Minimum Wage for 16 & 17 Year Olds in Australia 2026: $11.80–$14.42/Hour

If you're under 21 and not covered by a specific award or enterprise agreement, you're paid a percentage of the adult National Minimum Wage (NMW), which is currently $26.44 per hour (or $1,004.90 per 38-hour week) as of 1 July 2026.

Here are the exact junior rates:

Age	Percentage of Adult NMW	Hourly Rate	Weekly Rate (38 hrs)
Under 16	36.8%	$9.73	$369.80
16 years old	47.3%	$12.51	$475.32
17 years old	57.8%	$15.28	$580.83
18 years old	68.3%	$18.06	$686.35
19 years old	82.5%	$21.81	$829.04
20 years old	97.7%	$25.83	$981.79

Critical point: These are the minimum rates for award-free employees. Most young workers in Australia are covered by an award (like retail, fast food, or hospitality), which usually pays higher than these National Minimum Wage junior rates. Always check your award first.

The title of this article says $11.80–$14.42/hr for 16 and 17 year olds — that range reflects the 2025-26 NMW junior rates; from 1 July 2026 the equivalent range is $12.51–$15.28/hr. Many awards pay more than this. Read on for the specific award breakdowns.

Most teenagers in Australia work in retail, fast food, or hospitality. Each of these awards has its own junior pay scale, and they're generally more generous than the NMW junior rates.

General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004):

Age	% of Adult Rate	Hourly Rate (Level 1)	Casual Rate (incl. 25% loading)
Under 16	45%	$11.39	$14.24
16 years	50%	$12.66	$15.83
17 years	60%	$15.19	$18.99
18 years	70%	$17.72	$22.15

Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003):

Age	% of Adult Rate	Hourly Rate (Level 1)	Casual Rate (incl. 25% loading)
Under 16	40%	$9.81	$12.26
16 years	50%	$12.27	$15.34
17 years	60%	$14.72	$18.40
18 years	70%	$17.17	$21.46

Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009):

Age	% of Adult Rate	Hourly Rate (Level 1)	Casual Rate (incl. 25% loading)
Under 16	50%	$12.27	$15.34
16 years	60%	$14.72	$18.40
17 years	70%	$17.17	$21.46
18 years	80%	$19.62	$24.53

Notice how the hospitality award pays significantly more to juniors than the NMW junior scale. If you're 16 and working in a cafe, you should be getting at least $14.72/hr (or $18.40 casual), not $11.40.

Getting the right rate means answering three questions:

1. Are you covered by an award? If you work in retail, fast food, hospitality, pharmacy, hair and beauty, or most other common teenage jobs, the answer is almost certainly yes. Use our award finder to check which award covers your role.

2. What's your classification level? Most juniors start at Level 1, but if you've done specific training or have been promoted, you might be higher. Your classification should be on your payslip.

3. Are you casual or permanent? Casuals get a 25% loading on top of the base rate, but they don't get paid leave or notice of termination. Most teenage workers are casual.

Once you know those three things, you can look up the exact rate in your award's pay guide on the Fair Work Ombudsman website, or use our pay calculator.

Common trap: Some employers pay the NMW junior rate when they should be paying the (higher) award junior rate. The NMW junior rate only applies if you're genuinely not covered by any award. That's rare for most teenage jobs.

Being under 18 doesn't strip you of workplace rights. Here's what you're entitled to regardless of age:

Superannuation: If you earn more than $450 in a calendar month (this threshold was actually removed from 1 July 2022 — all employees now get super regardless of earnings), your employer must pay super at 11.5% of your ordinary time earnings. From 1 July 2026, this rises to 12%. However, under the Superannuation Guarantee, employees under 18 only qualify if they work more than 30 hours per week.

Payslips: You must receive a payslip within one working day of being paid. It must show your hourly rate, hours worked, any penalty rates, and super contributions.

Penalty rates: Junior workers get the same penalty rate percentages as adults. If your award says Sunday is 200%, that applies to you at your junior rate.

Safe work: Employers have the same workplace health and safety obligations for junior employees. In fact, there are additional restrictions on hazardous work for under 18s in most states.

No unfair deductions: Your employer can't dock your pay for till shortages, breakages, or uniform costs unless you've agreed in writing and the deduction is principally for your benefit.

Maximum hours for school-age workers: State and territory laws limit working hours for workers under school-leaving age. In most states, you can't work during school hours, before 6am, or after 10pm on a school night. Check your state's child employment laws for specific limits.

Underpayment of junior workers is disturbingly common. The Fair Work Ombudsman has consistently found young workers among the most underpaid demographics in Australia. If you think your pay is wrong, here's what to do.

Step 1: Check your payslip. Compare the hourly rate shown on your payslip with the correct rate from the tables above. If your payslip doesn't show an hourly rate, that's already a legal breach — employers must include it.

Step 2: Calculate the difference. Use our pay calculator to work out what you should have been paid, then subtract what you actually received. Go back through old payslips — you can claim underpayments going back six years.

Step 3: Talk to your employer. It might be a genuine payroll error. Send an email (so there's a record): "Hi, I've checked my pay rate against the [award name] and I believe I should be on $X/hr instead of $Y/hr. Can we sort this out?"

Step 4: Get help if they won't fix it. You have several options:

• Fair Work Ombudsman: Call 13 13 94 or lodge a complaint at fairwork.gov.au. The service is free and confidential. They handle thousands of underpayment claims from young workers every year.
• Your parent or guardian: If you're under 18, a parent can lodge the complaint on your behalf and deal with the employer directly.
• Your union: The SDA (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association) covers most retail and fast food workers, including juniors. They can negotiate on your behalf.

Don't be afraid to speak up. Your employer cannot fire you or reduce your hours because you asked about your pay rate. That would be adverse action under the Fair Work Act, which carries penalties of up to $18,780 per contravention for an individual and $93,900 for a company.