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The national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week for a standard 38-hour week, from 1 July 2026 — following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review. It applies the same way in every state and territory.
For the vast majority of employees — anyone working for a Pty Ltd company or other constitutional corporation — there is one national minimum wage. The $26.44/hour rate applies exactly the same in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin. There is no separate NSW minimum wage, Victorian minimum wage or Queensland minimum wage — searches for a state-specific rate are looking for the same national figure.
The one real exception is Western Australia, which retains its own state industrial relations system for sole traders, partnerships and other unincorporated WA employers. Employees of those businesses fall under the WA state wage case set by the WA Industrial Relations Commission, which can differ from the national rate — check the WA state industrial relations system directly if this applies to you.
Casual employees on the national minimum wage receive at least $33.05 an hour, including the standard 25% casual loading paid instead of annual and personal leave. Some awards also set a lower entry-level or introductory rate — currently at least $25.74 an hour — for an employee's first 6 months (or less) in the industry, before they progress to the full classification rate. It is not an ongoing rate, so it is not the floor your pay should be measured against once you have passed that point.
Junior employees — under 21 — are usually paid a percentage of the adult rate for their classification, which increases with each birthday until they turn 21. The exact percentage is set by the award that covers the job (or by the age-based scale in the National Minimum Wage order for award-free workers), so it varies by industry rather than following one fixed national table. Use Fair Work's free Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) to check the exact junior rate for a specific age and award.
Most employees are covered by a modern award, not the bare national minimum wage — and awards usually pay more once you account for penalty rates and the classification structure. Here is the lowest ongoing adult rate under each award this site covers, with each award's introductory rate shown separately where it has one:
| Award | Lowest ongoing hourly rate | Introductory rate (first 6 months) |
|---|---|---|
| National minimum wage | $26.44 | None |
| Retail | $27.81 | None |
| Hospitality | $26.44 | $25.74 |
| Restaurant | $26.44 | $25.74 |
| Fast food | $27.81 | None |
An introductory rate is allowed to sit below the $26.44 national minimum wage because it applies only to an employee's first 6 months (or less) in the industry — it is not an ongoing rate, so it is listed in its own column rather than counted as the award floor.
See penalty rates, casual loading and your take-home pay after tax on the Award Pay Calculator.
The Fair Work Commission reviews the national minimum wage every year, with the new rate taking effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July:
| Effective from | Applies for FY | Hourly | Weekly (38h) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2024 | 2024–25 | $24.10 | $915.90 | 3.75% |
| 1 July 2025 | 2025–26 | $24.95 | $948.00 | 3.5% |
| 1 July 2026 | 2026–27 | $26.44 | $1,004.90 | 6.0%* |
*The 2026 national minimum wage rose 6.0% (a bigger lift than the 4.75% general award increase) because it needed to reach the new $26.44/hour floor that every award's lowest classification is now set to.
For comparison: the minimum wage rose 6.0% in the 1 July 2026 review, versus 3.2% annual wage growth across the whole economy in the ABS Wage Price Index (June quarter 2026) — minimum-wage earners have been gaining ground relative to average pay growth. See the full breakdown, by industry and state, on Australian wage growth statistics.
Minimum wage figures are the national minimum wage from the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review, current from 1 July 2026.
The national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 for a standard 38-hour week, from 1 July 2026. It applies to employees not covered by an award or registered agreement, and is reviewed every year by the Fair Work Commission.
No. Employees of incorporated businesses (Pty Ltd companies and similar) are covered by the same national minimum wage everywhere in Australia — the $26.44/hour figure applies the same way in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin. The one exception is Western Australia, which retains a separate state industrial relations system for sole traders, partnerships and other unincorporated WA employers — those employees should check the WA state wage case rate rather than the national figure.
Casual employees on the national minimum wage receive at least $33.05 an hour, including the standard 25% casual loading paid in place of annual and personal leave.
Junior employees (under 21) are generally paid a percentage of the adult rate that increases with each birthday until they turn 21. The exact percentage depends on the award that covers the job — or, for award-free workers, the age-based scale in the National Minimum Wage order. Use Fair Work's Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) to check the exact junior rate for a specific age and award.
The national minimum wage rose from $24.10 an hour (1 July 2024) to $24.95 an hour (1 July 2025) to $26.44 an hour (1 July 2026) — a cumulative increase of about 9.7% over 2 years.
No. Superannuation is paid on top of the minimum wage by the employer, currently at 12% of ordinary earnings — it is not deducted from the $26.44/hour figure.
It can — and if it does, the award rate is what applies, not the national minimum wage. The Fair Work Ombudsman says so directly: "The minimum award wages in some awards may now be less than the National Minimum Wage... 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." This happens with introductory pay rates for new employees, which the Fair Work Commission allows below the $26.44/hour floor because they apply only to the first 6 months (or less) of employment, before the employee progresses to the next pay point. In the table below, Hospitality and Restaurant set an introductory rate of $25.74 an hour for the first 6 months, against a lowest ongoing rate of $26.44. What to do: check your payslip against your award's classification and pay point using Fair Work's PACT tool, not against the national minimum wage figure — and if you're being paid less than your award's own rate for your classification, that is an underpayment, which you can raise with your employer or report to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Once a year. The Fair Work Commission hands down its Annual Wage Review decision in the preceding May or June, and the new rate takes effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. It does not change mid-year.
Rates checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman and the ATO, verified 11 September 2026
Estimates only. Not financial or tax advice. Full disclaimer for your rights and our limitations of liability.
Rates and thresholds last updated for the 2026–27 financial year.
This calculator exists to show you the arithmetic. It applies published Australian rates, thresholds and formulas to the numbers you enter and shows the working, so you can check it. That is all it does — it produces a number and describes what the number is. It does not recommend anything and it holds no opinion about any financial product.
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