Queensland state award wages rose 4.75% from 1 September 2026. The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission's State Wage Case decision ([2026] QIRC 280), delivered on 4 September 2026, matched the federal Annual Wage Review and set the Queensland minimum wage at $1,004.90 a week, the same as the national minimum wage.
2026 State Wage Case — operative 1 September 2026
| What changed | Detail |
|---|---|
| State award wages and salaries (full-time adults) | +4.75% |
| Work-related allowances and service increments | +4.75% |
| Queensland minimum wage | $1,004.90 a week |
| Award floor: AO3 pay point 1 | $81,032 a year |
| Award floor: AO5 / PO4 pay point 1 | $109,704 / $124,627 |
Who it covers
Award rates in the national Fair Work system rose 4.75% from 1 July 2026. The State Wage Case covers Queensland employers outside that system — chiefly the state public sector and local government. The parties' agreed statistics in the decision put that group at an estimated 383,000 workers, including 333,329 in the Queensland public sector, where 99% are covered by an agreement and 1,898 rely on the award alone.
The Commission made four orders: a 4.75% increase to wages and salaries for full-time adult employees in all state awards; the same increase to work-related monetary allowances and service increments (expense-related allowances are adjusted separately); the $1,004.90 minimum; and an operative date of 1 September 2026. It also clarified that employees under 21 covered by a Queensland modern award are paid that award's junior rates rather than the minimum wage.
Why it matters even if you are on an agreement
An award is the floor, so a certified agreement rate cannot fall below it. The State Government Entities Certified Agreement 2023, which covers most departments, passed its nominal expiry on 30 June 2026 and still applies while a replacement is negotiated. Where agreement rates have not moved, the 4.75% award rise can overtake them. Take the administrative stream: under the Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award, AO3 pay point 1 is now $81,032 a year, while the Department of Education's agreement schedule from the same date pays $80,505. The award rate is what an AO3 there must be paid.
What it means for take-home pay
On $81,032, a full-year AO3 takes home about $64,581 after income tax and the Medicare levy on 2026-27 rates, or $2,484 a fortnight. The entry adult rate for the stream, AO2 pay point 1, is $63,814. For a closer figure see take-home pay on $81,000.
Every AO, PO, TO and OO pay point is on our Queensland public service pay scales page. Check your own rise with the pay rise calculator, or run a full breakdown on the Queensland pay calculator.