Australia’s wage authority, the Fair Work Commission has increased the national minimum wage by $40 per week, which amounts to an increase of 5.2%.

The award minimum wages have also increased by 4.6%, subject to a minimum increase for adult award classifications of $40 per week and based on a 38-hour week for a full-time employee.

FWC has updated their pay tools, information and resources with the new rates for the first set of awards affected.

Now, you can:

• use the Pay and Conditions Tool to calculate the new pay rate (including allowances)
• go to the Pay guides page to access the updated pay guide for the award
• use the Find my award tool to check what award an employee is covered by.

Minimum wages increase under the National Minimum Wage and under most awards apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2022.

This means minimum award wages:

• above $869.60 per week, get a 4.6% increase
• below $869.60 per week, and get a $40 increase.

Due to “exceptional circumstances” posed by the pandemic, the adult minimum wage in some awards in the aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors will increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2022.

The affected awards are:

Aviation

• Air Pilots Award [MA000046]
• Aircraft Cabin Crew Award [MA000047]
• Airline Operations – Ground Staff Award [MA000048]
• Airport Employees Award [MA000049]
• Airservices Australia Enterprise Award 2016

Hospitality

• Hospitality Industry (General) Award [MA000009]
• Registered and Licensed Clubs Award [MA000058
• Restaurant Industry Award [MA000119]

Tourism

• Alpine Resorts Award [MA000092]
• Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award [MA000093]

According to FWC’s president Iain Ross, the award wage did not go up as much as the minimum wage, because raising it much higher could “pose a real risk of considerable negative effects on the performance and competitiveness of the national economy”.

The national minimum wage is a basic rate. It is for employees not covered by an award or registered agreement.

An award wage takes in the minimum wage but has extra terms and conditions. It’s industry-specific and changes from occupation to occupation.

Most workers are covered by an award. Awards are legal documents that outline the minimum pay rates and conditions of employment.

Affected awards

Below are the awards that receive the adult minimum wage increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2022:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Award [MA000115]
• Aged Care Award [MA000018]
• Aluminium Industry Award [MA000060]
• Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award [MA000098]
• Amusement, Events and Recreation Award [MA000080]
• Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award [MA000118]
• Aquaculture Industry Award [MA000114]
• Architects Award [MA000079]
• Asphalt Industry Award [MA000054]
• Australian Government Industry Award 2016 [MA000153]
• Banking, Finance and Insurance Award [MA000019]
• Black Coal Mining Industry Award [MA000001]
• Book Industry Award [MA000078]
• Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award [MA000091]
• Building and Construction General On-site Award [MA000020]
• Business Equipment Award [MA000021]
• Car Parking Award [MA000095]
• Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award [MA000055]
• Cemetery Industry Award [MA000070]
• Children’s Services Award [MA000120]
• Cleaning Services Award [MA000022]
• Clerks – Private Sector Award [MA000002]
• Coal Export Terminals Award [MA000045]
• Commercial Sales Award [MA000083]
• Concrete Products Award [MA000056]
• Contract Call Centres Award [MA000023]
• Corrections and Detention (Private Sector) Award [MA000110]
• Cotton Ginning Award [MA000024]
• Dredging Industry Award [MA000085]
• Dry Cleaning and Laundry Industry Award [MA000096]
• Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award [MA000075]
• Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award [MA000076]
• Educational Services (Teachers) Award [MA000077]
• Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award [MA000025]
• Electrical Power Industry Award [MA000088]
• Fast Food Industry Award [MA000003]
• Fire Fighting Industry Award [MA000111]
• Fitness Industry Award [MA000094]
• Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award [MA000073]
• Funeral Industry Award [MA000105]
• Gardening and Landscaping Services Award [MA000101]
• Gas Industry Award [MA000061]
• General Retail Industry Award [MA000004]
• Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award [MA000026]
• Hair and Beauty Industry Award [MA000005]
• Health Professionals and Support Services Award [MA000027]
• Higher Education Industry – Academic Staff – Award [MA000006]
• Higher Education Industry – General Staff – Award [MA000007]
• Horse and Greyhound Training Award [MA000008]
• Horticulture Award [MA000028]
• Hydrocarbons Field Geologists Award [MA000064]
• Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award [MA000062]
• Joinery and Building Trades Award [MA000029]
• Journalists Published Media Award [MA000067]
• Labour Market Assistance Industry Award [MA000099]
• Legal Services Award [MA000116]
• Live Performance Award [MA000081]
• Local Government Industry Award [MA000112]
• Mannequins and Models Award [MA000117]
• Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award [MA000010]
• Marine Towage Award [MA000050]
• Maritime Offshore Oil and Gas Award [MA000086]
• Market and Social Research Award [MA000030]
• Meat Industry Award [MA000059]
• Medical Practitioners Award [MA000031]
• Mining Industry Award [MA000011]
• Miscellaneous Award [MA000104]
• Mobile Crane Hiring Award [MA000032]
• Nursery Award [MA000033]
• Nurses Award [MA000034]
• Oil Refining and Manufacturing Award [MA000072]
• Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award [MA000063]
• Pastoral Award [MA000035]
• Pest Control Industry Award [MA000097]
• Pharmaceutical Industry Award [MA000069]
• Pharmacy Industry Award [MA000012]
• Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award [MA000036]
• Port Authorities Award [MA000051]
• Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award [MA000052]
• Poultry Processing Award [MA000074]
• Premixed Concrete Award [MA000057]
• Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award [MA000108]
• Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award [MA000109]
• Professional Employees Award [MA000065]
• Racing Clubs Events Award [MA000013]
• Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award [MA000014]
• Rail Industry Award [MA000015]
• Real Estate Industry Award [MA000106]
• Road Transport and Distribution Award [MA000038]
• Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award [MA000039]
• Salt Industry Award [MA000107]
• Seafood Processing Award [MA000068]
• Seagoing Industry Award [MA000122]
• Security Services Industry Award [MA000016]
• Silviculture Award [MA000040]
• Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award [MA000100]
• Sporting Organisations Award [MA000082]
• State Government Agencies Award [MA000121]
• Stevedoring Industry Award [MA000053]
• Storage Services and Wholesale Award [MA000084]
• Sugar Industry Award [MA000087]
• Supported Employment Services Award [MA000103]
• Surveying Award [MA000066]
• Telecommunications Services Award [MA000041]
• Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award [MA000017]
• Timber Industry Award [MA000071]
• Transport (Cash in Transit) Award [MA000042]
• Travelling Shows Award [MA000102]
• Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award [MA000089]
• Waste Management Award [MA000043]
• Water Industry Award [MA000113]
• Wine Industry Award [MA000090]
• Wool Storage, Sampling and Testing Award [MA000044]

To check which award applies to you, use the 3-step Find my award tool.

There are also other changes that started from 1 July 2022 that sponsors and workers should know about. Please check the following:

The information provided is for general use only and should NOT be taken as Migration Advice. For information about your circumstances, please contact Milestone Migration for immigration assistance.