Retail Award Pay Rates
These are the adult rates for full-time and part-time employees. Part-time employees receive the same hourly rate as full-time employees at the same level — the difference is hours, not rate.
| Retail employee level | Weekly (38 hrs) | Hourly | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $1,056.80 | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Level 2 | $1,081.00 | $28.45 | $35.56 |
| Level 3 | $1,097.80 | $28.89 | $36.11 |
| Level 4 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 5 | $1,165.10 | $30.66 | $38.33 |
| Level 6 | $1,182.10 | $31.11 | $38.89 |
| Level 7 | $1,241.40 | $32.67 | $40.84 |
| Level 8 | $1,291.80 | $33.99 | $42.49 |
Weekly rates are as published by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Hourly is the weekly rate divided by 38 ordinary hours. The casual column adds the 25% loading.
Retail Penalty Rates
These apply to non-shiftworkers — employees specifically engaged to work shifts are covered by a separate part of the award. Dollar columns use level 1 ($27.81/hr).
| When worked | Permanent | $ on level 1 | Casual | $ casual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday — ordinary hours | 100% | $27.81 | 125% | $34.76 |
| Monday to Friday — after 6pm | 125% | $34.76 | 150% | $41.71 |
| Saturday | 125% | $34.76 | 150% | $41.71 |
| Sunday | 150% | $41.71 | 175% | $48.67 |
| Public holiday | 225% | $62.57 | 250% | $69.52 |
Retail evening work is a percentage. Ordinary hours after 6pm Monday to Friday attract 125%. That is worth flagging because the Hospitality Industry (General) Award handles the same situation with a flat cash addition of $2.95 an hour instead. Venues running both a shop and a food business under two awards routinely apply the wrong method to one of them.
Casual penalties are additive, not compounded. Casual Sunday is 175% — the 150% Sunday rate plus the 25% loading — not 150% multiplied by 1.25, which would give 187.5%.
Retail Overtime Rates
Note the banding: the first-three-hours rate runs Monday to Saturday, not Monday to Friday. Saturday overtime is not separately defined because it sits inside that band.
| Overtime worked | Permanent | Casual | $ casual on level 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday — first 3 hours | 150% | 175% | $48.67 |
| Monday to Saturday — after 3 hours | 200% | 225% | $62.57 |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% | $62.57 |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% | $76.48 |
Retail casuals do get the loading on overtime
The award’s own note to the overtime table states that casual overtime rates were calculated by adding the casual loading to the full-time rates. So a casual working the first three hours of overtime is on 175% where a permanent employee is on 150% — $48.67 against $41.71 at level 1.
Hospitality does the opposite. There the loading is excluded from overtime altogether, so casual and full-time overtime dollars are the same. If you work across both awards, this is the difference most likely to show up as an underpayment.
Retail Junior Rates
Junior rates are a percentage of the adult rate. The dollar columns apply each percentage to the level 1 weekly rate of $1,056.80.
| Age | % of adult rate | Weekly on level 1 | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 45% | $475.56 | $12.51 |
| 16 | 50% | $528.40 | $13.91 |
| 17 | 60% | $634.08 | $16.69 |
| 18 | 70% | $739.76 | $19.47 |
| 19 | 80% | $845.44 | $22.25 |
| 20 (6 months or less) | 90% | $951.12 | $25.03 |
| 20 (more than 6 months) | 100% | $1,056.80 | $27.81 |
Junior rates stop at level 3
Junior rates apply only to retail employee levels 1, 2 and 3 (cl 17.2). A junior classified at level 4 or above receives the full adult rate for that classification. This is the award’s own rule, not a gap in what Fair Work publishes — so a 17-year-old doing level 4 work is entitled to the full level 4 rate, not 60% of it.
Two other features are unusual. The 20-year-old band splits on length of service, so a 20-year-old moves to the full adult rate after more than six months with the same employer. And 19-year-olds receive 80% here where the hospitality award pays 85%.
For how these compare with the Fast Food and Hair & Beauty awards and with the National Minimum Wage, and for the pending change that would raise 18 to 20-year-old rates, see our junior pay rates guide.
What This Page Does Not Cover
These parts of the award carry rates we have not verified against a primary source, so we publish no figures for them:
- Retail shiftworker rates and baking production early-morning/night rates
If you are engaged specifically as a shiftworker, or you work in in-store baking production on early-morning or night shifts, the penalty structure above is not the one that applies to you. Check the award directly.
When These Rates Took Effect
Rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026 — not universally 1 July. If your pay period began before that date, the previous rate lawfully covers the whole of it. The Annual Wage Review 2026 was given effect for this award by determination PR799285.
