Asphalt Industry Award pay rates
Award code MA000054, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 5 adult classifications under the Asphalt Industry Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.74 to $29.71 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$25.74an hour
For Skill Level 1. $978.10 for a full-time week. Up 6.01% from $24.28. Casuals get $32.18 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 71 have a higher minimum. The dashed line is the minimum wage; each tick is another award.
Pay by classification
Dollars an hour, from 1 July 2026- Skill Level 1$25.74
- Skill Level 2$26.85
- Skill Level 3$27.92
- Skill Level 4$29.46
- Skill Level 5$29.71
Hover or tap a row for last year's rate. Every rate, in every unit, is in the tables below.
Penalty rates at a glance
Percent of the ordinary rate, and dollars an hour at Skill Level 1.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Day | 100%$28.00 | 100%$35.00 |
| Public holiday | 250%$70.00 | 250%$87.50 |
Minimum pay by classification from 1 July 2026
Weekly rates are for a full-time week; hourly rates apply to full-time and part-time hours. Casual hourly adds the 25% loading.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skill Level 1 | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| Skill Level 2 | $1,020.20 | $26.85 | $33.56 |
| Skill Level 3 | $1,060.80 | $27.92 | $34.90 |
| Skill Level 4 | $1,119.40 | $29.46 | $36.83 |
| Skill Level 5 | $1,129.00 | $29.71 | $37.14 |
Penalty and overtime rates
Percentages as the award sets them, and what they come to an hour at the first adult level. Higher classifications get the same percentages of their own rate. The tick on each bar marks 100%, the ordinary rate.
Evenings, weekends and public holidays
Employees other than shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Skill Level 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Day | 100%$28.00 | 100%$35.00 |
| Public holiday | 250%$70.00 | 250%$87.50 |
Shiftwork
Shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Skill Level 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Day | 100%$28.00 | 100%$35.00 |
| Afternoon or night | 115%$32.20 | 115%$40.25 |
| Permanent night | 130%$36.40 | 130%$45.50 |
| Non-successive afternoon or night - 8 hours or less | 150%$42.00 | 150%$52.50 |
| Saturday | 150%$42.00 | 150%$52.50 |
| Non-successive afternoon or night - More than 8 hours | 200%$56.00 | 200%$70.00 |
| Sunday | 200%$56.00 | 200%$70.00 |
| Public holiday | 250%$70.00 | 250%$87.50 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees other than shiftworkers: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Skill Level 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday - first 2 hours | 150%$42.00 |
| Monday to Saturday - after 2 hours | 200%$56.00 |
| Sunday - all day | 200%$56.00 |
Full-time and part-time shiftworkers: overtime
Dollars an hour at Skill Level 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Unrelieved overtime - First 8 hours | 150%$42.00 |
| Overtime | 200%$56.00 |
| Unrelieved overtime - After 8 hours | 200%$56.00 |
Allowances paid on top
4 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 7 cover costs you'd otherwise pay yourself, like meals, laundry or travel. The amounts are the Commission's, in force today; the award sets out exactly who gets each one and when.
For the work
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Industry allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 17.2(b) | $42.43 a week |
| Inclement weather allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 17.2(c)(i) | $43.49 a week |
| First aid allowanceClause 17.2(d) | $4.24 a day |
| Leading hand allowanceClause 17.2(e) | $37.13 a week |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Meal allowance | ||
| Overtime of more than 1.5 hours after usual ceasing time, without noticeClause 17.3(a)(i) | $20.52 each time | |
| Overtime, 5.5 hours or more after usual ceasing time and each further 4 hoursClause 17.3(a)(ii) | $20.52 each time | |
| Travelling expenses | ||
| Accommodation when required to spend a night en route to distant workClause 17.3(d)(ii) | $100.48 a night | |
| Meal allowance while travelling to distant workClause 17.3(d)(ii) | $20.52 a meal | |
| All living expenses for broken parts of a week, an amount of up toClause 17.3(e)(i) | $721.04 a week | |
| Board and lodging for 7 daysClause 17.3(e)(i) | $721.04 a week | |
| Incidentals allowanceClause 17.3(e)(ii) | $7.69 a night | |
The award is the final word
These are the minimum rates the Fair Work Commission publishes for the award. Shift rules, rostering and who each classification covers are in the award itself, and an enterprise agreement can set different pay. Employees no award or agreement covers get the National Minimum Wage: $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026.
The awards most people look up
Questions people ask
- What is the minimum pay rate under the Asphalt Industry Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week full time), for Skill Level 1. The highest adult classification is $29.71 an hour.
- How does the Asphalt Industry Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 71 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Asphalt Industry Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 6.01%, from $24.28 to $25.74 an hour, in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review. The table shows each classification's rate before and after.
- What is the casual loading under the Asphalt Industry Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Skill Level 1 that makes $32.18 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Asphalt Industry Award?
- 11 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including an industry allowance of $42.43 a week, an inclement weather allowance of $43.49 a week and a first aid allowance of $4.24 a day. The full list, with the clause each comes from, is on this page.
- Where do these rates come from?
- The Fair Work Commission's Modern Awards Pay Database, which publishes every award's minimum rates; we read it when the Commission changes an award. The award itself prevails if the two ever differ, and an enterprise agreement can set different pay.
Source: Fair Work Commission, Modern Awards Pay Database, licensed CC BY 4.0, read 27 Oct 2026 and arranged by The Finance Algorithm. Not endorsed by the Fair Work Commission. Read with the award: if they differ, the award prevails. General information, not legal or payroll advice.