Australia Minimum Wage Calculator 2026

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National Minimum Wage is $26.44/hour from July 2026, the same rate in every state and territory. Casual employees get a 25% loading on top. Calculate your weekly, monthly and annual minimum pay.

Quick answer: Australia's National Minimum Wage is $26.44/hour, officially $1,004.90/week for a standard 38-hour week (Fair Work Ombudsman; this calculator's own figure is $1,004.72, 18 cents lower due to rounding, see below). It's effective July 1, 2026, and identical in every state. Casual employees get a 25% loading, bringing their minimum to $33.05/hour.

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Optional. Award rates are often higher; see the note below.
Weekly Minimum Pay
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Monthly minimum
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Annual minimum
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Hourly rate
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Gross pay before income tax and superannuation. Same rate applies in every state. Comparing US or UK pay instead? Use the US Minimum Wage Calculator or UK Minimum Wage Calculator.

📐 Australia Minimum Wage Formula

Weekly Minimum Pay = National Minimum Wage (× 1.25 if casual) × Hours Worked per Week
Monthly Minimum Pay = Weekly Pay × (52 ÷ 12)
Annual Minimum Pay = Weekly Pay × 52

How to Use the Australia Minimum Wage Calculator

1

Select permanent or casual

Choose permanent (or part-time) to use the base National Minimum Wage, or casual to automatically add the 25% casual loading.

2

Enter your weekly hours

Input total hours worked per week.

3

See weekly, monthly and annual pay

The calculator multiplies the applicable rate by hours worked, then converts to monthly (× 52 ÷ 12) and annual (× 52) gross figures, in Australian dollars.

4

Check if you're paid fairly

Enter your actual hourly rate to instantly see whether you're being paid at, above, or below the National Minimum Wage.

Australia's National Minimum Wage in 2026: One Rate, Every State

Unlike the US or Canada, Australia does not set minimum wage state by state. The National Minimum Wage of $26.44 per hour (officially $1,004.90 per week for a standard 38-hour week per the Fair Work Ombudsman's own published figure), effective July 1, 2026, applies identically whether you work in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, or the Northern Territory. It's set annually by the Fair Work Commission's Expert Panel, reviewing minimum wages nationally rather than leaving it to individual state governments. This calculator computes from the rounded $26.44/hour display rate, so its own 38-hour output ($1,004.72, used below) sits 18 cents under the Fair Work Ombudsman's unrounded published weekly figure.

Most employees, though, aren't actually paid the National Minimum Wage itself. They're covered by a modern award or registered agreement specific to their industry and role, which almost always sets a higher minimum rate, plus penalty rates for weekends, evenings, and public holidays. The National Minimum Wage functions as the safety-net floor for the smaller number of award-free and agreement-free employees.

Casual Loading: 25% on Top

Employment typeHourly rateWeekly (38 hrs)
Permanent / part-time$26.44$1,004.72
Casual (+25% loading)$33.05$1,255.90

Casual employees receive a 25% casual loading on top of the base rate, compensating for the paid leave entitlements (annual leave, personal/sick leave, and others) that casual employees don't accrue. This brings the minimum casual rate to $33.05 per hour for casuals not covered by an award, and award-covered casuals typically get the same 25% loading applied to their (usually higher) award rate.

Does My State Set Its Own Rate?

No. This is one of the most common points of confusion for anyone comparing Australia to the US or Canada, where minimum wage genuinely does vary by state or province. Australia's National Minimum Wage, and the great majority of modern award minimum rates, are set nationally by the Fair Work Commission and apply the same way in every state and territory. There is no NSW-specific, Victoria-specific, or Queensland-specific general minimum wage.

Worked Example

/* A permanent employee working 38 hours a week */ $26.44 × 38 hours = A$1,004.72 per week /* Converted to monthly (× 52 ÷ 12) */ A$1,004.72 × 52 ÷ 12 = A$4,353.79 per month /* Converted to annual (× 52) */ A$1,004.72 × 52 = A$52,245.44 per year

What If I'm Paid Below Minimum Wage?

Paying below the National Minimum Wage, or below the minimum rate set by your applicable award or agreement, breaches the Fair Work Act 2009. Raise it with your employer first, or contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free, confidential advice. Employers found underpaying can be ordered to back-pay the full shortfall, and in serious or deliberate cases can face civil penalties.

Want to see what you actually take home after tax? Use our Paycheck Calculator or Tax Calculator for a full breakdown by pay period.

⚠️ Disclaimer Rates reflect the most current publicly available 2026 figures at the time of writing, compiled from the Fair Work Ombudsman and Fair Work Commission. The National Minimum Wage and casual loading figures on this page could not be independently re-fetched from fairwork.gov.au directly at the time of writing due to automated access restrictions on that site; they are corroborated against multiple independent sources and should be checked at fairwork.gov.au before relying on this for payroll decisions. Most employees are covered by a modern award or agreement with different, usually higher, minimum rates than shown here. This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

The National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a standard 38-hour week, effective from July 1, 2026. It's set annually by the Fair Work Commission and applies to award-free and agreement-free employees nationwide.
No. Unlike the US or Canada, Australia has one National Minimum Wage that applies identically in every state and territory, NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, and both territories included. There is no state-by-state variation for the general minimum wage.
Casual employees are entitled to a 25% loading on top of the National Minimum Wage, to compensate for not receiving paid leave entitlements like annual leave and sick leave. This brings the minimum casual rate to $33.05 per hour ($26.44 × 1.25) for casual employees not covered by an award.
Yes, and this is common. Most Australian employees are covered by a modern award or registered agreement specific to their industry, which typically sets minimum pay rates, penalty rates, and allowances higher than the National Minimum Wage. The National Minimum Wage is a safety-net floor for the small number of employees not covered by any award or agreement.
The Fair Work Commission's Expert Panel reviews the National Minimum Wage and modern award minimum rates once a year, with any increase taking effect from the first full pay period on or after July 1.
Underpayment is a breach of the Fair Work Act. You can raise it with your employer, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free advice, or lodge a formal underpayment claim. Employers found underpaying can be ordered to back-pay the shortfall plus, in serious cases, face civil penalties.
Yes. The National Minimum Wage is set as an hourly rate, so it applies equally to full-time, part-time, and casual employees (with casual loading on top). There is no separate, lower minimum for reduced hours.

Sources & Methodology

Calculations are based on the most current publicly available data from authoritative government sources: