Check Australian modern award pay rates

To estimate award pay in Australia, you need to know the employee’s applicable Modern Award, their classification level, and the type of hours worked (ordinary, overtime, weekend or public holiday). This tool helps you generate exact rates by entering these details and receiving an itemised breakdown based on user-supplied information and published award references, subject to verification. Always verify with the official Fair Work Pay Calculator before making payroll decisions.

First identify which Modern Award covers the role (use Fair Work’s Find My Award), then your classification level and employment type, and look up the rate in the award’s pay guide or the Fair Work Pay Calculator. This estimator gives an exact figure to sense-check quickly, but always confirm the exact rate with Fair Work. For detailed tables, see our award rate guides.

The Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review sets increases to the national minimum wage and modern award minimum rates. The 2025 review increased modern award minimum wages by 3.5% from 1 July 2025, so employees paid at award minimums received the rise. Check the Fair Work Pay Calculator for your exact current rate.

‘Pro rata’ means proportional to the hours worked. A $70,000 pro-rata salary is the full-time equivalent — a part-time employee working half the full-time hours would earn about $35,000. Pro rata also applies to leave entitlements, which accrue in proportion to hours worked.

Each year the Fair Work Commission reviews the national minimum wage and modern award minimum rates, with any increase usually taking effect from 1 July. The 2026 review outcome applies from 1 July 2026 — verify your updated rate with the Fair Work Pay Calculator once it takes effect.

Penalty rates are higher pay rates that apply when employees work outside ordinary hours — such as weekends, public holidays, evenings or early mornings. The exact penalty depends on the specific Modern Award. For example, under the Hospitality Award, casual employees may receive 150% on Saturdays and 175% on Sundays. This estimator helps you work out these rates, but results should be verified with Fair Work.

Yes. Public holiday penalty rates are included for the awards covered. In many awards, employees receive 225% to 250% of their base rate for public holiday work. Always check your specific award and verify with the official Fair Work Pay Calculator, as rates vary between industries and employment types.

No. This is a free checker provided by RosterElf that reads published Fair Work pay-guide data. It is NOT the official Fair Work Pay Calculator. For official calculations — especially for payroll processing, employment disputes or compliance purposes — always use the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Both, in the order you need them. Start by picking the modern award that covers the role — if you are not sure which one applies, Fair Work’s Find My Award identifies it, and our award rate guides explain what each one covers. Once you know the award, this tool looks up the exact rate for a classification.

Choose the award, then the classification level. The tool returns the ordinary hourly rate and the casual rate with loading already applied, plus penalties as exact multipliers. The figures come from the current Fair Work pay guide for that award, so they match the tables in our award rate guides.

No, and it is not a substitute for it. P.A.C.T. is the Fair Work Ombudsman’s official calculator and is the authority. This checker is a faster reference for looking up a published rate, built from the same pay guides. For a payroll decision, confirm in P.A.C.T.

36 modern awards, covering the industries most Australian shift-based employers hire in — hospitality, retail, fast food, aged care, health, cleaning, security, construction, clerks and more. Each has a full award rate guide with the rate tables, penalties and allowances set out in detail.