Are award allowances on top of my hourly rate?

Yes. Every modern award allowance is paid in addition to your base hourly rate, in the pay packet for the period when the trigger condition was met. Select your award above to see the exact current dollar figure for each one — sourced directly from the Fair Work Commission Modern Awards Pay Database, not an estimate. All-purpose allowances (e.g. many industry and licence allowances) are also added to the base rate before penalties, overtime and leave loading are calculated; other allowances (e.g. first-aid, tool, meal) are paid on top for the specific condition only.

Can my employer roll allowances into my above-award salary?

Only if the contract explicitly absorbs them and your total remuneration still exceeds what you would have earned with allowances added to the award base. Annualised salary clauses (AS-1/AS-2 in 22+ awards) allow some absorption but require reconciliation each year. Check the absorption clause and run a reconciliation — many absorbed-allowance arrangements end up underpaying.

Where do these allowance figures come from?

Directly from the Fair Work Commission's Modern Awards Pay Database, the same official source behind fwc.gov.au. Each figure shown is the current-operative rate for that award — the amount that applies right now, not a prior year's rate or a typical range. Allowances are reviewed and updated as part of the FWC's annual wage review, usually operative from 1 July.

How far back can I claim unpaid allowances?

6 years under the Fair Work Act. If your award entitles you to first-aid, laundry, tool, broken-shift or other allowances that you've never been paid, you can recover them from up to 6 years before the date of your claim. Use the Back Pay Calculator to estimate the total.

Award Allowances Eligibility Checker

Most modern awards set 5–25 allowances on top of the base hourly rate — meal, tool, laundry, first-aid, leading-hand, broken-shift, vehicle, industry and licence allowances, and more. Select your award to see the exact current figures, straight from the Fair Work Commission Modern Awards Pay Database.

Last verified: 14 August 2026Jump to calculator ↓

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General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.

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