Miscellaneous Award Pay Rates by Level
Adult minimum rates for full-time and part-time employees under the Miscellaneous Award 2020. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rate as full-time employees at their classification — the difference is hours, not rate. The casual column adds the 25% loading (cl 11.1(a)).
| Classification level | Weekly (38 hrs) | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| Level 2 | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Level 3 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 4 | $1,221.10 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
Weekly rates are the award’s minimum weekly rate for a full-time employee (cl 15.1); hourly is the weekly rate divided by 38.
Which level am I?
- Level 1: Employed for less than 3 months and not carrying out the duties of a Level 3 or Level 4 employee.
- Level 2: Employed for at least 3 months and not carrying out the duties of a Level 3 or Level 4 employee.
- Level 3: Has a trade qualification or equivalent and is carrying out duties requiring such qualifications.
- Level 4: Has advanced trade qualifications and is carrying out duties requiring them, or is a sub-professional employee.
Check this is your award first — it only covers people no other award does
The Miscellaneous Award is a catch-all. It covers employees in the four levels below who are not covered by any other modern award, and it excludes managerial and professional employees such as accountants, marketers, lawyers, HR and IT specialists (cl 4). If your job fits a specific industry award, that award applies instead and its rates are different. Use Fair Work's award finder if you are unsure.
Worked example: a casual Level 2 employee on a Saturday
Priya is a casual Level 2 employee and works 6 ordinary hours on a Saturday. The Level 2 minimum rate is $27.08 an hour.
- Saturday ordinary hours are paid at 120% for a permanent employee. A casual's column is the permanent percentage plus the 25% loading, so 145% (Schedule A.2.1).
- $27.08 × 145% = $39.27 an hour.
- 6 hours × $39.27 = $235.62 before tax.
A permanent Level 2 employee doing the same shift would earn $32.50 an hour, or $195.00 for 6 hours.
Try your own hours in the overtime pay calculator or the casual loading calculator, add up a full week in the weekly pay calculator, or check the public holiday pay guide.
Miscellaneous Award Pay Guide 2026-27: Every Level, Every Day
The hourly rate for each classification at each penalty band, in the layout of the Fair Work pay guide. Find your level, then the day you worked.
Full-time and part-time
| Classification | Mon–Fri 7am–7pm100% | Mon–Fri outside 7am–7pm120% | Saturday120% | Sunday150% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $25.74 | $30.89 | $30.89 | $38.61 | $64.35 |
| Level 2 | $27.08 | $32.50 | $32.50 | $40.62 | $67.70 |
| Level 3 | $29.45 | $35.34 | $35.34 | $44.18 | $73.63 |
| Level 4 | $32.13 | $38.56 | $38.56 | $48.20 | $80.33 |
Casual
| Classification | Mon–Fri 7am–7pm125% | Mon–Fri outside 7am–7pm145% | Saturday145% | Sunday175% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $32.18 | $37.32 | $37.32 | $45.05 | $64.35 |
| Level 2 | $33.85 | $39.27 | $39.27 | $47.39 | $67.70 |
| Level 3 | $36.81 | $42.70 | $42.70 | $51.54 | $73.63 |
| Level 4 | $40.16 | $46.59 | $46.59 | $56.23 | $80.33 |
Casual figures are the award's casual percentages, which already include the 25% loading where it applies. Figures are rounded to the cent. A dash means the column does not apply to that classification.
Miscellaneous Award Penalty Rates
| When worked | Full-time / part-time | $ on Level 1 | Casual | $ casual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday — outside 7.00 am to 7.00 pm | 120% | $30.89 | 145% | $37.32 |
| Saturday — all day | 120% | $30.89 | 145% | $37.32 |
| Sunday — all day | 150% | $38.61 | 175% | $45.05 |
| Public holiday — all dayCasuals get the same 250% as permanent staff — the table has no extra 25% on a public holiday.Public holiday pay calculator & dates by state → | 250% | $64.35 | 250% | $64.35 |
Source: cl 20 and Schedule A.1.1 / A.2.1.
