The General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004), commonly called the Retail Award, sets minimum pay rates and key employment conditions for many retail employees across Australia. In 2026, employers need to keep on top of Retail Award pay rates, penalty rates, overtime rules, allowances and classification levels to reduce underpayment risk and payroll errors. The current award rates reflect the 3.5% minimum wage increase that took effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025
If you run stores across multiple locations, roster staff on weekends and public holidays, or employ a mix of full-time, part-time and casual workers, Retail Award compliance is not just about base hourly rates. It depends on getting the right classification, applying the correct penalty or overtime trigger, and paying the right allowance when conditions change.
What is the Retail Award (MA000004)?
The Retail Award covers employers and employees in the general retail industry, including many businesses selling goods and services to the public. Fair Work says the award generally applies to retail employers and employees within the award’s classification structure, and the summary specifically points users back to the award for full coverage and classification detail.
Examples of businesses and workers commonly covered include:
- shops selling clothing, groceries, hardware, furniture, electronics and general goods
- retail assistants, supervisors and managers
- full-time, part-time and casual retail employees.
Which businesses are not covered by the Retail Award?
The Retail Award does not cover employers and employees where another award applies, including:
- Fast Food Award
- Hair and Beauty Award
- Meat Award
- Pharmacy Award
The Fair Work summary also says it does not cover warehousing and distribution, clerical work performed away from a retail establishment, motor vehicle retailing and fuel/parts retailing, or restaurant, café, hotel, motel and fast food operations.
What are the Retail Award pay rates in 2026?
Retail Award pay rates depend on:
- the employee’s classification level
- employment type
- age, where junior rates apply
- whether apprentice or trainee provisions apply.
The award requires employees to be classified under Schedule A, and employers must notify employees in writing of their classification and any change to it. That point matters because the wrong classification often creates the wrong pay rate from the start.
Current Retail Award pay rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Employers should confirm the latest rates against the Fair Work pay guide before each annual wage update.
Adult
Full-time & part-time
| Classification | Weekly pay rate | Hourly pay rate |
| Retail employee level 1 | $1008.90 | $26.55 |
| Retail employee level 2 | $1032.00 | $27.16 |
| Retail employee level 3 | $1048.00 | $27.58 |
| Retail employee level 4 | $1068.40 | $28.12 |
| Retail employee level 5 | $1112.30 | $29.27 |
| Retail employee level 6 | $1128.50 | $29.70 |
| Retail employee level 7 | $1185.10 | $31.19 |
| Retail employee level 8 | $1233.20 | $32.45 |
Casual
| Classification | Hourly pay rate |
| Retail employee level 1 | $33.19 |
| Retail employee level 2 | $33.95 |
| Retail employee level 3 | $34.48 |
| Retail employee level 4 | $35.15 |
| Retail employee level 5 | $36.59 |
| Retail employee level 6 | $37.13 |
| Retail employee level 7 | $38.99 |
| Retail employee level 8 | $40.56 |
Junior
| Classification | Weekly pay rate | Hourly pay rate | |||
|
Full-time & part-time – Under 16 years of age |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $454.01 | $11.95 | |||
| Retail employee level 2 | $464.40 | $12.22 | |||
| Retail employee level 3 | $471.60 | $12.41 | |||
|
Full-time & part-time – 16 years of age |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $504.45 | $13.28 | |||
| Retail employee level 2 | $516.00 | $13.58 | |||
| Retail employee level 3 | $524.00 | $13.79 | |||
|
Full-time & part-time – 17 years of age |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $605.34 | $15.93 | |||
| Retail employee level 2 | $619.20 | $16.29 | |||
| Retail employee level 3 | $628.80 | $16.55 | |||
|
Full-time & part-time – 18 years of age |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $706.23 | $18.59 | |||
| Retail employee level 2 | $722.40 | $19.01 | |||
| Retail employee level 3 | $733.60 | $19.31 | |||
|
Full-time & part-time – 19 years of age |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $807.12 | $21.24 | |||
| Retail employee level 2 | $825.60 | $21.73 | |||
| Retail employee level 3 | $838.40 | $22.06 | |||
|
Full-time & part-time – 20 years of age and employed by the employer for 6 months or less |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $908.01 | $23.09 | |||
