Which award sets Cotton On pay
- Award code
- MA000004
- Employer
- The Cotton On Group company that runs your store. Cotton On Group is a private company based in Geelong that owns the Cotton On, Cotton On Body, Cotton On Kids, Factorie, Typo, Rubi and Supré brands.
- Rates on this page from
- the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026
- Casual loading
- 25%
- Checked against the source
- 22 October 2026
We found no enterprise agreement for Cotton On Group store staff. The group's only agreement on the Fair Work Commission's register, the Cotton On Group and United Workers Union Enterprise Agreement 2025 - 2028, covers team members at its distribution centres. Store staff across the group's brands are therefore paid under the General Retail Industry Award, unless a store agreement exists under another company name.
Next scheduled increase: First full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 (juniors aged 18 and 19). Staff aged 18 or 19 at Levels 1 to 3 who have been with their employer for more than 6 months step up under determination PR813655. An 18-year-old moves from 70% to 75% of the adult rate ($20.86 an hour at Level 1), and a 19-year-old from 80% to 85% ($23.64). The Fair Work Ombudsman will reissue its pay guide with the new junior dollars. Adult rates next change with the 2027 Annual Wage Review.
Every level: Retail Award rates 2026.
These are the General Retail Industry Award minimums for store staff. Cotton On Group can pay above them, but we found no store agreement that sets a different floor.
Cotton On Group does have one enterprise agreement, approved on 23 December 2025. It covers team members at its distribution centres only (COG Regional Team Pty Ltd, with the United Workers Union). If you work in a store it does not apply to you, and your payslip must name the award or agreement you are paid under.
Brands under the same group, including Cotton On Body, Cotton On Kids, Factorie, Typo, Rubi and Supré, are retail stores covered by the same award. These rates are the floor there too.
Cotton On hourly pay rates by level (adults)
Casual = base + 25% (casual loading).
| Level | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Retail employee level 1Sales assistant or team member: serving customers, fitting rooms, point of sale, stock replenishment and store presentation. Cotton On does not publish which award level each role sits at | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Retail employee level 2Higher retail classification: the award's Schedule A lists the duties at each level | $28.45 | $35.56 |
| Retail employee level 3 | $28.89 | $36.11 |
| Retail employee level 4 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Retail employee level 5 | $30.66 | $38.33 |
| Retail employee level 6 | $31.11 | $38.89 |
| Retail employee level 7 | $32.67 | $40.84 |
| Retail employee level 8 | $33.99 | $42.49 |
Full-time hours at the Retail employee level 1 rate: $54,953 a year before tax (38 hours × 52 weeks). See take-home pay on $55,000 (nearest we publish).
Cotton On pay rates by age (junior rates)
The Retail Award's junior percentages (cl 17.2) apply at Levels 1 to 3, where store staff sit. The dollars below are the Fair Work Ombudsman's own, from its Retail Award pay guide published 24 June 2026, for Level 1. A 20-year-old moves to the full adult rate after 6 months with the same employer.
| Age | % of adult | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 45% | $12.51 | $15.64 |
| 16 | 50% | $13.91 | $17.39 |
| 17 | 60% | $16.69 | $20.86 |
| 18 | 70% | $19.47 | $24.34 |
| 19 | 80% | $22.25 | $27.81 |
| 20 (6 months' service or less) | 90% | $25.03 | $31.29 |
| 20 (more than 6 months' service) | 100% | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| 21 and over | 100% | $27.81 | $34.76 |
Percentages are of the adult Retail employee level 1 rate. Junior rates under other awards.
Cotton On penalty rates: evenings, weekends and public holidays
| When | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, before 6pm | 100% | 125% |
| Monday to Friday, after 6pm | 125% | 150% |
| Saturday | 125% | 150% |
| Sunday | 150% | 175% |
| Public holiday | 225% | 250% |
- Percentages are of the minimum hourly rate for your level (award cl 22.1, Table 12, employees who are not shiftworkers). The casual loading is added, not multiplied: a casual on a Sunday gets 175%, not 187.5%.
- The Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guide prints the dollars. For an adult Level 1 sales assistant they are $34.76 an hour on weekday evenings after 6pm and on Saturdays ($41.72 casual). Sundays pay $41.72 ($48.67 casual) and public holidays $62.57 ($69.53 casual).
- The pay guide also prints overtime. For a Level 1 adult it is $41.72 an hour for the first 3 hours Monday to Saturday and $55.62 after that or on a Sunday ($48.67 and $62.57 casual). A public holiday pays $69.53 ($76.48 casual).
Overtime
| When | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday, first 3 hours | 150% | 175% |
| Monday to Saturday, after 3 hours | 200% | 225% |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
How penalty rates work · overtime calculator
The public holiday rate above applies on the days each state declares. For the dates and a worked example on the busiest trading days, see Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Australia Day and Easter, and for a store that closes over Christmas, the Christmas shutdown and annual leave guide.
What this page does not show
- Which award level Cotton On classifies each store role at; team member, senior team member and keyholder roles could sit at Levels 1 to 3.
- Whether any Cotton On Group company has a store agreement registered under a name without "Cotton On" in it; our search was by title.
- Rates under the group's distribution centre agreement (AE531676), not transcribed here.
- Store manager and assistant manager pay, which Cotton On does not publish.
Cotton On pay questions
Related employers
Also paid under the General Retail Industry Award 2020
The award rates behind a Cotton On job
An enterprise agreement must leave each employee better off overall than the award, so the award minimum for the same job is the floor these rates are tested against. For the jobs most Cotton On team members do, the award pages are:
- Retail Manager pay rates: $31.11/hr award minimum
- Forklift Operator pay rates: $27.97/hr award minimum
- Retail Worker pay rates: $27.81/hr award minimum
Sources & References
- 1
- 2General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004), consolidated to 1 July 2026, Fair Work Commission
- 3
- 4Junior rates determination PR813655 (Retail Award, 26 August 2026), Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 22 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