Weekday hours outside 7.00 am to 7.00 pm and all Saturday hours are 120% for permanent staff and 145% for casuals — the casual figure is the permanent percentage plus the 25% loading. Sunday is 150% (casuals 175%).
The public holiday rate is the exception: Schedule A.2.1 shows casuals at 250%, the same as permanent staff, not 275%.
Miscellaneous Award Overtime Rates
| Overtime worked | Full-time / part-time | $ on Level 1 | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overtime — first 3 hours | 150% | $38.61 | 150% · $38.61 |
| Overtime — after 3 hours | 200% | $51.48 | 200% · $51.48 |
| Overtime on a public holiday | 250% | $64.35 | 250% · $64.35 |
Source: cl 19.1 and Schedule A.1.2.
Overtime is time over an average of 38 hours a week or over the daily maximum, which is 10 ordinary hours (12 by agreement) under cl 13.5. For part-timers it is time over their agreed hours.
The casual loading is not paid on overtime hours (cl 11.1(b)), so a casual's overtime is the same percentage of the minimum rate as a permanent employee's.
Miscellaneous Award Junior Rates
Junior rates are a percentage of the adult rate for the classification (cl 15.4), and apply to the adult rate for the classification. This award applies the percentage to the adult hourly rate, so the dollar columns are the percentage of Level 1 ($25.74 an hour). The full adult rate applies from age 21.
| Age | % of adult rate | Weekly on Level 1 | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 36.8% | $359.86 | $9.47 | $11.84 |
| 16 | 47.3% | $462.84 | $12.18 | $15.23 |
| 17 | 57.8% | $565.44 | $14.88 | $18.60 |
| 18 | 68.3% | $668.04 | $17.58 | $21.98 |
| 19 | 82.5% | $807.12 | $21.24 | $26.55 |
| 20 | 97.7% | $955.70 | $25.15 | $31.44 |
| 21 and over | 100% | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
For how junior scales compare across awards and against the National Minimum Wage, see our junior pay rates guide.
Miscellaneous Award Allowances
Fixed-dollar allowances in cl 17, operative from 1 July 2026. Each is paid only where the clause’s conditions are met.
| Allowance | Amount | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| First aid allowance | $22.38 per week | cl 17.2(a) |
| Leading hand — in charge of 3 to 10 employees | $49.24 per week | cl 17.2(b) |
| Leading hand — in charge of 11 to 20 employees | $72.74 per week | cl 17.2(b) |
| Leading hand — in charge of more than 20 employees | $92.89 per week | cl 17.2(b) |
| Meal allowance (more than 1 hour of overtime, under 24 hours' notice) | $24.56 per occasion | cl 17.3(b)(i) |
| Further meal allowance (overtime over 4 hours) | $22.27 per occasion | cl 17.3(b)(ii) |
| Vehicle allowance | $1.00 per km | cl 17.3(c) |
Minimum Shifts and Hours
- A casual must be engaged and paid for at least 2 consecutive hours each time they attend work (cl 11.2).
- Ordinary hours are not to exceed 10 on any day or shift, or 12 by agreement, and are worked over a maximum of 6 days a week and an average of no more than 20 days in 28 (cl 13.2 to 13.5).
- No one can be required to work more than 5 hours without an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes (cl 14).
What does a miscellaneous award rate take home?
- Take-home on $25.74/hr (Level 1)
- Take-home on $27.08/hr (Level 2)
- Take-home on $29.45/hr (Level 3)
- Take-home on $32.13/hr (Level 4)
Working a mix of shifts? Enter your hours in the weekly pay calculator, or turn a salary into net pay with the take-home pay calculator.
What This Page Does Not Cover
These parts of the award carry rules or rates we have not verified line by line, so we publish no figures for them:
- Apprentice rates (cl 15.2) — percentages of the Level 3 rate by year, but no dollar table is published here
- National Training Wage (Schedule E) trainee rates and the Supported Wage System (Schedule D)
- Whether this award covers you at all — it only covers employees not covered by any other modern award, and excludes managerial and professional employees (cl 4)
An enterprise agreement, if one covers your workplace, replaces these award rates — though it must leave you better off overall.
