On this page:
Modern awards replace pay scales for most workers from 1 January 2010
Pay scales are a type of pre-modern award which set out wage entitlements for particular jobs and classifications. Pay scales are mostly drawn from the pay rates in relevant awards and annual minimum wage decisions made by the Australian Fair Pay Commission from 2006 to 2009.
From 1 January 2010 modern awards replaced pay scales for most employees in the national workplace relations system. If an employee was previously covered by a pay scale and there is no modern award for the work that they do, then the pay scale continues to apply (until they are terminated by Fair Work Australia).
Transitional arrangements in most modern awards (the model transitional provisions) mean that the new minimum wage rates in most cases do not commence until the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2010.
These transitional arrangements also provide that the changes to wage rates in modern awards in most cases can be progressively implemented over a four year period by reference to pre-modern award and modern award entitlements.
Under those transitional arrangements minimum wage rates in modern awards (including any increases from Fair Work Australia’s Annual Wage Reviews) apply in full from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2014.
Top of page
What terms does a pay scale include?
A pay scale contains pre-modern award entitlements for a particular employee, such as:
- an employee's minimum hourly base rate of pay (or piece rate)
- an employee's minimum casual loading (where applicable).
Pay scales do not include overtime or penalty rates. These entitlements are usually contained in a relevant award or agreement.
Top of page
Find a pay scale summary
Pay scales are notional instruments – they do not exist in a physical form that can be looked up.
However, summaries of pay scales (Pay Scale Summaries) were developed by the Workplace Authority (a former federal statutory body) by reference to particular awards as at 26 March 2006. These summaries included any relevant adjustments to rates of pay made by the former Australian Fair Pay Commission between 2006 and 2008.
Pay Scale Summaries include:
- minimum hourly rates of pay (or piece rate)
- minimum casual loadings (where applicable)
- pay rates for juniors, apprentices and trainees (where applicable)
- different rates of pay for different job classifications (eg. level 1, level 2 or level 3), and
- information about who the pay scale applied to.
Find a pay scale summary by year and title
Pay scale summaries are organised:
- under the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, then
- alphabetically by title.
Note: From 1 July 2009, frequency of payment provisions contained in pay scales no longer apply. The Fair Work Act 2009 requires that employees be paid at least monthly. An enterprise agreement or other industrial agreement can provide for a more frequent payment.
Find out how to use pay scale summaries. Call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.
Can't find a pay scale summary for the job or business?
2009
The 2009 rates of pay are the same as the 2008 rates. Please refer to the 2008 pay scale summaries below.
2008
Wage rates applying from first pay period starting on / after 1 October 2008.
A - C | D - F | G - I | J - L | M - O | P - R | S - U | V - Z
2007
Wage rates applying from first pay period starting on / after 1 October 2007.
A - C | D - F | G - I | J - L | M - O | P - R | S - U | V - Z
2006
Wage rates applying from 1 December 2006.
A - C | D - F | G - I | J - L | M - O | P - R | S - U | V - Z
Top of page