If you run a quick-service restaurant, takeaway shop, burger chain, pizza store or similar business, the Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003) may set the minimum pay rates and employment conditions for your staff. As at March 2026, the award is consolidated up to the current pay tables on the award reflecting rates effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025. Those rates followed the 3.5% annual increase to minimum award wages from 1 July 2025.
For fast food employers, compliance is not just about knowing the base hourly rate. You also need to apply the correct classification, casual loading, penalty rates, overtime triggers, break entitlements and allowances. That is where underpayments usually start.
What is the Fast Food Award (MA000003)?
The Fast Food Award is a modern award that covers employers in the fast food industry and employees who fit within the award classifications. Fair Work states the industry includes taking orders for, preparing, selling and delivering fast food, mainly for takeaway, including food and beverages sold in food courts, shopping centres and retail complexes.
Examples of employees commonly covered include:
- employees taking orders, cooking and selling fast food
- baristas in fast food shops or takeaway cafés
- delivery drivers employed directly by the business
- supervisors
- employees in charge of a fast food or takeaway outlet.
Who does the Fast Food Award not cover?
The Fast Food Award does not cover:
- cafés
- restaurants
- coffee shops
- bars
- or where the business mainly sells food and drinks to be consumed on the premises or offers sit-down and table service.
Fair Work also states that it does not apply where the Restaurant Award, Hospitality Award or Retail Award covers the employer and employee, and it does not cover delivery workers who are not directly employed by the fast food business.
What are the Fast Food Award pay rates in 2026?
Under the award, adult minimum pay rates are tied to classification level. The current adult minimum hourly rates effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025 are:
- Level 1: $26.55 per hour, $1008.90 per week
- Level 2: $28.12 per hour, $1068.40 per week
- Level 3: in charge of one or no person: $28.55 per hour, $1084.90 per week
- Level 3: in charge of 2 or more people: $28.90 per hour, $1098.20 per week.
Current Fast Food Award pay rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025.
Adult
| Classification | Hourly pay rate | |
|
Full-time & part-time |
Level 1 | $26.55 |
| Level 2 | $28.12 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $28.55 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $28.90 | |
|
Casual |
Level 1 | $33.19 |
| Level 2 | $35.15 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $35.69 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $36.13 | |
Junior – Full-time & Part-time
| Classification | Weekly pay rate | Hourly pay rate | |
|
Under 16 years of age |
Level 1 | $403.56 | $10.62 |
| Level 2 | $427.36 | $11.25 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $433.96 | $11.42 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $439.28 | $11.56 | |
|
16 years of age |
Level 1 | $504.45 | $13.28 |
| Level 2 | $534.20 | $14.06 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $542.45 | $14.28 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $549.10 | $14.45 | |
|
17 years of age |
Level 1 | $605.34 | $15.93 |
| Level 2 | $641.04 | $16.87 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $650.94 | $17.13 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $658.92 | $17.34 | |
|
18 years of age |
Level 1 | $706.23 | $18.59 |
| Level 2 | $747.88 | $19.68 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $759.43 | $19.99 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $768.74 | $20.23 | |
|
19 years of age |
Level 1 | $807.12 | $21.24 |
| Level 2 | $854.72 | $22.49 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $867.92 | $22.84 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $878.56 | $23.12 | |
|
20 years of age |
Level 1 | $908.01 | $23.90 |
| Level 2 | $961.56 | $25.30 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $976.41 | $25.70 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $988.38 | $26.01 | |
Junior – Casual
| Classification | Hourly pay rate | |
|
Under 16 years of age |
Level 1 | $13.28 |
| Level 2 | $14.06 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $14.28 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $14.45 | |
|
16 years of age |
Level 1 | $16.60 |
| Level 2 | $17.58 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $17.85 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $18.06 | |
|
17 years of age |
Level 1 | $19.91 |
| Level 2 | $21.09 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $21.41 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $21.68 | |
|
18 years of age |
Level 1 | $23.24 |
| Level 2 | $24.60 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $24.99 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $25.29 | |
|
19 years of age |
Level 1 | $26.55 |
| Level 2 | $28.11 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $28.55 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $28.90 | |
|
20 years of age |
Level 1 | $29.88 |
| Level 2 | $31.63 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 1 or no persons | $32.13 | |
| Level 3 – in charge of 2 or more persons | $32.51 | |
Referenced from Fast Food Award pay guide. Check the latest Fair Work rates before each annual wage update.
Fast Food Award classification levels explained
The award requires employers to classify employees according to the skill level required to perform the principal functions of the role, and employers must notify employees in writing of their classification and any change to it.
Classifications include:
- Level 1: basic fast food duties such as preparing, receiving orders, cooking, selling, serving or delivering takeaway food and beverages
- Level 2: more advanced operational duties than Level 1
- Level 3: employees in charge, with different rates depending on whether they supervise one or no person, or 2 or more people.
What are the junior and casual rates under the Fast Food Award?
Junior rates are set as a percentage of the applicable adult rate:
- under 16: 40%
- age 16: 50%
- age 17: 60%
- age 18: 70%
- age 19: 80%
- age 20: 90%
- age 21: 100%.
Casual employees must be paid the minimum hourly rate plus a 25% casual loading. The award also says the penalty and overtime rates for casuals are calculated by adding that loading to the full-time and part-time rates.
What are the penalty rates under the Fast Food Award in 2026?
Penalty rates apply to ordinary hours worked at certain times and on certain days.