When These Rates Took Effect
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not universally 1 July. If your pay period began before 1 July 2026, the previous rate lawfully applies to that whole period and the rise starts with the next one. The award was varied by determination PR799384 following the Annual Wage Review 2026. If you have been paid below these rates, our backpay calculator works out what is owed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Miscellaneous Award questions and answers
What are the miscellaneous award pay rates for 2026-27?
Under the Miscellaneous Award 2020 (MA000104), adult minimum rates run from $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week) for Level 1 to $32.13 an hour ($1,221.10 a week) for Level 4. They apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.
What is the casual rate under the Miscellaneous Award?
Casuals receive a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate, so Level 1 becomes $32.18 an hour. Casual penalty rates add the loading rather than multiplying by it — the casual column in the award is the permanent percentage plus 25 percentage points, except public holiday — all day (casual 250%).
What allowances are paid under the Miscellaneous Award?
The award's allowances clause (cl 17) includes: first aid allowance $22.38 per week; leading hand — in charge of 3 to 10 employees $49.24 per week; leading hand — in charge of 11 to 20 employees $72.74 per week; leading hand — in charge of more than 20 employees $92.89 per week; meal allowance (more than 1 hour of overtime, under 24 hours' notice) $24.56 per occasion. Allowances are paid on top of the classification rate when the employee meets the clause's conditions.
What are the junior rates under the Miscellaneous Award?
Junior rates are a percentage of the adult hourly rate for the classification (cl 15.4): Under 16 36.8%, 16 47.3%, 17 57.8%, 18 68.3%, 19 82.5%, 20 97.7%. The full adult rate applies from age 21. They apply to the adult rate for the classification.
When did the new miscellaneous award rates start?
Applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not universally 1 July. The MA000104 rates were varied by determination PR799384 following the Annual Wage Review 2026. If your pay period started before 1 July 2026, the old rate lawfully applies to that whole period.
Who is covered by the Miscellaneous Award?
Employees in the Level 1 to Level 4 classifications who are not covered by any other modern award, throughout Australia (cl 4.1). It does not cover managerial or professional employees such as accountants, marketing, legal, human resources, public relations and IT specialists, or employees covered by an enterprise instrument or a modern enterprise award. It also covers on-hire employees where the labour hire employer is not covered by an award with a more suitable classification.
What is the Miscellaneous Award Saturday and Sunday rate?
Ordinary hours on a Saturday are paid at 120% of the minimum hourly rate for permanent employees and 145% for casuals — $30.89 and $37.32 at Level 1. Sunday is 150% (casuals 175%), or $38.61 and $45.05 at Level 1. Weekday hours outside 7.00 am to 7.00 pm are also 120% (casuals 145%).
What is the Miscellaneous Award overtime rate?
150% of the minimum rate for the first 3 hours and 200% after that ($38.61 and $51.48 at Level 1). Overtime on a public holiday is 250%. The casual loading is not paid on overtime, so casuals get the same overtime percentages as permanent staff.
What do the four levels mean?
Level 1 is an employee employed for less than 3 months who is not doing Level 3 or 4 work; Level 2 is the same after at least 3 months; Level 3 is an employee with a trade qualification doing work that needs it; Level 4 has advanced trade qualifications or is a sub-professional (cl 12.1).
How these rates were verified▼
Every figure comes from one constants file transcribed on 5 October 2026 from the Fair Work Commission’s consolidated MA000104 award text, which incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 July 2026 (PR799280, PR799384 and PR799539). Clause numbers are cited against each table. Hourly is the published weekly rate divided by 38; derived dollar figures are rounded half up to the cent.
Automated tests pin the published rates, check every hourly rate against its weekly rate, and assert the rules this award is most often modelled wrongly on — including that casual penalties add the loading rather than multiplying by it. Parts of the award we have not verified are listed as gaps rather than estimated.
Sources & References
- 1Consolidated award text — Miscellaneous Award 2020 (MA000104)— Fair Work Commission
- 2Award summary and pay guide — MA000104— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2026— Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 5 October 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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