What is the minimum wage in Australia right now?

The national minimum wage in Australia is $25.50 per hour or $969.00 per week (38-hour week) before tax, effective from 1 July 2025. This rate applies to employees not covered by an award or enterprise agreement. The Fair Work Commission reviews the national minimum wage annually.

What is the minimum wage for casual workers in Australia?

Casual employees receive the national minimum wage plus a 25% casual loading to compensate for the lack of paid leave and other entitlements. This brings the casual minimum wage to $31.88 per hour. If an employee is covered by an award, the award's casual loading rate applies instead.

What is the minimum wage for under 18s in Australia?

Junior employees under 21 receive a percentage of the adult minimum wage based on their age. For example, under the national minimum wage, an employee under 16 receives 36.8%, at 16 it's 47.3%, at 17 it's 57.8%, at 18 it's 68.3%, at 19 it's 82.5%, and at 20 it's 97.7% of the full adult rate.

When does the minimum wage go up in Australia?

The national minimum wage is reviewed annually by the Fair Work Commission as part of its Annual Wage Review. Any increase typically takes effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year. The FWC considers economic conditions, cost of living, and other factors in its decision.

Minimum Wage Checker

Check the current national minimum wage based on your age and employment type, including junior rates and casual loading.

Last verified: 21 May 2026

The Australian national minimum wage is $24.95 per hour ($948.10 per 38-hour week) until 30 June 2026. From 1 July 2026 it rises 6% to $26.44/hour ($1,004.90/week) under the Annual Wage Review 2026 decision. Casuals add 25% loading ($31.19/hr now, $33.05/hr from 1 July 2026). Junior workers aged 16-20 are paid a percentage of the adult rate.

AIGot a tricky case? Ask FairWork Mate AI — 1 free question, no signup → Australian national minimum wage rising from $20.33 in 2021 to $24.95 per hour in 2025–26, a 3.5% increase set by the Fair Work Commission.

Australian national minimum wage rising from $20.33 in 2021 to $24.95 per hour in 2025–26, a 3.5% increase set by the Fair Work Commission.

Carer Payment 2026: Rates, Eligibility & How It Differs from Carer Allowance

Carer Payment is $1,200.90/fn for singles from March 2026 — same rate as the Age Pension. See income/asset tests, work limits, respite days, and the difference from Carer Allowance.

Payroll Tax Australia 2026: State-by-State Thresholds & Rates for Employers

Complete 2026 guide to payroll tax in Australia. State-by-state thresholds (NSW $1.2M, VIC $900K, QLD $1.3M) and rates (4.85-6.85%), what's included in taxable wages, grouping rules, and how to register — everything employers need to know.

How to Read Your Payslip: Every Line Explained

A plain-English visual walkthrough of every element on an Australian payslip — gross pay, PAYG tax, superannuation, salary sacrifice, deductions, net pay, YTD figures, and leave balances. Learn what each line means and how to spot errors before they cost you thousands.

Embed this calculator on your site — free

One line of HTML. Auto-updates with the latest Australian rates. Click to copy the code.

Show code →

Copy & paste into any HR blog, payroll docs, intranet, or CMS.

<iframe
  src="https://fairworkmate.com.au/embed/minimum-wage?partner=YOUR_NAME"
  width="100%"
  height="700"
  frameborder="0"
  loading="lazy"
  title="Minimum Wage Checker by FairWork Mate"
  style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:8px;max-width:680px;"
></iframe>

See all 146 embeddable tools →Preview the embed →Replace YOUR_NAME with your site identifier for attribution (optional).

Got a follow-up about this?

“I'm using the Minimum Wage Checker on FairWork Mate. Walk me through what this typically tells me and what I should do next.”

Ask FairWork Mate AI →

Get notified when rates change

Free alerts when minimum wage, award rates, or workplace laws are updated.

Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Stuck on your numbers?

Ask our AI advisor — it'll talk you through your specific situation in seconds.

Ask FairWork Mate AI

FairWork Mate is an independent commercial service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, or any Australian Government agency. Content is general information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.

Learn more

Annual Wage Review 2026-27: FWC Lifts Minimum Wage 6% to $26.44 From 1 July 2026

The Fair Work Commission handed down the Annual Wage Review 2026-27 decision on 2 June 2026. The National Minimum Wage rises 6% to $26.44/hour ($1,004.90/week) from 1 July 2026. Modern award minimum rates rise 4.75%. Full breakdown and calculators below.

Minimum Wage Australia 2026: $24.95/hr Now, $26.44 From 1 July (+6%)

The national minimum wage is $24.95/hr until 30 June 2026, then rises to $26.44/hr ($1,004.90/wk) from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 — up 6%. Award rates rise 4.75%. Junior, casual and award rates explained.

Minimum Wage History Australia: 2025 vs 2026 Comparison & Annual Increases

Track Australia's minimum wage increases from 2024 to 2026. Compare $23.23/hr (2024) to $24.95/hr (2025) to the upcoming July 2026 rate. Percentage increases, FWC annual review timeline, and how award rates change.

Recommended partners

Free tools surface the issue. Our partners help you solve it.

Authorised Employment Hero Partner

Employment Hero

Australian HR, payroll, rostering and award interpretation in one platform. Used by 300,000+ businesses. Fixes the underlying payroll/compliance issues our calculators surface.

Best for: SMEs that have outgrown spreadsheet payroll or want automated award interpretation.

See Employment Hero

Law Tram — lawyer matching

Law Tram

Matched with the right Australian lawyer for your situation — unfair dismissal, underpayment, workplace injury, debt, tenancy and more. Many lawyers offer a free first consult and no-win-no-fee arrangements.

Best for: anyone whose workplace or personal legal issue needs proper advice, not just a calculator.

Find a lawyer

IT, Microsoft & cyber partner

Frontrow Tech

Microsoft 365, Copilot rollouts, Essential Eight, Privacy Act 2026 and board-level cyber compliance for Australian SMBs. Where pay and HR end, your data and IT obligations begin.

Best for: SMBs running on Microsoft 365, anyone hitting cyber/privacy compliance, boards wanting an outside read on IT risk.

See Frontrow

Affiliate partners — commissions fund the free tools on this site. We only recommend partners we've vetted as a good fit for Australian workplaces.