McDonald's crew are paid under the Fast Food Industry Award, not an enterprise agreement. Some licensees pay above it; these are the legal minimums.
A class action over paid rest breaks at McDonald's, filed in the Federal Court in December 2021, was still running when we checked. It does not change the rates on this page.
Which award sets McDonald's pay
McDonald's fast food staff are paid under the Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003). McDonald's has no enterprise agreement: its 2013 agreement was terminated from 3 February 2020, and company restaurants and licensees have applied the Fast Food Industry Award since. The Fair Work Commission has authorised the SDA union to bargain with McDonald's licensees, but no agreement had been approved by September 2026.
Employer: McDonald's Australia for company-owned restaurants; each licensee (franchisee) business for its own restaurants.
Next scheduled increase: First full pay period on or after 1 December 2026. Crew aged 18 to 20 who have worked for their employer for more than 6 months move up: 18-year-olds from 70% to 75%, 19-year-olds from 80% to 85%, and 20-year-olds from 90% to 95% of the adult rate (determination PR813654). At Level 1 that is $20.86, $23.64 and $26.42 an hour. Adult rates next change with the 2027 Annual Wage Review.
McDonald's hourly pay rates by level (adults)
Base hourly rates before tax for adult employees. Casual rates include the 25% casual loading, paid instead of leave entitlements.
| Level | Full-time & part-time | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Fast food employee level 1Crew: taking orders, preparing, cooking, selling and serving food, plus incidental cleaning | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Fast food employee level 2Has day-to-day responsibility for supervising Level 1 crew or training new staff, or uses trade skills | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Fast food employee level 3 (in charge of one or no person)Appointed to be in charge of a restaurant, supervising at most one other person | $29.91 | $37.39 |
| Fast food employee level 3 (in charge of 2 or more people)Appointed to be in charge of a restaurant, supervising two or more people | $30.27 | $37.84 |
McDonald's pay rates by age (junior rates)
Junior employees are paid a set percentage of the adult Fast food employee level 1 rate for their age. The Fast Food Award pays the full adult rate from 21 (cl 15.2). The dollar figures below are printed in the award's Schedule A for Level 1. There is no shorter minimum shift for school students in this award: casual and part-time shifts must be at least 3 hours.
| Age | % of adult | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 40% | $11.12 | $13.90 |
| 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 | 90% | $25.03 | $31.29 |
| 21 and over | 100% | $27.81 | $34.76 |
For how junior rates work across every award, and when you move to the adult rate, see junior pay rates in Australia.
McDonald's penalty rates: evenings, weekends and public holidays
Penalty rates are a percentage of the base hourly rate for your level (or, where stated, a flat amount per hour) for hours worked at the times below.
| When | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, 6am to 10pm | 100% | 125% |
| Monday to Friday, 10pm to midnight | 110% | 135% |
| Monday to Friday, midnight to 6am | 115% | 140% |
| Saturday | 125% | 150% |
| Sunday — Level 1 | 125% | 150% |
| Sunday — Levels 2 and 3 | 150% | 175% |
| Public holiday | 225% | 250% |
- Percentages are of the minimum hourly rate for your level (award cl 21, Table 6). Casual figures add the 25% loading rather than multiply it: Saturday casual is 150%, not 156.25%.
- There is no evening penalty before 10pm on weekdays.
- For an adult Level 1 crew member that is $34.76 an hour on a Saturday or Sunday ($41.72 casual) and $62.57 on a public holiday ($69.53 casual).
Overtime
| When | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday, first 2 hours | 150% | 175% |
| Monday to Saturday, after 2 hours | 200% | 225% |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
To price a mix of weekday, weekend and overtime hours, use the overtime and penalty rate calculator.
How much McDonald's pays a week
Gross weekly pay for an adult at Fast food employee level 1, with every hour at the ordinary weekday rate. Weekend and evening shifts push these figures up; tax comes off them.
| Hours a week | Part-time / full-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| 15 hours | $417.15 | $521.40 |
| 25 hours | $695.25 | $869.00 |
| 38 hours | $1,056.78 | $1,320.88 |
A full-time year (38 hours × 52 weeks) at $27.81 is $54,953 before tax. See take-home pay on $55,000 (the nearest salary we publish) and $27.81 an hour as a yearly salary.
Enter your hourly rate and hours in the weekly pay calculator to see tax withheld and what lands in your account. Casual or part-time with a second job? Check the second job tax calculator.
What this page does not show
We publish only what we could read from a primary source. Left off rather than estimated:
- Salaried restaurant and area manager pay — set by individual contracts, not published.
- The Fair Work Commission citation for the 2026 national bargaining authorisation — reported by the SDA; we could not retrieve the decision itself.
McDonald's pay questions
Pay rates at other employers
How this page is sourced▼
Every rate on this page was read from the Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003) and the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide on 23 September 2026. Nothing is estimated or averaged. Junior dollar figures the instrument does not print are calculated from its own percentages and labelled as such.
Rates change on dates written into the award (usually 1 July each year), and a new agreement can replace this one. Re-check against your payslip and the instrument itself; the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) can confirm what applies to you.
Sources & References
- 1Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003), consolidated to 1 July 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 2Termination of the McDonald's Australia Enterprise Agreement 2013, [2019] FWCA 8563— Fair Work Commission
- 3Supported bargaining authorisation, [2025] FWCFB 130— Fair Work Commission
- 4Junior rates determination PR813654 (Fast Food Award, 26 August 2026)— Fair Work Commission
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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