Minimum wage Australia 2026–27
From 1 July 2026 Australia’s National Minimum Wage is $1,004.90 for a 38-hour week, or $26.44 an hour — up 6.0% on 2025. Casual employees get at least a 25% loading on top.
Fair Work Commission, Annual Wage Review 2026 ([2026] FWCFB 3500) · Rates from 1 July 2026 · Last checked: 6 October 2026
Per hour
$26.44
Was $24.95
Per week (38 hours)
$1,004.90
Was $948.00
Casual (+25%)
$33.05
per hour, award/agreement free
National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026
The Fair Work Commission's Expert Panel reviews minimum wages every year. In the Annual Wage Review 2026 decision, handed down on 2 June 2026, it increased the National Minimum Wage to $1,004.90 a week or $26.44 an hour, keeping it aligned with the C13 rate in modern awards. The new rate is set by the National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (Annual Wage Review 2026, [2026] FWCFB 3500) and applies from 1 July 2026.
| Rate | From 1 July 2025 | From 1 July 2026 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per hour | $24.95 | $26.44 | $1.49 |
| Per week (38 hours) | $948.00 | $1,004.90 | $56.90 |
| Per year (52 weeks) | $49,296.00 | $52,254.80 | $2,958.80 |
Weekly increase 6.0%. Source: Fair Work Commission, [2026] FWCFB 3500.
Modern award minimum rates increased by 4.75% from 1 July 2026, with a structural adjustment for the lowest classifications: the C13 level is being phased out, so the lowest award rate for ongoing employment is $1,004.90 a week ($26.44 an hour) and the entry-level C14 rate, for at most six months, is $978.10 a week ($25.74 an hour).
Casual loading and special minimum wages
| Who | Minimum rate |
|---|---|
| Adult employees (21+), award/agreement free | $26.44 an hour |
| Casual employees, award/agreement free | National Minimum Wage + 25% (≈ $33.05 an hour) |
| Juniors (under 21) | Percentage of the National Minimum Wage based on age |
| Apprentices | Based on the Miscellaneous Award 2020 (clause 15) |
| Trainees | Based on the Miscellaneous Award 2020 (Schedule E) |
| Employees with disability affecting productivity | Percentage of the National Minimum Wage (Schedule A to the Order) |
Award-covered employees must be paid at least the rate for their classification in their award, which is usually higher. Source: Fair Work Commission.
Minimum wage per week, fortnight and year
| Hours a week | Per week | Per fortnight | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours | $528.80 | $1,057.60 | $27,497.60 |
| 25 hours | $661.00 | $1,322.00 | $34,372.00 |
| 30 hours | $793.20 | $1,586.40 | $41,246.40 |
| 38 hours (full time) | $1,004.90 | $2,009.80 | $52,254.80 |
Part-time figures multiply the hourly rate by the hours. The full-time row uses the official weekly rate (38 ordinary hours).
On the full-time minimum wage of $52,254.80 a year, an Australian resident with no other income pays about $5,665.26 income tax and $1,025.10 Medicare levy in 2026–27, leaving roughly $45,564.44 a year or $1,752.48 a fortnight. The employer also pays $6,270.58 (12%) superannuation. Try other amounts in the take-home pay calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Australia in 2026?
From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $1,004.90 a week for a 38-hour week, or $26.44 an hour. It was $948.00 a week ($24.95 an hour) from 1 July 2025.
How much did the minimum wage increase?
The Fair Work Commission increased the National Minimum Wage by 6.0% ($56.90 a week) in its Annual Wage Review 2026 decision of 2 June 2026. Modern award minimum rates rose by 4.75%.
What is the minimum hourly rate for casual workers?
Award/agreement-free casual employees get a 25% casual loading on top of the National Minimum Wage, so at least about $33.05 an hour ($26.44 × 1.25). Casuals covered by an award get the casual loading set in their award.
How much is the minimum wage per year?
A full-time employee on the National Minimum Wage earns $52,254.80 a year before tax ($1,004.90 × 52 weeks). After 2026–27 income tax and the Medicare levy, the take-home pay is about $45,564.44 a year, and the employer pays $6,270.58 superannuation on top.
Does the National Minimum Wage apply to me?
It applies to adult employees in the national workplace relations system who are not covered by an award or enterprise agreement. Most employees are covered by a modern award, which sets its own (usually higher) minimum rates for each classification. Junior employees, apprentices, trainees and some employees with disability have special national minimum wages.
What are junior rates?
Employees under 21 who are award/agreement free can be paid a percentage of the National Minimum Wage based on their age (special national minimum wage 3). Many awards have their own junior rates. The Fair Work Commission kept the existing junior, apprentice, trainee and disability arrangements in 2026 and applied them to the new minimum wage.
Official sources
- Fair Work Commission: The national minimum wage (from 1 July 2026)
- Fair Work Commission: Annual Wage Review 2026 decision, [2026] FWCFB 3500 (PDF, 2 June 2026)
- Fair Work Commission: Annual Wage Review 2026 decision announced
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Minimum wages increase from 1 July 2026
Last checked: 6 October 2026
Glossary
Statutory minimum wage
The pay floor set by law, which no contract may undercut. Each country sets it by the hour, by the day or by the month, and the number of annual payments differs from country to country.
Gross salary
The figure agreed in the contract, before any deduction. It is the number on the employment record and the starting point of every payroll calculation.
Net salary
What is left after the compulsory deductions. It stays an estimate until the deductions written into your own contract are added, such as health cover, commuting allowances, alimony and advances.
Effective rate
How much the deduction represents of the whole salary, as a percentage. It is always lower than the top bracket rate, because the lower slices were charged at lower rates.
Contribution ceiling
The highest salary on which the employee pays social security. Above it the deduction stops growing in money terms, so the effective rate starts falling as the salary rises.
Holiday and Christmas subsidies
In Portugal, two extra annual payments on top of the twelve monthly salaries, which is why people speak of fourteen months. The yearly figure for a Portuguese salary is therefore not simply twelve times the monthly one.