Minimum wages

All employees working in Australia are entitled to a minimum wage. This is the minimum amount an employee can be paid for the work that they're doing.

On this page:

Find the right minimum wage

For most employees, the minimum wage is set by the award that covers their industry or occupation.

Awards cover many different industries and occupations so it's important to get it right.

Use our Pay and Conditions Tool to calculate the minimum pay rates, penalties and allowances that apply for your award.

The minimum wage refers to the amount of pay before tax is taken out (gross pay). For information about tax, including PAYG withholding, visit the Australian Taxation Office.

Go to Pay and Conditions Tool

Our downloadable Pay guides provide a summary of the current minimum pay rates under an award, making it easy to see the different pay rates for each classification.

If you're covered by an enterprise agreement or other registered agreement, check the agreement for the minimum pay rates. You can find enterprise agreements on the Fair Work Commission's website.

Different types of minimum wages

Some employees have a different minimum wage depending on their employment type, age or work capacity. For more information about pay for these employees, visit:

There are some awards with special pay rates, or that allow employers to make other pay arrangements. Find information on specific pay arrangements including:

The National Minimum Wage

The National Minimum Wage applies to employees not covered by an award or registered agreement. This is the minimum pay rate provided by the Fair Work Act 2009 and is reviewed each year.

As of 1 July 2024 the National Minimum Wage is $24.10 per hour or $915.90 per week.

Employees covered by an award or registered agreement are entitled to the minimum pay rates, including penalty rates and allowances in their award or agreement. These pay rates may be higher than the National Minimum Wage.

Minimum wage changes

Each year, the Fair Work Commission reviews both the National Minimum Wage and minimum pay rates under awards (Annual wage review). Most changes begin on the first full pay period on or after 1 July.

For more information on the wage review process visit Fair Work Commission - Annual wage reviews.

Award wages less than the National Minimum Wage

The minimum award wages in some awards may now be less than the National Minimum Wage.

For example, some awards contain introductory pay rates for new employees in their industry. These rates generally apply for a limited time until an employee progresses to the next level.

If an employee is covered by an award or agreement, the minimum wage set out in the award will apply instead of the National Minimum Wage.

Job ads

Job advertisements (ads) can't include pay rates that breach:

  • the Fair Work Act, or
  • a fair work instrument (such as an award or enterprise agreement).

For more information visit Job ads.

Stay up-to-date

We update our Pay Calculator and website when the National Minimum Wage changes each year.

If you have a My account, we send updates straight to your inbox each year. Don’t have a My account? Register today.

You can also stay up-to-date with minimum wage changes by subscribing to email updates.

Source reference: Fair Work Act 2009 s.282 - s.299

Tools and resources

Related information

Have a workplace problem?

Problems can happen in any workplace. If you have a workplace problem, we have tools and information to help you resolve it.

Check out our Fixing a workplace problem section for practical information about:

  • working out if there is a problem
  • speaking with your employer or employee about fixing the problem
  • getting help from us if you can't fix the problem.

Help for small business

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Pay/wages (eg. penalty rates, overtime)
Pay rates