National Minimum Wage (21+)vsUnder 16
National Minimum Wage (21+) +$16.71/hr· ~$33,025.20/yr FT
$26.44 vs $9.73
12 pair pages · Adult NMW $26.44
Minimum Wage Australia Comparison 2026
Compare any two Australia National Minimum Wage bands for 2026. See who has the higher floor, hourly and full-time annual gaps at 38 ordinary hours, and eligibility — adult NMW, casual, and juniors.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
$16.71
Largest featured gap
6
Featured corridors
12
Pair URLs
$26.44
Adult NMW (21+)
Compare any two bands
Opens a dedicated page with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
vs
Minimum wage by band
All National Minimum Wage bands ranked by hourly rate, plus the casual loading note. Use the picker above to open any pair comparison.
| # | 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 |
Featured comparisons
High-intent corridors ranked by hourly gap. Open either direction for the full scoreboard.
National Minimum Wage (21+)vsAge 18
National Minimum Wage (21+) +$8.38/hr· ~$16,564.60/yr FT
$26.44 vs $18.06
Age 18vsUnder 16
Age 18 +$8.33/hr· ~$16,460.60/yr FT
$18.06 vs $9.73
Age 20vsAge 18
Age 20 +$7.78/hr· ~$15,362.88/yr FT
$25.84 vs $18.06
Casual adult (NMW + 25%)vsNational Minimum Wage (21+)
Casual adult (NMW + 25%) +$6.61/hr· ~$13,052.00/yr FT
$33.05 vs $26.44
National Minimum Wage (21+)vsAge 20
National Minimum Wage (21+) +$0.60/hr· ~$1,201.72/yr FT
$26.44 vs $25.84
What this Australia minimum wage comparison covers
Each band vs band page lines up the same legal floor metric for 2026: the National Minimum Wage hourly rate, full-time annual gross at 38 ordinary hours/week (weekly rate × 52), and eligibility. The winner is the higher National Minimum Wage floor—not average wages, award rates, or take-home pay.
Wage floor
The legal hourly minimum under the Fair Work Commission National Minimum Wage Order for award/agreement-free employees.
FT annual gap
Difference in 38-hour weekly rates × 52 weeks — gross income difference before tax.
Adult National Minimum Wage
Award/agreement-free adults (21+) get $26.44/hr ($1,004.90/38h week).
Awards may pay more
Most workers are on modern awards that can set higher classification rates than this safety-net.
Wage layers
Adult NMW, casual loading, and junior bands work together
The adult National Minimum Wage is the safety-net for award/agreement-free employees aged 21+. Casuals entitled to that floor get a 25% loading ($33.05/hr). Juniors use Special National Minimum Wage 3 percentages of the adult weekly rate. Apprentice and trainee rates come from modern awards (often via the Miscellaneous Award) — not invented here.
Adult National Minimum Wage
$26.44/hour — $1,004.90 for 38 ordinary hours.
Casual adult
$33.05/hour — adult National Minimum Wage plus 25% casual loading.
Junior bands
Under 16 through age 20 — percentages of the adult weekly National Minimum Wage.
How to choose a band pair
Start with adult National Minimum Wage vs casual, NMW vs under-16 (largest junior gap), or age-20 vs age-18. Use the picker for any other combination.
Before you change payroll
- Confirm whether a modern award or enterprise agreement applies — it may pay more.
- Verify in-effect rates on Fair Work Commission / Fair Work Ombudsman pages.
- Model take-home with the Australia tax and hourly calculators — floors are gross, not net.
Related hubs
Not legal advice
Rates are for educational reference from published Fair Work Commission National Minimum Wage sources. Always confirm with Fair Work before changing payroll.
Frequently asked questions
Each pair compares National Minimum Wage bands from our 2026 tracker: hourly rates, full-time annual gross at 38 ordinary hours (weekly rate × 52), and eligibility. The “winner” is the band with the higher floor. Take-home after tax is separate — use our hourly and Australia tax calculators.
National Minimum Wage (21+) vs Under 16 shows a $16.71/hour gap (National Minimum Wage (21+) higher), or about $33,025.20 more gross per year at 38 ordinary hours/week. Open any pair for the hours ladder and FAQ.
Yes. Use the picker on this page or go to /minimum-wage-australia/compare/{band-a}-vs-{band-b} (for example national-minimum-wage-vs-casual-adult). Featured corridors are highlighted below; every valid pair resolves the same way with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
Not necessarily. Gross floors differ, but tax residency, offsets, HELP/HECS, and Medicare levy settings affect net pay. Our scoreboard is about the legal wage floor; model net pay with the tax tools.
The adult National Minimum Wage for award/agreement-free employees aged 21+ is $26.44/hour ($1,004.90 per 38-hour week). Most workers are covered by a modern award that may set a higher rate.
People search both ways. Each URL is a full comparison with the same data; the scoreboard still labels the higher-wage band. Related links include the reverse matchup and each band page.
We take each band’s 38-hour weekly rate and multiply by 52 weeks. That is gross income at the National Minimum Wage floor before overtime, tips, taxes, or unpaid time off.
Open the main Australia minimum wage table for the adult National Minimum Wage, casual loading, and junior bands, then return here to compare any two floors head-to-head.
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