Book Industry Award pay rates
Award code MA000078, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 16 adult classifications under the Book Industry Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $30.74 to $54.11 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$30.74an hour
For Level 1, upon commencement. $1,168.20 for a full-time week. Up 4.74% from $29.35. Casuals get $38.43 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $30.74 an hour, 16.3% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 5 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- Level 1, upon commencementEditors$30.74
- Level 1, after 6 monthsEditors$32.68
- Level 2, Grade 1Editors$34.40
- Level 2, Grade 2Editors$35.25
- Level 2, Grade 3Editors$36.99
- Level 2, Grade 4Editors$38.93
- Level 3, Grade 1Editors$40.78
- Level 3, Grade 2Editors$42.64
- Level 3, Grade 3Editors$47.49
- Grade 1Publicists$33.19
- Grade 2Publicists$35.21
- Grade 3Publicists$37.61
- Grade 4Publicists$39.58
- Grade 5Publicists$44.29
- Grade 6Publicists$49.21
- Grade 7Publicists$54.11
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 Level 1, upon commencement.
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$30.74 |
| First 8 hours of overtime | 150%$46.11 |
| After 8 hours of overtime | 200%$61.48 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EditorsLevel 1, upon commencement | $1,168.20 | $30.74 | $38.43 |
| EditorsLevel 1, after 6 months | $1,241.70 | $32.68 | $40.85 |
| EditorsLevel 2, Grade 1 | $1,307.10 | $34.40 | $43.00 |
| EditorsLevel 2, Grade 2 | $1,339.60 | $35.25 | $44.06 |
| EditorsLevel 2, Grade 3 | $1,405.50 | $36.99 | $46.24 |
| EditorsLevel 2, Grade 4 | $1,479.40 | $38.93 | $48.66 |
| EditorsLevel 3, Grade 1 | $1,549.70 | $40.78 | $50.98 |
| EditorsLevel 3, Grade 2 | $1,620.30 | $42.64 | $53.30 |
| EditorsLevel 3, Grade 3 | $1,804.70 | $47.49 | $59.36 |
| PublicistsGrade 1 | $1,261.40 | $33.19 | $41.49 |
| PublicistsGrade 2 | $1,337.80 | $35.21 | $44.01 |
| PublicistsGrade 3 | $1,429.30 | $37.61 | $47.01 |
| PublicistsGrade 4 | $1,504.10 | $39.58 | $49.47 |
| PublicistsGrade 5 | $1,683.20 | $44.29 | $55.36 |
| PublicistsGrade 6 | $1,869.90 | $49.21 | $61.51 |
| PublicistsGrade 7 | $2,056.20 | $54.11 | $67.64 |
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
Full-time and part-time employees: ordinary and overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Level 1, upon commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$30.74 |
| First 8 hours of overtime | 150%$46.11 |
| After 8 hours of overtime | 200%$61.48 |
Casual employees: ordinary rates
Dollars an hour at Level 1, upon commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 125%$38.43 |
The award is the final word
These are the minimum rates the Fair Work Commission publishes for the award. Allowances, 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 Book Industry Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $30.74 an hour ($1,168.20 a week full time), for Level 1, upon commencement. The highest adult classification is $54.11 an hour.
- How does the Book Industry Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $30.74 an hour, 16.3% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 5 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Book Industry Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.74%, from $29.35 to $30.74 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 Book Industry Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Level 1, upon commencement that makes $38.43 an hour.
- 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.