Annual Wage Review 2026 Timeline: When Will You Know Your New Pay Rate?

Every year, the Fair Work Commission reviews and sets the national minimum wage and all modern award minimum rates. It's the single biggest pay event in Australia — affecting 2.7 million workers on award wages.

The review considers submissions from unions (ACTU), employer groups (AIG, ACCI), the federal government, and community organisations. The Expert Panel then hands down a decision.

Here are the key dates for the 2026-27 Annual Wage Review:

• 27 March 2026: Written submissions filed (ACTU, AIG, Government — all done)
• April 2026: Reply submissions and supplementary material due
• April-May 2026: Oral hearings before the FWC Expert Panel
• Early June 2026: Decision handed down (historically first or second week of June)
• 1 July 2026: New rates take effect from the first full pay period on or after this date

So you'll see the new rate in your payslip from early-to-mid July, depending on your pay cycle.

Three main positions on the table:

• ACTU (unions): 5% increase — minimum wage to $26.78/hr ($1,017/week)
• Government: Above-inflation increase (inflation is 3.8%) — hasn't specified a number
• AIG (employers): Modest increase, citing global economic uncertainty and flat productivity

Last year's increase was 3.5%. The year before that was 5.75% (a catch-up year). Most observers expect the 2026 decision to land between 3.5% and 5%.

The Annual Wage Review sets minimum rates. How it affects you depends on your situation:

• On minimum wage: You get the full increase automatically
• On award rates: All award classification minimums go up by the same percentage
• Paid above the award: Your employer doesn't have to increase your pay — but the gap between your pay and the new minimum shrinks
• On an enterprise agreement: Your agreement rate applies unless it falls below the new award minimum

Check where you currently sit with our minimum wage calculator.

Get prepared now:

• Know your current award rate — use our pay rate lookup to check
• Check your payslip — make sure you're being paid at least the current minimum for your classification
• Bookmark the FWC decision page — we'll also update our wage review tracker as soon as the decision drops
• Talk to your employer — if you're paid exactly at the award rate, your employer should be planning for the increase