Cemetery Industry Award pay rates
Award code MA000070, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 6 adult classifications under the Cemetery Industry Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.74 to $31.83 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$25.74an hour
For Cemetery Employee Class 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- Cemetery Employee Class 1$25.74
- Cemetery Employee Class 2$27.08
- Cemetery Employee Class 3$27.97
- Cemetery Employee Class 4$29.45
- Cemetery Employee Class 5$30.99
- Cemetery Employee Class 6$31.83
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 Cemetery Employee Class 1.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.86 | 125%$33.58 |
| Public holiday | 250%$67.15 | 275%$73.87 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cemetery Employee Class 1 | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| Cemetery Employee Class 2 | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Cemetery Employee Class 3 | $1,062.90 | $27.97 | $34.96 |
| Cemetery Employee Class 4 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Cemetery Employee Class 5 | $1,177.60 | $30.99 | $38.74 |
| Cemetery Employee Class 6 | $1,209.50 | $31.83 | $39.79 |
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
Adult employees: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Cemetery Employee Class 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.86 | 125%$33.58 |
| Public holiday | 250%$67.15 | 275%$73.87 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time adult employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Cemetery Employee Class 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday – first 2 hours | 150%$40.29 |
| Monday to Saturday – after 2 hours | 200%$53.72 |
| Sunday | 200%$53.72 |
| Public holiday | 250%$67.15 |
Allowances paid on top
14 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 2 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 16.2(b) | $42.53 a week | |
| Leading hand | ||
| Class 5 and above, in charge of 2 to 6 employeesClause 16.2(c)(i) | $23.50 a week | |
| Class 5 and above, in charge of more than 6 employeesClause 16.2(c)(ii) | $51.48 a week | |
| First aid allowanceClause 16.2(d) | $13.43 a week | |
| Exhumation allowance | ||
| Body buried for 14 days or lessClause 16.2(e)(i) | $99.60 per body | |
| Body buried for 14 days to 7 years and arterially embalmed and sealed in approved containerClause 16.2(e)(ii) | $119.74 per body | |
| Body buried for 14 days to 7 years and not arterially embalmed and sealed in approved containerClause 16.2(e)(iii) | $199.20 per body | |
| Body buried for more than 7 yearsClause 16.2(e)(iv) | $99.60 per body | |
| Lift and deepen allowance | ||
| Age of grave since last burial, 10 to 25 yearsClause 16.2(f) | $72.74 each time | |
| Age of grave since last burial, 25 to 50 yearsClause 16.2(f) | $48.12 each time | |
| Age of grave since last burial, 5 to 10 yearsClause 16.2(f) | $97.36 each time | |
| Age of grave since last burial, more than 50 yearsClause 16.2(f) | $24.62 each time | |
| Excavation allowance | ||
| First bodyClause 16.2(g)(i) | $60.43 for first body | |
| Each additional body from the same graveClause 16.2(g)(ii) | $30.22 per additional body | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Meal allowance, overtime of more than 2 hours after ordinary finishing timeClause 16.3(a) | $16.94 a meal |
| Vehicle allowanceClause 16.3(b) | $1.01 a km |
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 Cemetery Industry Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week full time), for Cemetery Employee Class 1. The highest adult classification is $31.83 an hour.
- How does the Cemetery 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 Cemetery 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 Cemetery Industry Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Cemetery Employee Class 1 that makes $32.18 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Cemetery Industry Award?
- 16 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including an industry allowance of $42.53 a week, a leading hand, Class 5 and above, in charge of 2 to 6 employees of $23.50 a week and a leading hand, Class 5 and above, in charge of more than 6 employees of $51.48 a week. 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.