Funeral Industry Award pay rates
Award code MA000105, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 6 adult classifications under the Funeral Industry Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.74 to $30.38 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$25.74an hour
For Grade 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- Grade 1$25.74
- Grade 2$26.44
- Grade 3$27.08
- Grade 4$27.97
- Grade 5$29.45
- Grade 6$30.38
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 Grade 1.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Employees undertaking removals - 7.00 pm to midnight and 7.00 am to 7.00 pm - First 3 hours | 150%$38.61 | 175%$45.05 |
| Employees undertaking removals - 7.00 pm to midnight and 7.00 am to 7.00 pm - After first 3 hours | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
| Employees undertaking removals - Midnight to 7.00 am – all hours worked | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
| Public holiday – all employees other than employees undertaking removals | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| Grade 2 | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| Grade 3 | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Grade 4 | $1,062.90 | $27.97 | $34.96 |
| Grade 5 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Grade 6 | $1,154.30 | $30.38 | $37.98 |
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 Grade 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Employees undertaking removals - 7.00 pm to midnight and 7.00 am to 7.00 pm - First 3 hours | 150%$38.61 | 175%$45.05 |
| Employees undertaking removals - 7.00 pm to midnight and 7.00 am to 7.00 pm - After first 3 hours | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
| Employees undertaking removals - Midnight to 7.00 am – all hours worked | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
| Public holiday – all employees other than employees undertaking removals | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
Shiftwork
Full-time and part-time shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day shift | 100%$25.74 |
| Afternoon | 120%$30.89 |
| Non-continuing afternoon | 150%$38.61 |
| Public holiday | 200%$51.48 |
Casual shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day shift | 125%$32.18 |
| Afternoon shift | 145%$37.32 |
| Monday to Friday – first 3 hours | 175%$45.05 |
| Non-continuing afternoon shift | 175%$45.05 |
| Monday to Friday – after 3 hours | 225%$57.92 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees other than shiftworkers: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday – first 3 hours | 150%$38.61 |
| Monday to Saturday – after 3 hours | 200%$51.48 |
| Public holiday – all day | 200%$51.48 |
| Sunday – all day | 200%$51.48 |
Full-time and part-time shiftworkers: overtime from midnight Friday until midnight Sunday
Dollars an hour at Grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day shift (minimum hourly rate) | 100%$25.74 |
| Afternoon shift - Saturday to Sunday - First 3 hours | 170%$43.76 |
| Non-continuing afternoon shift – Saturday and Sunday - First 3 hours | 200%$51.48 |
| Afternoon shift - Saturday to Sunday - After 3 hours | 220%$56.63 |
| Non-continuing afternoon shift – Saturday and Sunday - After 3 hours | 250%$64.35 |
Full-time and part-time shiftworkers: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Afternoon shift | 120%$30.89 |
| Non-continuing afternoon shift | 150%$38.61 |
| Afternoon shift - Monday to Friday – First 3 hours | 170%$43.76 |
| Non-continuing afternoon shift - Monday to Friday - First 3 hours | 200%$51.48 |
| Afternoon shift - Monday to Friday – After 3 hours | 220%$56.63 |
| Non-continuing afternoon shift - Monday to Friday - After 3 hours | 250%$64.35 |
Allowances paid on top
5 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 4 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by allowance | ||
| Between normal finishing and starting time, Monday to FridayClause 17.2(a)(i) | $16.79 per stand-by period | |
| Saturday, Sunday and public holidaysClause 17.2(a)(ii) | $35.81 per stand-by period | |
| Exhumation allowanceClause 17.2(b) | $119.74 per body | |
| Leading hand, in charge of | ||
| 11 to 19 employeesClause 17.2(c) | $67.15 a week | |
| 3 to 10 employeesClause 17.2(c) | $44.76 a week | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Meal allowance, overtime of more than 2 hours after normal ceasing time without noticeClause 17.3(a)(i) | $17.30 a meal |
| Travelling meal allowanceClause 17.3(a)(ii) | $17.30 a meal |
| Tool allowance, employee engaged in coffin manufacturingClause 17.3(b) | $6.06 a week |
| Vehicle allowanceClause 17.3(e)(iii) | $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 Funeral Industry Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week full time), for Grade 1. The highest adult classification is $30.38 an hour.
- How does the Funeral 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 Funeral 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 Funeral Industry Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Grade 1 that makes $32.18 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Funeral Industry Award?
- 9 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a stand-by allowance, Between normal finishing and starting time, Monday to Friday of $16.79 per stand-by period, a stand-by allowance, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays of $35.81 per stand-by period and an exhumation allowance of $119.74 per body. 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.