so there is no separate minimum wage for Victoria, Melbourne, New South Wales, Sydney, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory. Western Australia is the one partial exception: employees of sole traders, partnerships and some trusts there are in the WA state system, whose adult State Minimum Wage is $998.30 a week ($26.27 an hour) from 1 July 2026.
What is the casual minimum wage in Australia?
An adult casual employee with no award must be paid at least $33.05 an hour: the $26.44 minimum plus the 25% casual loading. The loading is paid instead of the paid leave and other entitlements that permanent employees receive. Awards set their own casual rates, usually also with a 25% loading on the award rate.
How much is the minimum wage after tax?
A full-time adult on the minimum wage earns $52,254.80 a year. After income tax and the Medicare levy, with the tax-free threshold claimed and no HECS debt, that is about $45,230 a year, or $869.81 a week. Your employer also pays about $6,271 a year in super on top.
When does the minimum wage go up next?
The next change will come from the Annual Wage Review 2027. Annual Wage Review outcomes operate from 1 July, so the next increase is expected to apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2027. The Commission usually announces its decision in late May or June. The 2026 decision was handed down on 2 June 2026.
Who gets paid the National Minimum Wage?
Adults aged 21 and over who are not covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement. Most employees are covered by an award, which sets its own minimum for each classification. Since 1 July 2026 the lowest adult award rate for ongoing employment is $26.44, and an entry-level rate for no more than the first six months must be at least $25.74. Junior employees, apprentices, trainees and employees on the supported wage system have their own minimums under the National Minimum Wage Order 2026.
How these figures were worked out▼
The hourly and weekly rates, the 25% casual loading and the operative date are taken from the Annual Wage Review 2026 decision ([2026] FWCFB 3500) and the National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279), and are held by automated tests. Award rates come from each award’s consolidated text. After-tax figures use this site’s 2026-27 tax engine for a resident claiming the tax-free threshold with no HECS debt.
Sources & References
- 1National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279)— Fair Work Commission
- 2Annual Wage Review 2026— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Minimum wages— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 4Award and agreement free wages and conditions— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 5WA award and minimum rates of pay to increase from 1 July 2026— Government of Western Australia
Last verified: 23 September 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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