These are the Fast Food Industry Award minimums, which apply to Starbucks Coffee Australia's stores. Starbucks may pay more; it cannot pay less.
In 2023 Starbucks gave the Fair Work Ombudsman an enforceable undertaking after finding it had underpaid 2,427 current and former staff $4.34 million (before superannuation and interest) between 2014 and 2020, mostly through the award's part-time and rostering rules. It concerns past pay, not current rates.
Which award sets Starbucks pay
Starbucks coffee and fast food staff are paid under the Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003). Starbucks staff in Australia are paid under the Fast Food Industry Award. Starbucks Coffee Australia runs every Australian store itself, and its 2023 enforceable undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman was about applying this award. We found no Starbucks enterprise agreement approved since 2016.
Employer: Starbucks Coffee Australia Pty Ltd — every Australian Starbucks store is company owned and operated
Next scheduled increase: First full pay period on or after 1 December 2026. Staff aged 18 to 20 who have worked for Starbucks 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.
For the underlying award minimums across every employer in the industry, see Fast Food Award rates 2026.
Starbucks 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 1Barista: taking orders, making coffee, preparing and serving food and drinks, and incidental cleaning | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Fast food employee level 2Has day-to-day responsibility for supervising Level 1 staff or training new staff (e.g. a shift leader or trainer) | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Fast food employee level 3 (in charge of one or no person)Appointed to be in charge of a store, 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 store, supervising two or more people | $30.27 | $37.84 |
Starbucks 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. Casual and part-time shifts must be at least 3 hours, including for school students.
| 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.
Starbucks 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 sandwich artist 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 Starbucks 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:
- Whether Starbucks pays above the award for any role — its own rates are not published.
- Salaried store manager pay — set by contract.
Starbucks 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 24 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
- 2Enforceable undertaking — Starbucks Coffee Australia Pty Ltd (2023)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3
- 4Junior rates determination PR813654 (Fast Food Award, 26 August 2026)— Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 24 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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