Minimum wages

Annual Wage Review 2020



The Fair Work Commission has announced a 1.75% increase to minimum wages following its 2020 Annual Wage Review. The increase applies to awards in 3 stages, with the first group starting from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2020. This group includes frontline health care and social assistance workers, teachers and child care employees, other essential services and the National Minimum Wage. You can find the new rates for the first group of awards in our Pay and Conditions Tool and Pay Guides. If you’re using the calculator, just set the date to 1 July 2020 or after. Subscribe to email updates and we’ll let you know when the new minimum pay rates for the other awards are available in our pay tools. See The Commission has announced a 1.75% increase to minimum wages for more information.

There are new versions of awards being released throughout 2020. Check out Changes to awards in 2020 for more information.

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

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 .

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 Calculator (PACT) to calculate the minimum pay rates, penalties and allowances that apply for your award.

Go to Pay Calculator

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 registered agreements on the Fair Work Commissions 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:

You can also watch our short video for a quick overview of how minimum wages work.

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 2020 the national minimum wage is $19.84 per hour or $753.80 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 .

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.

Think a mistake might have been made? Mistakes can happen. The best way to fix them usually starts with talking. Check out our Help resolving workplace issues section for practical advice on: figuring out if a mistake has been made

talking to your employer or employee about fixing it

getting help from us if you can't resolve it.

What to do next Find pay rates using our Pay Calculator

Subscribe to our email update service to get notified when pay rates change

Check to see What award applies

Find a registered agreement on the Fair Work Commission website Help for small business Find tools, resources and information you might need on our Small business page.

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