Cotton Ginning Award pay rates
Award code MA000024, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 6 adult classifications under the Cotton Ginning Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.74 to $29.45 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$25.74an hour
For CG1 (first 6 months of employment). $978.10 for a full-time week. Up 5.02% from $24.51. 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- CG1 (first 6 months of employment)$25.74
- CG1 (after 6 months of employment)$26.44
- CG2$26.95
- CG3$27.44
- CG4$28.26
- CG5$29.45
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 CG1 (first 6 months of employment).
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.72 |
| Night work (Monday – Friday) | 115%$30.73 |
| Public holiday | 250%$66.80 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CG1 (first 6 months of employment) | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| CG1 (after 6 months of employment) | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| CG2 | $1,024.00 | $26.95 | $33.69 |
| CG3 | $1,042.90 | $27.44 | $34.30 |
| CG4 | $1,073.90 | $28.26 | $35.33 |
| CG5 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
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 penalty rates
Dollars an hour at CG1 (first 6 months of employment)
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.72 |
| Night work (Monday – Friday) | 115%$30.73 |
| Public holiday | 250%$66.80 |
Casual employees: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at CG1 (first 6 months of employment)
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Night work (Monday - Friday) | 125%$33.40 |
| Ordinary hours | 125%$33.40 |
| Public holiday | 250%$66.80 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at CG1 (first 6 months of employment)
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday – first 2 hours | 150%$40.08 |
| Monday to Saturday – after 2 hours | 200%$53.44 |
| Sunday – all day | 200%$53.44 |
| Public holiday – all day | 250%$66.80 |
Allowances paid on top
10 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 1 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Disabilities allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 19.2(b)(i) | $37.19 a week | |
| Leading hand in charge of | ||
| 11–20 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 19.2(c) | $66.84 a week | |
| 3–10 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 19.2(c) | $44.74 a week | |
| More than 20 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 19.2(c) | $85.16 a week | |
| First aid allowanceClause 19.2(d) | $20.21 a week | |
| Special allowance, bulk liquid tanksClause 19.2(e) | $0.81 an hour | |
| Special contingency payment | ||
| Full-time employees, Emerald and St GeorgeClause 19.2(f)(i) | $93.52 a week | |
| Full-time employees, Moura and Cecil PlainsClause 19.2(f)(i) | $64.41 a week | |
| Seasonal employees, Emerald and St GeorgeClause 19.2(f)(i) | $28.06 a week | |
| Seasonal employees, Moura and Cecil PlainsClause 19.2(f)(i) | $19.32 a week | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Meal allowanceClause 19.3(a) | $18.00 a meal |
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 Cotton Ginning Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week full time), for CG1 (first 6 months of employment). The highest adult classification is $29.45 an hour.
- How does the Cotton Ginning 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 Cotton Ginning Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 5.02%, from $24.51 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 Cotton Ginning Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For CG1 (first 6 months of employment) that makes $32.18 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Cotton Ginning Award?
- 11 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a disabilities allowance of $37.19 a week, a leading hand in charge of, 11–20 employees of $66.84 a week and a leading hand in charge of, 3–10 employees of $44.74 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.