Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award pay rates
Award code MA000026, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 8 adult classifications under the Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.74 to $32.13 an hour before tax.
Lowest adult rate
$25.74an hour
For Level 1. $978.10 for a full-time week. Up 6.01% from $24.28.
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- Level 1$25.74
- Level 2$26.44
- Level 3$27.08
- Level 6$30.38
- Level 7$31.30
- Level 4Certificate II$27.97
- Level 8Certificate IV (except as set out in clause 17.3)$32.13
- Level 5Trade Certificate/ Certificate III$29.45
Hover or tap a row for last year's rate. Every rate, in every unit, is in the tables below.
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.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $978.10 | $25.74 |
| Level 2 | $1,004.90 | $26.44 |
| Level 3 | $1,029.10 | $27.08 |
| Level 6 | $1,154.30 | $30.38 |
| Level 7 | $1,189.40 | $31.30 |
| Certificate IILevel 4 | $1,062.90 | $27.97 |
| Certificate IV (except as set out in clause 17.3)Level 8 | $1,221.10 | $32.13 |
| Trade Certificate/ Certificate IIILevel 5 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 |
The Commission's pay database has no penalty, overtime or casual rates for this award, so they aren't shown here. They're in the award itself, linked below.
Juniors, apprentices and other arrangements
Rates that depend on age, training or another arrangement. Open a group to see its rates.
Junior artist and/or designer (including junior commercial artist)Junior ratesClause 18.2(a)5 rates
| Classification | Weekly |
|---|---|
| 37.5Under 17 years | $398.59 |
| 47.517 years | $504.88 |
| 6018 years | $637.74 |
| 72.519 years | $770.60 |
| 87.520 years | $930.04 |
Juniors employed in a daily newspaper office other than inserters not being an apprentice/traineeJunior ratesClause 18.36 rates
| Classification | Weekly |
|---|---|
| 30Under 16 years | $308.73 |
| 4016 years | $411.64 |
| 5017 years | $514.55 |
| 6018 years | $617.46 |
| 7519 years | $771.83 |
| 9020 years | $926.19 |
Other juniors not being an apprentice/traineeJunior ratesClause 18.4(b)6 rates
| Classification | Weekly |
|---|---|
| 30Under 16 years | $301.47 |
| 4016 years | $401.96 |
| 5017 years | $502.45 |
| 6018 years | $602.94 |
| 7519 years | $753.68 |
| 9020 years | $904.41 |
Allowances paid on top
6 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior apprentice proficiency payments | ||
| For the course requirement passed at that standardClause 19.3(a)(i) | $9.62 a week | |
| For the second course requirement passed at that standard, instead of amount in clause 19.3(a)(i)Clause 19.3(a)(ii) | $19.25 a week | |
| For the third course requirement passed at that standard, instead of amount in clause 19.3(a)(ii)Clause 19.3(a)(iii) | $28.87 a week | |
| Visual display terminal allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 26.2(b)(i) | $55.96 a week | |
| Inserting allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 26.2(c) | $33.57 a week | |
| First aid allowanceClause 26.2(d) | $22.72 a week | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Meal allowanceClause 26.3(a) | $19.79 each time |
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.
Questions people ask
- What is the minimum pay rate under the Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week full time), for Level 1. The highest adult classification is $32.13 an hour. Junior rates, further down, can be lower.
- How does the Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing 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 Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing 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 allowances are paid under the Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award?
- 7 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a junior apprentice proficiency payments, for the course requirement passed at that standard of $9.62 a week, a junior apprentice proficiency payments, for the second course requirement passed at that standard, instead of amount in clause 19.3(a)(i) of $19.25 a week and a junior apprentice proficiency payments, for the third course requirement passed at that standard, instead of amount in clause 19.3(a)(ii) of $28.87 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.