Marine Towage Award pay rates
Award code MA000050, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 5 adult classifications under the Marine Towage Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $31.32 to $45.03 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$31.32an hour
For Rating and General Purpose Rating. $1,096.20 for a full-time week. Up 4.75% from $29.90. Casuals get $39.15 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $31.32 an hour, 18.5% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 4 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- Rating and General Purpose Rating$31.32
- MateCategory 1$35.59
- Master and EngineerCategory 1$42.71
- MateCategory 2$37.17
- Master and EngineerCategory 2$45.03
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 Rating and General Purpose Rating.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$31.32 | 125%$39.15 |
| Public holidays (ordinary hours) | 150%$46.98 | 175%$54.81 |
| Extended hours | 200%$62.64 | 225%$70.47 |
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.
Other classificationsClause 14.1
| Classification | Weekly | Daily | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating and General Purpose Rating | $1,096.20 | $156.60 | $31.32 | $39.15 |
| Category 1Mate | $1,245.60 | $177.94 | $35.59 | $44.49 |
| Category 1Master and Engineer | $1,495.00 | $213.57 | $42.71 | $53.39 |
| Category 2Mate | $1,301.10 | $185.87 | $37.17 | $46.46 |
| Category 2Master and Engineer | $1,576.00 | $225.14 | $45.03 | $56.29 |
Special voyagesClause 14.2(b)(i)
| Classification | Daily |
|---|---|
| Contract TowageGeneral Purpose Rating | $823.69 |
| Contract TowageMate (Casual or Tug Mate) | $942.71 |
| Contract TowageMate (Permanent Tug Master) and Engineer | $1,105.64 |
| Contract TowageMaster and Chief Engineer | $1,155.05 |
| Emergency Towage OperationsGeneral Purpose Rating | $1,032.27 |
| Emergency Towage OperationsMate (Casual or Tug Mate) | $1,151.69 |
| Emergency Towage OperationsMate (Permanent Tug Master) and Engineer | $1,315.61 |
| Emergency Towage OperationsMaster and Chief Engineer | $1,376.15 |
| Free Running Voyage and Delivery VoyageGeneral Purpose Rating | $615.06 |
| Free Running Voyage and Delivery VoyageMate (Casual or Tug Mate) | $733.94 |
| Free Running Voyage and Delivery VoyageMate (Permanent Tug Master) and Engineer | $897.19 |
| Free Running Voyage and Delivery VoyageMaster and Chief Engineer | $951.51 |
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: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Rating and General Purpose Rating
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$31.32 | 125%$39.15 |
| Public holidays (ordinary hours) | 150%$46.98 | 175%$54.81 |
| Extended hours | 200%$62.64 | 225%$70.47 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime
Dollars an hour at Rating and General Purpose Rating
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday - first 2 hours | 150%$46.98 |
| Monday to Saturday - after 2 hours | 200%$62.64 |
| Sunday - all day | 200%$62.64 |
| Public holidays - all day | 250%$78.30 |
Allowances paid on top
11 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 11 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Nominated voyages allowanceClause 17.4(a)(ii) | $26.97 an hour | |
| Cyclone (shipkeeping) allowanceClause 17.4(b) | $21.49 an hour | |
| Emergency maintenance allowance | ||
| Category 1, Master and EngineerClause 17.4(c)(ii) | $115.21 an hour | |
| Category 1, MateClause 17.4(c)(ii) | $90.44 an hour | |
| Category 2, Master and EngineerClause 17.4(c)(ii) | $120.14 an hour | |
| Category 2, MateClause 17.4(c)(ii) | $83.31 an hour | |
| General Purpose RatingClause 17.4(c)(ii) | $72.57 an hour | |
| Multiple tow allowance | ||
| Engineer, Mate and General Purpose RatingClause 17.5(a)(i) | $64.79 a day | |
| Master and Chief EngineerClause 17.5(a)(i) | $128.15 a day | |
| Cooking allowance, Rating and General Purpose Rating acting as CookClause 17.5(b) | $45.71 a week | |
| Additional skills allowance, Rating and General Purpose Rating holding qualifications as a Crane Driver, Able Seaman or Offshore Watch-keeperClause 17.5(c) | $137.13 a week | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone allowanceClause 14.2(c)(i) | $166.03 a year | |
| Industrial and protective clothing, sunglassesClause 17.3(a)(iii) | $52.98 a year | |
| Loss of personal effects allowance, maximumClause 17.3(b)(ii) | $1,790.00 each time | |
| Loss of personal effects | ||
| Where damage or loss occurs on outside work, maximumClause 17.3(b)(ii) | $2,856.00 each time | |
| Maximum payable for one articleClause 17.3(b)(iii) | $476.32 per article per occasion | |
| Victualling and accommodation allowance in out-ports | ||
| AccommodationClause 17.3(d)(i) | $111.44 each time | |
| BreakfastClause 17.3(d)(i) | $21.29 each time | |
| DinnerClause 17.3(d)(i) | $40.15 each time | |
| LunchClause 17.3(d)(i) | $24.93 each time | |
| Total daily allowanceClause 17.3(d)(i) | $197.81 a day | |
| Meal allowanceClause 17.4(g) | $19.18 a day | |
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 Marine Towage Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $31.32 an hour ($1,096.20 a week full time), for Rating and General Purpose Rating. The highest adult classification is $45.03 an hour.
- How does the Marine Towage Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $31.32 an hour, 18.5% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 4 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Marine Towage Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.75%, from $29.90 to $31.32 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 Marine Towage Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Rating and General Purpose Rating that makes $39.15 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Marine Towage Award?
- 22 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a nominated voyages allowance of $26.97 an hour, a cyclone (shipkeeping) allowance of $21.49 an hour and an emergency maintenance allowance, category 1, Master and Engineer of $115.21 an hour. 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.