| Retail employee level 2 | $928.80 | $23.62 | |||
| Retail employee level 3 | $943.20 | $23.98 | |||
|
Full-time & part-time – 20 years of age and employed by the employer for more than 6 months |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $1008.90 | $25.65 | |||
| Retail employee level 2 | $1032.00 | $26.24 | |||
| Retail employee level 3 | $1048.00 | $26.65 | |||
|
Casual – Under 16 years of age (Hourly pay rate) |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $14.94 | ||||
| Retail employee level 2 | $15.28 | ||||
| Retail employee level 3 | $15.51 | ||||
|
Casual – 16 years of age (Hourly pay rate) |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $16.60 | ||||
| Retail employee level 2 | $16.98 | ||||
| Retail employee level 3 | $17.24 | ||||
|
Casual – 17 years of age (Hourly pay rate) |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $19.91 | ||||
| Retail employee level 2 | $20.36 | ||||
| Retail employee level 3 | $20.69 | ||||
|
Casual – 18 years of age (Hourly pay rate) |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $23.24 | ||||
| Retail employee level 2 | $23.76 | ||||
| Retail employee level 3 | $24.14 | ||||
|
Casual – 19 years of age (Hourly pay rate) |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $26.55 | ||||
| Retail employee level 2 | $27.16 | ||||
| Retail employee level 3 | $27.58 | ||||
|
Casual – 20 years of age and employed by the employer for 6 months or less (Hourly pay rate) |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $29.88 | ||||
| Retail employee level 2 | $30.55 | ||||
| Retail employee level 3 | $31.03 | ||||
|
Casual – 20 years of age and employed by the employer for more than 6 months (Hourly pay rate) |
|||||
| Retail employee level 1 | $33.19 | ||||
| Retail employee level 2 | $33.95 | ||||
| Retail employee level 3 | $34.48 | ||||
Apprentice
Junior Apprentice
| Classification | Hourly pay rate |
|
4 year apprenticeship – Started before 1 Jan 2014 |
|
| Apprentice – 1st year | $14.06 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $16.87 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
| Apprentice – 4th year | $25.30 |
|
4 year apprenticeship – Started after 1 Jan 2014 – Did not complete year 12 |
|
| Apprentice – 1st year | $14.06 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $16.87 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
| Apprentice – 4th year | $25.30 |
|
4 year apprenticeship – Started after 1 Jan 2014 – Completed year 12 |
|
| Apprentice – 1st year | $15.46 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $18.28 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
| Apprentice – 4th year | $25.30 |
|
3 year apprenticeship – Started before 1 Jan 2014 |
|
| Apprentice – 1st year | $14.06 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $16.87 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
|
3 year apprenticeship – Started after 1 Jan 2014 – Did not complete year 12 |
|
| Apprentice – 1st year | $14.06 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $16.87 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
|
3 year apprenticeship – Started after 1 Jan 2014 – Completed year 12 |
|
| Apprentice – 1st year | $15.46 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $18.28 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
Adult apprentice
| Classification | Hourly pay rate |
| 4 year apprenticeship – Started before 1 Jan 2014 | |
| Apprentice – 1st year | $14.06 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $16.87 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
| Apprentice – 4th year | $25.30 |
| 4 year apprenticeship – Started after 1 Jan 2014 | |
| Apprentice – 1st year | $22.49 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $26.55 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $26.55 |
| Apprentice – 4th year | $26.55 |
| 3 year apprenticeship – Started before 1 Jan 2014 | |
| Apprentice – 1st year | $14.06 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $16.87 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $22.49 |
| 3 year apprenticeship – Started after 1 Jan 2014 | |
| Apprentice – 1st year | $22.49 |
| Apprentice – 2nd year | $26.55 |
| Apprentice – 3rd year | $26.55 |
Referenced from: General Retail Industry Award pay guide
Retail Award classification levels explained
Under the award, pay rates are tied to classification. Employers need to match the employee’s actual duties to the correct classification, not just copy the title used in the contract or roster. The award itself says classification must be based on the skill level required to carry out the principal functions of the role as can be seen below.
