Woolworths Pay Rates 2026: What You Should Be Getting Paid

Like Coles, Woolworths team members are covered by the General Retail Industry Award (MA000004). Woolworths also has enterprise agreements in some locations, but the award sets the absolute minimum your pay can be.

This covers checkout operators, stock replenishers, deli and bakery staff, online personal shoppers, produce team members, and customer service staff.

The minimum hourly rates under the General Retail Industry Award (from 1 July 2026) are the same as other major retailers:

• Level 1 (most team members): $27.81/hr (permanent) / $34.76/hr (casual)
• Level 2 (experienced/supervisory tasks): $28.45/hr (permanent) / $35.56/hr (casual)
• Level 3 (qualified/trade roles): $28.89/hr (permanent) / $36.11/hr (casual)

Woolworths generally pays at or slightly above the award minimum. If your payslip shows a rate below these figures, something's wrong.

Woolworths employs a lot of high school and uni students. If you're under 21, your minimum rate is a percentage of the adult rate:

• Under 16: 45% — $12.51/hr
• 16 years: 50% — $13.91/hr
• 17 years: 60% — $16.69/hr
• 18 years: 70% — $19.47/hr
• 19 years: 80% — $22.25/hr
• 20 years, first 6 months with that employer: 90% — $25.03/hr
• 20 years, 6 months or more with that employer: 100% — $27.81/hr, the full adult rate

Your rate should automatically increase when you hit your next birthday. If Woolworths doesn't adjust it, raise it immediately — the new rate applies from the first pay period after your birthday.

The 6-month rule catches a lot of 20 year olds out. Under the General Retail Industry Award, once you have been with the same employer for more than 6 months, a 20 year old is on the full adult rate — not 90%. That is $27.81 an hour instead of $25.03, a difference of $2.78 for every hour you work. Service with a previous employer does not count. Check the date you started and check your payslip.

A bigger change starts on 1 December 2026. In the junior rates case (AM2024/24) the Fair Work Commission decided that 18 and 19 year olds under the General Retail Award (levels 1 to 3) who have been with their employer for more than 6 months will move to the full adult rate in steps. From the first full pay period starting on or after 1 December 2026, an 18 year old goes from 70% to 75% of the adult rate (about $20.86/hr at Level 1, up from $19.47) and a 19 year old from 80% to 85% (about $23.64/hr, up from $22.25). Rates then rise 5 percentage points each July and December: 19 year olds reach the full adult rate from 1 July 2028 and 18 year olds from 1 July 2029. Nothing changes for under-18s, or for 18 to 20 year olds in their first 6 months with the employer. Sources: FWC decisions [2026] FWCFB 75 (31 March 2026) and [2026] FWCFB 222 (26 August 2026); updated 3 October 2026. See our junior rates change calculator for what it means for your pay.

Working outside normal hours at Woolworths means higher pay. For permanent Level 1 workers:

• Saturday: 125% — $34.76/hr
• Sunday: 150% — $41.72/hr
• Public holidays: 225% — $62.57/hr
• Evening work (after 6pm Mon-Fri): 125% — $34.76/hr
• Early morning (before 7am): 125% — $34.76/hr

Casuals get different penalty rates on top of their loaded rate. Sunday for a casual is 175% of the base rate, and public holidays are 250%.

Woolworths has been caught in underpayment scandals before. The company self-reported $571 million in underpayments in 2019-2021, mostly from miscalculating pay under enterprise agreements. Here's what to watch for:

• Enterprise agreement vs award: If Woolworths has an EA at your store, check that it passes the BOOT (Better Off Overall Test). Your total pay package must leave you better off than the award
• Salaried team leaders: If you're on a salary, make sure it actually covers all the hours you work including penalties. Woolworths got caught paying salaries that didn't properly compensate for overtime and penalties
• Break deductions: If breaks are automatically deducted from your timesheet but you didn't get to take them, that's time you should be paid for
• Training time: Any training, team meetings, or e-learning modules must be paid. If Woolworths asks you to do training off the clock, that's wage theft

Here's what to do:

• Check your payslip every week — make sure your hourly rate matches the award minimum for your age and classification
• Confirm penalty rates are applied correctly for Saturday, Sunday, evening, and public holiday shifts
• Use our retail pay rate tool to look up your exact minimum rate
• If you spot a problem, email your store manager and payroll team. Keep a copy of every email
• If it doesn't get fixed, lodge a complaint with the Fair Work Ombudsman