Retail Award Pay Rates
These are the adult retail award rates for full-time and part-time employees. A part-time employee receives the same hourly rate as a full-time employee 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 Pay Guide 2026-27: Every Level, Every Day
These tables give the hourly rate for every retail level on each day, for permanent and casual non-shiftworkers, in the layout of the Fair Work pay guide.
Full-time and part-time
| Retail employee level | Mon–Fri100% | Mon–Fri after 6pm125% | Saturday125% | Sunday150% | Public holiday225% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $27.81 | $34.76 | $34.76 | $41.72 | $62.57 |
| Level 2 | $28.45 | $35.56 | $35.56 | $42.68 | $64.01 |
| Level 3 | $28.89 | $36.11 | $36.11 | $43.34 | $65.00 |
| Level 4 | $29.45 | $36.81 | $36.81 | $44.18 | $66.26 |
| Level 5 | $30.66 | $38.33 | $38.33 | $45.99 | $68.99 |
| Level 6 | $31.11 | $38.89 | $38.89 | $46.67 | $70.00 |
| Level 7 | $32.67 | $40.84 | $40.84 | $49.01 | $73.51 |
| Level 8 | $33.99 | $42.49 | $42.49 | $50.99 | $76.48 |
Casual (includes the 25% loading)
| Retail employee level | Mon–Fri125% | Mon–Fri after 6pm150% | Saturday150% | Sunday175% | Public holiday250% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $34.76 | $41.72 | $41.72 | $48.67 | $69.53 |
| Level 2 | $35.56 | $42.68 | $42.68 | $49.79 | $71.13 |
| Level 3 | $36.11 | $43.34 | $43.34 | $50.56 | $72.23 |
| Level 4 | $36.81 | $44.18 | $44.18 | $51.54 | $73.63 |
| Level 5 | $38.33 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $53.66 | $76.65 |
| Level 6 | $38.89 | $46.67 | $46.67 | $54.44 | $77.78 |
| Level 7 | $40.84 | $49.01 | $49.01 | $57.17 | $81.68 |
| Level 8 | $42.49 | $50.99 | $50.99 | $59.48 | $84.98 |
Each figure is the award’s penalty percentage applied to that level’s hourly rate, rounded to the cent. Casual percentages already include the 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% | $41.72 |
| Saturday | 125% | $34.76 | 150% | $41.72 |
| Sunday | 150% | $41.72 | 175% | $48.67 |
| Public holidayPublic holiday pay calculator & dates by state. What this rate pays on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Australia Day and Easter. | 225% | $62.57 | 250% | $69.53 |
Retail evening work is a percentage. Ordinary hours after 6pm Monday to Friday attract 125%. 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
Retail overtime is banded: 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. A retail casual working the first three hours of overtime is on 175% where a permanent employee is on 150% — $48.67 against $41.72 at level 1.
Hospitality does the opposite. The Hospitality Industry (General) Award excludes the casual loading 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
Retail 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 | Casual hourly (+25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 45% | $475.56 | $12.51 | $15.64 |
| 16 | 50% | $528.40 | $13.91 | $17.39 |
| 17 | 60% | $634.08 | $16.69 | $20.86 |
| 18 | 70% | $739.76 | $19.47 | $24.34 |
| 19 | 80% | $845.44 | $22.25 | $27.81 |
| 20 (6 months or less) | 90% | $951.12 | $25.03 | $31.29 |
| 20 (more than 6 months) | 100% | $1,056.80 | $27.81 | $34.76 |
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. A 17-year-old doing level 4 work is therefore entitled to the full level 4 rate, not 60% of it.
Two other features of the retail junior scale 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 retail 19-year-olds receive 80%, where the Hospitality Industry (General) Award pays 85%.
Junior rates from 1 December 2026: a phase-in, not the adult rate
Determination PR813655, made on 26 August 2026 under [2026] FWCFB 222, replaces the retail junior table for levels 1 to 3. Employees aged 18 and 19 who have been employed by their employer for more than 6 months move up 5 percentage points from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026, then 5 more each July and December until they reach the adult rate. Twenty-year-olds with more than 6 months already receive the adult rate. Under-18 rates, and the rates for the first 6 months with an employer, do not change.
| Age (more than 6 months with the employer) | Now | 1 Dec 2026 – 30 Jun 2027 | 1 Jul 2027 – 30 Nov 2027 | 1 Dec 2027 – 30 Jun 2028 | 1 Jul 2028 – 30 Nov 2028 | 1 Dec 2028 – 30 Jun 2029 | From 1 Jul 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 70%$19.47 | 75%$20.86 | 80%$22.25 | 85%$23.64 | 90%$25.03 | 95%$26.42 | 100%$27.81 |
| 19 | 80%$22.25 | 85%$23.64 | 90%$25.03 | 95%$26.42 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 |
| 20 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 | 100%$27.81 |
Dollar figures are the hourly rate on retail employee level 1 ($1,056.80 a week at current rates), before any future Annual Wage Review increase. Employees aged 18 to 20 with 6 months or less with the employer stay on 70%, 80% and 90%. Source: determination PR813655.