- Level 1–2: entry-level retail duties, basic customer service and store tasks
- Level 3–4: more skilled duties, supervisory support, broader product or operational responsibility
- Higher levels: increased responsibility, team leadership, specialist tasks or store management functions
What are the Retail Award penalty rates in 2026?
For ordinary hours under the Retail Award, penalty rates apply at these percentages:
- Monday to Friday after 6:00 pm: 125% for full-time and part-time employees, 150% for casual employees
- Saturday ordinary hours: 125% for full-time and part-time employees, 150% for casual employees
- Sunday ordinary hours: 150% for full-time and part-time employees, 175% for casual employees
- Public holiday ordinary hours: 225% for full-time and part-time employees, 250% for casual employees.
Under the award, ordinary hours are generally 7:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Saturday, and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday, with specific exceptions for some businesses such as newsagencies, video shops and retailers with extended trading hours.
When does overtime apply under the Retail Award?
Under the award:
- full-time employees get overtime for hours worked in excess of ordinary hours, outside the ordinary span, or outside roster conditions
- part-time employees get overtime for hours worked above their guaranteed hours or outside the ordinary span
- casual employees get overtime when they work more than 38 ordinary hours a week or averaged over the roster cycle, outside the span of ordinary hours, or more than 11 hours on one day and more than 9 hours on any other day of the week.
The overtime rates under the Retail Award are:
- Monday to Saturday, first 3 overtime hours: 150% for full-time and part-time employees, 175% for casual employees
- Monday to Saturday, after 3 hours: 200% for full-time and part-time employees, 225% for casual employees
- Sunday overtime: 200% for full-time and part-time employees, 225% for casual employees
- Public holiday overtime: 250% for full-time and part-time employees, 275% for casual employees.
What allowances apply under the Retail Award?
Relevant Retail Award allowances include:
Higher duties
If an employee performs higher-classification duties for more than 2 hours on a day or shift, they must be paid the higher classification rate for the whole day or shift. If they perform those duties for 2 hours or less, they must be paid the higher rate for the time worked at that level.
Meal allowance
If an employee works more than one hour of overtime without at least 24 hours’ notice and cannot reasonably return home for a meal, the employer must either provide a meal or pay a meal allowance of $23.59.
Cold work allowance
An employee principally working in cold chambers or refrigerated storage is entitled to $0.37 per hour, plus an additional $0.56 per hour if the chamber is below 0°C.
First aid allowance
An employee with a current first aid qualification who is appointed to perform first aid duty must be paid a first aid allowance of $13.89 per week.
Why Retail Award compliance matters in 2026?
Retail payroll becomes risky when employers combine:
- multiple classification levels
- evening, weekend and public holiday working hours
- casual loading and overtime
- multistore roster differences
- role changes that trigger higher duties or allowances.
Those risks are amplified because the award has specific coverage rules, penalty percentages, ordinary hour spans and overtime triggers. Manual spreadsheets often fail because they do not consistently map all of those variables together.
FAQs About the Retail Award
Q1: What is the Retail Award in Australia?
A1: The Retail Award is the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004). It sets minimum pay rates and employment conditions for many retail employees in Australia.
Q2: What are Retail Award penalty rates in 2026?
A2: For ordinary hours, the award sets penalties including 125% after 6:00 pm Monday to Friday, 125% on Saturdays, 150% on Sundays and 225% on public holidays for full-time and part-time employees, with higher inclusive rates for casuals.
Q3: Does the Retail Award cover casual employees?
A3: Yes. The award covers casual employees, but their rates differ because casual loading is built into the applicable casual rates.
Q4: What allowances apply under the Retail Award?
A4: Common allowances include higher duties, meal allowance, cold work allowance and first aid allowance, depending on the employee’s circumstances.
Q5: Does the Retail Award apply to fast food or pharmacies?
A5: No. Fair Work says those are covered by other awards, including the Fast Food Award and Pharmacy Award.
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Updated General Retail Industry Award 2025 Pay Rates