If you have been paid below these rates, our backpay calculator works out what is owed, and underpayment can be recovered for up to six years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Retail award rate questions and answers
What are the retail award rates for 2026-27?
Under the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004), adult rates run from $27.81 an hour ($1,056.80 a week) at retail employee level 1 to $33.99 an hour ($1,291.80 a week) at level 8. Most shop assistants are level 1. Rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.
What is the casual retail rate?
Casuals receive a 25% loading, making level 1 $34.76 an hour and level 4 $36.81. Casual weekend and public holiday penalties are additive rather than compounded — casual Sunday is 175% of the base rate, being 150% plus the 25% loading, not 150% multiplied by the loading.
What are the retail penalty rates?
For permanent employees: after 6pm Monday to Friday 125%, Saturday 125%, Sunday 150% and public holidays 225%. For casuals the same four are 150%, 150%, 175% and 250%. These are the rates for non-shiftworkers — employees specifically engaged to work shifts are covered by a separate part of the award.
Do retail casuals get the casual loading on overtime?
Yes — and this is where retail differs from hospitality. The award's own note to the overtime table says the casual overtime rates were calculated by adding the casual loading to the full-time rates. So casual overtime for the first three hours is 175% against 150% for a permanent employee. In the Hospitality Industry (General) Award the loading is excluded from overtime entirely, so casual and full-time overtime dollars are identical there. One payroll rule cannot serve both awards.
What is the retail overtime rate?
150% for the first three hours and 200% after that — and note the band is Monday to Saturday, not Monday to Friday. Sunday overtime is 200% and public holiday overtime is 250%. For casuals each of those becomes 175%, 225%, 225% and 275%.
What are the junior rates in the retail award?
As a percentage of the adult rate: Under 16 — 45%, 16 — 50%, 17 — 60%, 18 — 70%, 19 — 80%, 20 (6 months or less) — 90%, 20 (more than 6 months) — 100%. Two features are unusual. The 20-year-old band splits on length of service, so a 20-year-old reaches the full adult rate after more than six months with the same employer. And junior rates apply only to retail employee levels 1, 2 and 3 (cl 17.2). A junior classified at level 4 or above receives the full adult rate for that classification.
What is the minimum wage for a 16 year old in retail?
A 16-year-old retail employee at level 1 receives 50% of the adult rate. On the level 1 rate of $1,056.80 a week that works out to $528.40 a week, or $13.91 an hour before the casual loading. Note this differs from the Fast Food Industry Award, which pays a different percentage at under-16, and from the National Minimum Wage junior scale that applies to employees covered by no award at all.
Is the retail evening rate a percentage or a flat amount?
A percentage. Retail pays 125% for ordinary hours after 6pm Monday to Friday, and 150% for casuals. This is worth stating because the Hospitality Industry (General) Award does the opposite — it adds a flat cash amount per hour for evening and night work rather than a multiplier. Applying one award's method to the other is a common payroll error in venues that run both a shop and a food business.
Was the 4.75% increase applied to every retail rate?
The 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase was subject to two floors — $1,004.90 a week for ongoing employment and $978.10 for an entry-level rate in the first six months. Retail level 1 at $1,056.80 already sits above the ongoing floor, so it took the full increase. But do not assume that holds for every award: in hospitality the two lowest classifications were lifted to the floor instead, so inflating last year's figures gives wrong answers there.
When did the new retail rates take effect?
From the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026 — not universally 1 July. If your pay period began before that date, the previous rate lawfully applies to the whole of it and the increase starts with your next one. That is the most common reason a July payslip looks wrong when it is not.
How these rates were verified▼
Every rate comes from a single constants file checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for MA000004 effective 1 July 2026 and the consolidated award text. Hourly is the published weekly rate divided by 38; casual rates add the 25% loading.
Automated tests assert that casual overtime here includes the loading while hospitality excludes it, that overtime is banded Monday to Saturday rather than Monday to Friday, and that junior rates are confined to levels 1 to 3 by the award itself. Junior figures apply the award percentage to the weekly classification rate and then divide by 38. Anything unverified is listed above as a gap rather than estimated.
Sources & References
- 1Pay guide — General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 2Consolidated award text MA000004— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2026— Fair Work Commission
Last verified: 28 July 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Penny Ward
Verified AuthorEmployment & Workplace Rights Editor
B.Com (Hons), Cert IV Financial Planning
Penny is a financial journalist and workplace compliance specialist with over a decade of experience writing about Australian employment law, Fair Work entitlements, and payroll. She has contributed to publications covering industrial relations and personal finance, and previously advised small businesses on award interpretation and pay compliance.
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