For how these compare with the Fast Food and Hair & Beauty awards and with the National Minimum Wage, see our junior pay rates guide.
Retail Allowances
The table lists the fixed-dollar allowances in clause 19 of the retail award, from 1 July 2026. Each is paid only where the clause’s conditions are met; reimbursements of actual cost are not listed.
| Allowance | Amount | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Meal allowance (overtime of more than 1 hour without 24 hours' notice)Not paid if the employer supplies a meal. | $24.56 per occasion | cl 19.2(b)(i) |
| Further meal allowance (that overtime exceeds 4 hours) | $22.27 per occasion | cl 19.2(c) |
| Laundry of special clothing — full-time | $6.42 per week | cl 19.3(c)(i) |
| Laundry of special clothing — part-time or casual | $1.28 per shift | cl 19.3(c)(ii) |
| First aid allowance | $14.55 per week | cl 19.10(b) |
| Liquor licence allowance | $34.69 per week | cl 19.12 |
| Cold work allowance (cold chambers, refrigerated storage)A further $0.59 an hour below 0°C (cl 19.9(c)). | $0.38 per hour | cl 19.9(b) |
| Motor vehicle allowance | $1.00 per km | cl 19.7 |
| Broken Hill allowance | $1.26 per hour | cl 19.13 |
How these compare with the allowances in other awards, and how each is taxed: allowances guide.
What does a retail rate take home?
For a week with a mix of shifts, enter your hours in theweekly pay calculator, or turn a salary into net pay with the take-home pay calculator.
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 from 1 July for every employee. 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.
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool returns these same level 1 to 8 minimums for any day and employment type; our Fair Work pay calculator guide explains what it asks. 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.
Retail Minimum Wage in Australia: Level 1 vs the National Minimum Wage
The retail minimum wage is the level 1 adult rate of the General Retail Industry Award 2020: $1,056.80 a week, or $27.81 an hour, from 1 July 2026. It sits above the national minimum wage of $1,004.90 a week ($26.44 an hour), which applies only to employees no award covers.
| Minimum | Weekly (38 hours) | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail award level 1 | $1,056.80 | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| National minimum wage | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
Award minimums sit above the national floor because each award sets its own classification rates. The Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review 2026 lifted award rates by 4.75% and the national minimum wage by 6.0% from 1 July 2026. The national minimum wage rose faster, so the gap narrowed to $1.37 an hour.
A level 1 casual is paid $34.76 an hour, the base rate plus the 25% loading; the casual rate for every level and day is in Retail Pay Guide 2026-27: Every Level, Every Day. Juniors are paid a percentage of the level 1 rate: 50% at 16 ($13.91 an hour) and 70% at 18 ($19.47). Junior rates stop at level 3, so a junior classified at level 4 or above gets the full adult rate; the full scale is in our junior pay rates guide.
The same level 1 rate applies in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and every other state, because the award is national (see award rates); the one exception is unincorporated employers in Western Australia, which sit in the WA state system. To see the weekly minimum after tax, use the take-home pay calculator.
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?
Retail 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?
Retail penalty rates for permanent employees are 125% after 6pm Monday to Friday, 125% on Saturday, 150% on Sunday and 225% on public holidays. 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 retail 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?
Retail overtime from Monday to Saturday (not Monday to Friday) is 150% for the first three hours and 200% after that. 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?
Retail junior rates are 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%. The retail junior scale has two unusual features. 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?
The retail evening rate is a percentage. Retail pays 125% for ordinary hours after 6pm Monday to Friday, and 150% for casuals. 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?
The new retail rates took effect from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, not on 1 July for every employee. 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.
Are retail junior rates changing on 1 December 2026?
Yes, for 18 and 19-year-olds at levels 1 to 3 who have been employed by their employer for more than 6 months, but gradually. Determination PR813655 ([2026] FWCFB 222, 26 August 2026) lifts 18-year-olds from 70% to 75% and 19-year-olds from 80% to 85% from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026, then 5 points more each July and December until both reach the adult rate on 1 July 2029 (18) and 1 July 2028 (19). Twenty-year-olds with more than 6 months already receive the adult rate, and under-18 rates do not change.
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: 9 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
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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