Manufacturing Award 2026/27: Complete Pay Guide (MA000010)

The Manufacturing Award rates for 2026/27 start from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Under the current Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010), the adult minimum rate starts at $23.46 per hour at C14, while the highest C2(b) classification is $36.74 per hour. 

But checking the base hourly rate is only part of manufacturing payroll. Shiftwork, overtime, weekend work, public holidays, allowances and employee classification can all change the amount an employee must receive.

This guide explains the current Manufacturing Award rates, classifications, overtime, penalty rates and key payroll rules for 2026/27.

Important: These are minimum award rates. Always check the current Fair Work award and pay guide before processing payroll, particularly where an enterprise agreement or other industrial instrument applies.

What is the Manufacturing Award?

The Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010) sets minimum pay and employment conditions for covered manufacturing employers and employees across Australia.

It covers a wide range of manufacturing and associated occupations, including production, processing, machine operation, fabrication, repair and technical work. The award also contains specific classifications for vehicle manufacturing and drivers.

The applicable rate depends on the employee’s classification, employment type and the hours or conditions under which the work is performed.

What are the Manufacturing Award rates for 2026/27?

The current adult ordinary hourly rates for full time and part time are shown in the table below:

Manufacturing Award – General manufacturing

These rates are from the Fair Work Commission’s current consolidated MA000010 award and Schedule C.

The award states that the weekly minimum rates are based on 38 hours of work. The classification rate is only the starting point; allowances, loadings and penalties may also apply. 

When do the 2026/27 rates apply?

The new rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, rather than automatically from every employee’s 1 July pay date. The 2026 Annual Wage Review changed modern award minimum wages effective from that date.

What is the casual Manufacturing Award rate?

A casual employee’s ordinary rate includes the applicable casual loading.

For example, the C14 rate of $23.46 will be paid $29.33 per hour for a casual employee. Similarly at C10, the ordinary rate of $27.17 will be $33.96 per hour.

The Fair Work award states that the casual ordinary hourly rate is used when calculating penalties and overtime, subject to the award’s specific rules and allowances.

How do Manufacturing Award overtime rates work?

For most employees other than continuous shiftworkers, overtime is paid at 150% for the first three hours and 200% after three hours.

For example, a C10 employee with a $27.17 ordinary hourly rate would have an overtime rate of:

First three hours: $40.76 per hour
After three hours: $54.34 per hour

The actual calculation can change where an employee receives an all-purpose allowance that forms part of the ordinary hourly rate.

Fair Work specifically states that an applicable all-purpose allowance must be added to the minimum rate before calculating penalties, overtime and leave payments.

What are the Manufacturing Award penalty rates?

For day workers, ordinary hours worked on weekends and public holidays attract higher rates.

The Saturday rate applies to ordinary hours between midnight Friday and midnight Saturday, while Sunday ordinary hours are paid at 200%. Public holiday work for day workers is 250%, with a minimum payment of three hours. 

How are Manufacturing Award shiftwork rates calculated?

Shiftwork has separate penalty rules.

Under the award, afternoon and night shift workers will receive 115%, while permanent night shifts attract 130% of the ordinary hourly rate.

This matters for payroll because the same employee can move between ordinary, shift and overtime calculations depending on when the work is performed.

For example, a C10 employee on a $27.17 ordinary rate would receive approximately:

Afternoon/night shift: $31.25 per hour
Permanent night shift: $35.32 per hour

Those rates are also reflected in the Fair Work Schedule C tables.

What Manufacturing Award allowances apply?

Allowances depend on the employee’s work and the specific conditions of the role.

MA000010 includes allowances and special rates for situations such as:

• specific industry work
• tools and equipment
• dirty or hazardous work
• height work
• travel and distant work
• vehicle-related work
• special manufacturing conditions

Some allowances are all-purpose allowances, which means they can flow into calculations for overtime, penalties and leave. Others are expense-related and are treated differently. 

This distinction is important. Adding every allowance directly to the base rate can be just as incorrect as leaving a required all-purpose allowance out.

Why is Manufacturing Award classification important?

The classification determines the minimum rate an employee receives.

The award does not simply assign one manufacturing rate to everyone. MA000010 contains multiple classification levels, including C14 through C2 and separate driver and vehicle-manufacturing classifications.

A payroll system therefore needs to retain the employee’s classification, not just an hourly salary figure.

This becomes particularly important when an employee changes duties, gains qualifications or performs work associated with a higher classification.

How can manufacturers reduce Award payroll errors?

The most common problem is not knowing one particular percentage. It is applying the wrong combination of classification + hours + work type + rate + allowance.

A practical payroll workflow should therefore look like:

Classification → Roster → Attendance → Award interpretation → Approved timesheet → Payroll

Workstem connects rostering, attendance, award interpretation and payroll so award-related calculations can be generated from recorded work rather than manually rebuilt in spreadsheets.

Its award interpretation platform supports automated calculations for ordinary hours, overtime, penalties and allowances, with award-rate updates through the Fair Work API. Workstem

See Workstem’s award interpretation software and Australian payroll software.

Manufacturing Award FAQs

Q1: What is the minimum Manufacturing Award rate in 2026?

A1: The lowest adult classification under MA000010 is C14 at $25.74 per hour from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. 

Q2: What is the Manufacturing Award casual rate?

A2: At C14, the casual rate is $32.18 per hour, including the applicable casual loading. 

Q3: What is the Manufacturing Award overtime rate?

A3: For most employees other than continuous shiftworkers, overtime is 150% for the first three hours and 200% after three hours.

Q4: Does the Manufacturing Award cover vehicle manufacturing?

A4: Yes, MA000010 includes a separate vehicle-manufacturing section with its own classification and overtime provisions. Do not automatically apply the general manufacturing table to vehicle-manufacturing employees.

Q5: Where can employers check the official Manufacturing Award rates?

A5: The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the current pay guide, while the Fair Work Commission maintains the consolidated award and its current schedules.

Need to calculate Manufacturing Award pay from actual rosters and attendance? See how Workstem automates award interpretation and payroll.

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