National Minimum Wage (21+)
$26.44/hr · $1,004.90/wk · $52,255/yr FT
Adult employees (21+) in the national system who are award/agreement free
Effective 1 July 2026
Updated 2026-08-24 · 2026 rates
Minimum Wage Australia 2026
Current National Minimum Wage bands for award/agreement-free employees — adult floor, 25% casual loading, and junior rates — with Fair Work Commission sources and 38-hour full-time pay examples. Most workers are on modern awards that may pay more.
Compare bands side by side
See who has the higher floor — and why — for corridors like adult NMW vs casual.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
$26.44Adult NMW
$1,004.9038h weekly
$33.05Casual adult
$9.73Under 16 (lowest junior)
Spotlight rates — adult, casual & juniors
Full-time (38 ordinary hours/week) gross at selected 2026 National Minimum Wage bands. Open a band page for eligibility and hour examples.
Casual adult (NMW + 25%)
$33.05/hr · $1,255.90/wk · $65,307/yr FT
Award/agreement-free casual employees entitled to the adult National Minimum Wage plus the 25% casual loading
Effective 1 July 2026
Age 18
$18.06/hr · $686.35/wk · $35,690/yr FT
Award/agreement-free employees aged 18
Effective 1 July 2026
Under 16
$9.73/hr · $369.80/wk · $19,230/yr FT
Award/agreement-free employees under 16 years of age
Effective 1 July 2026
National Minimum Wage vs modern awards
The adult National Minimum Wage is $26.44/hour ($1,004.90 for 38 ordinary hours) for award/agreement-free employees aged 21 and over (effective 1 July 2026). It is a safety-net floor — most workers are covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement that may set a higher rate.
This is the base adult floor for award/agreement-free employees. Most workers are covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement that may set a higher rate. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman Pay Calculator for your award.
Minimum wage by band
Adult National Minimum Wage, casual loading, and junior bands ranked by hourly rate. Full-time weekly and annual columns use the official 38-hour weekly figure × 52 weeks.
| # | Band | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casual adult (NMW + 25%)Award/agreement-free casual employees entitled to the adult National Minimum Wage plus the 25% casual loading | $33.05 |
| 2 | National Minimum Wage (21+)Adult employees (21+) in the national system who are award/agreement free | $26.44 |
| 3 | Age 20Award/agreement-free employees aged 20 | $25.84 |
| 4 | Age 19Award/agreement-free employees aged 19 | $21.82 |
| 5 | Age 18Award/agreement-free employees aged 18 | $18.06 |
| 6 | Age 17Award/agreement-free employees aged 17 | $15.29 |
| 7 | Age 16Award/agreement-free employees aged 16 | $12.51 |
| 8 | Under 16Award/agreement-free employees under 16 years of age | $9.73 |
Browse by band
Eligibility, pay examples, and FAQs on each page.
How this tracker works
1. Browse rates
Use the ranking table for 2026 National Minimum Wage floors — refreshed when the Fair Work Commission publishes new rates.
2. Open a band page
Eligibility, 20/30/38-hour pay examples, adult NMW context, and FAQs for that band.
3. Model take-home
Convert hourly to annual with the hourly calculator, then estimate net with the Australia tax calculator.
These are national-system National Minimum Wage floors. Not legal advice — verify with Fair Work before payroll changes. Lowest band on this table: Under 16 at $9.73/hr.
Frequently asked questions
The adult National Minimum Wage for award/agreement-free employees aged 21+ is $26.44/hour, or $1,004.90 for a 38-hour week, effective 1 July 2026. Over a year at 38 ordinary hours/week that is about $52,255 gross before tax. It is a safety-net floor — most workers are on a modern award that may pay more.
Casual adult (NMW + 25%) leads at $33.05/hour. At full-time (38 ordinary hours/week), that is about $65,307/year before tax.
Often yes. The National Minimum Wage is the safety-net floor for award/agreement-free employees in the national system. Modern awards and enterprise agreements usually set classification rates at or above this floor. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman for your award rate.
Award/agreement-free casuals entitled to the adult National Minimum Wage receive a 25% casual loading in the National Minimum Wage Order — $33.05/hour from 1 July 2026. Casuals generally do not receive paid annual leave or paid personal/carer's leave.
For award/agreement-free juniors, Special National Minimum Wage 3 is a percentage of the adult weekly National Minimum Wage, converted to an hourly rate using 38 ordinary hours. Under 16 is $9.73/hr; age 20 is $25.84/hr. Modern awards may use a different junior scale.
Apprentice and trainee minimum rates are generally set in the relevant modern award (commonly referenced via the Miscellaneous Award for award/agreement-free apprentices/trainees), not as a single National Minimum Wage Order age band on this tracker. We do not invent apprentice dollar rates here — confirm the applicable award with the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Most employees are in the national workplace relations system and follow Fair Work Commission National Minimum Wage rates. Some Western Australia employees remain in the state system with separate state minimum wage settings. This tracker covers national-system National Minimum Wage bands only — we do not invent WA state rates.
The Fair Work Commission decides rates in the Annual Wage Review. Current adult National Minimum Wage figures took effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Always verify on Fair Work Commission / Fair Work Ombudsman pages before changing payroll.
Use our hourly salary calculator to estimate annual gross, then the Australia tax calculator for income tax and the Medicare levy. Gross at the legal floor is not the same as net pay. Superannuation is usually paid on top of ordinary-time earnings — see the superannuation calculator.
Open our UK minimum wage tracker, Canada minimum wage tracker, or US minimum wage by state tracker, then return here for Australia National Minimum Wage bands. Currency and tax systems differ — compare floors carefully.
More ways to use these rates
- Minimum Wage Comparisons (Australia) — Band vs band — who has the higher floor and why.
- Australia Tax Calculator — Estimate take-home from minimum wage after tax and Medicare levy.
- GST Calculator Australia — Add or remove 10% GST on prices.
- Superannuation Calculator Australia — Model SG contributions on ordinary-time earnings.
- Hourly Salary Calculator — Convert $/hr to weekly, monthly, and annual pay.
- Highest Paying Jobs Australia — ABS occupation medians ranked for Australia.
- US Minimum Wage by State — Sibling tracker for US federal and state floors.
- Minimum Wage Canada — Provincial and territorial CAD floors.
- Minimum Wage UK — NLW and age-band NMW rates.
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