For full-time and part-time employees, the award penalty rates are:
- Monday to Friday, 10:00 pm to midnight: 110%
- Monday to Friday, midnight to 6:00 am: 115%
- Saturday: 125%
- Sunday, Level 1: 125%
- Sunday, Levels 2 and 3: 150%
- Public holiday: 225%.
For casual employees, the ordinary-hours penalty rates are:
- Monday to Friday, 10:00 pm to midnight: 135%
- Monday to Friday, midnight to 6:00 am: 140%
- Saturday: 150%
- Sunday, Level 1: 150%
- Sunday, Levels 2 and 3: 175%
- Public holiday: 250%.
When does overtime apply under the Fast Food Award?
For full-time employees, overtime applies when hours are worked:
- above 38 ordinary hours per week or an average of 38 over 4 weeks
- above 5 days in one week, or 6 days where the next week has no more than 4 days worked
- above 11 ordinary hours on one day
- before the rostered start time
- after the rostered finish time
- outside the ordinary hours of work.
For part-time employees, overtime applies when hours are worked:
- above 38 ordinary hours per week or averaged over 4 weeks
- above 5 days in one week, or 6 days where the next week has no more than 4 days worked
- above 11 ordinary hours on one day
- above the agreed hours
- above varied agreed hours
- outside the regular pattern where there is no written record of the agreed variation
- before the rostered start time
- after the rostered finish time
- outside ordinary hours.
For casual employees, overtime applies when hours are worked in excess of 38 ordinary hours per week, or averaged over the roster cycle, or more than 11 ordinary hours on one day.
What are the overtime rates under the Fast Food Award?
The overtime rates are:
- Monday to Saturday, first 2 hours: 150% for full-time and part-time, 175% for casuals
- Monday to Saturday, after 2 hours: 200% for full-time and part-time, 225% for casuals
- Sunday, all overtime hours: 200% for full-time and part-time, 225% for casuals
- Public holiday, all overtime hours: 250% for full-time and part-time, 275% for casuals.
What allowances apply under the Fast Food Award in 2026?
Broken Hill allowance
Employees working within the County of Yancowinna in New South Wales are entitled to a Broken Hill allowance of $45.73 per week.
Cold work allowance
If an employee is principally employed to enter cold chambers or stock or refill refrigerated storages, they must be paid $0.37 per hour, plus an additional $0.56 per hour for cold chambers below 0°C.
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 $16.65. If that overtime exceeds 4 hours, a further meal allowance of $15.04 applies.
Laundry or special clothing allowance
If an employee launders required special clothing, the allowance is $6.25 per week for full-time employees or $1.25 per shift for part-time and casual employees.
Motor vehicle allowance
If an employer asks an employee to use their own vehicle, the allowance is $0.52 per kilometre where the employee is engaged primarily for delivery duties, or $0.98 per kilometre in any other case.
Travel and transport reimbursement
If an employee is required to work at another place, the employer must pay extra travelling time and reimburse excess fares. If an employee starts or finishes after 10:00 pm or before 7:00 am and regular transport is unavailable, the employer may need to reimburse reasonable commercial passenger vehicle costs.
What break entitlements apply under the Fast Food Award?
Under the award:
- less than 4 hours: no rest break, no meal break
- 4 hours or more but less than 5 hours: one paid 10-minute rest break
- 5 hours or more but less than 9 hours: one paid 10-minute rest break and one unpaid meal break of 30 to 60 minutes
- 9 hours or more: either one paid 10-minute rest break plus 2 unpaid meal breaks, or 2 paid 10-minute rest breaks plus one unpaid meal break, depending on how the shift is structured.
The award states employees cannot be required to work more than 5 hours without a meal break.
What compliance mistakes should fast food employers look out for?
Commonly seen Fast Food Award mistakes include:
- assuming the Fast Food Award applies when the business is actually covered by the Restaurant, Hospitality or Retail Award
- classifying employees incorrectly
- missing the difference between ordinary-hours penalties and overtime
- underpaying late-night, weekend or public holiday work
- forgetting that casual penalty and overtime rates already include the 25% loading
- missing allowances for meals, laundry, cold work, travel or vehicle use
- failing to meet the 3 consecutive hour minimum daily engagement for casual employees
- mishandling break entitlements on longer shifts
- overlooking annual leave loading rules for permanent employees.
FAQs About the Fast Food Award
Q1: What is the Fast Food Award in Australia?
A1: The Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003) is a modern award that covers many employers and employees in the fast food industry, including takeaway and delivery operations where staff fit within the award classifications.
Q2: What is the minimum adult hourly rate under the Fast Food Award in 2026?
A2: As at March 2026, the current adult minimum hourly rates on the award are still the rates effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025, starting at $26.55 per hour for Level 1.
Q3: Do casual penalty rates already include the 25% loading?
A3: Yes. The award notes that casual penalty rates are calculated by adding the casual loading to the full-time and part-time penalty rates.
Q4: What is the public holiday penalty rate under the Fast Food Award?
A4: For ordinary hours, the public holiday penalty rate is 225% for full-time and part-time employees and 250% for casual employees.
Q5: When does overtime apply for a casual employee?
A5: A casual employee must be paid overtime when they work more than 38 ordinary hours per week, or averaged over the roster cycle, or more than 11 ordinary hours on one day.
Read more
Fast Food Award Pay Rates & Updates
2025 Fast Food Award Pay Rates: Compliance Guide
Updated Fast Food Industry Award Pay Rates 2024: What You Need to Know
