Market and Social Research Award pay rates
Award code MA000030, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 12 adult classifications under the Market and Social Research Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $26.59 to $48.74 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$26.59an hour
For Market research trainee. $1,010.30 for a full-time week. Up 4.77% from $25.38. Casuals get $33.24 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $26.59 an hour, 0.6% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 49 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- Market research trainee$26.59
- Support employee first year$28.82
- Market research interviewer$29.64
- Support employee thereafter$29.64
- Executive (face-to-face) interviewer and door-to-door interviewer$29.93
- Editor/Coder/Keyboard operator$30.15
- Team leader$31.56
- Field supervisor$33.90
- Research assistant$33.90
- Field manager$37.03
- Research officer$37.03
- Research manager$48.74
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 Market research trainee.
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday - Friday outside spread of hours | 100%$34.00 |
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.59 |
| Public holiday | 100%$41.41 |
| Saturday | 100%$34.00 |
| Sunday | 100%$41.41 |
Minimum pay by classification from 1 July 2026
Annual rates are full-time salaries; 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 | Annual | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market research trainee | $52,536 | $1,010.30 | $26.59 | $33.24 |
| Support employee first year | $56,956 | $1,095.30 | $28.82 | $36.03 |
| Market research interviewer | $58,568 | $1,126.30 | $29.64 | $37.05 |
| Support employee thereafter | $58,568 | $1,126.30 | $29.64 | $37.05 |
| Executive (face-to-face) interviewer and door-to-door interviewer | $59,140 | $1,137.30 | $29.93 | $37.41 |
| Editor/Coder/Keyboard operator | $59,576 | $1,145.70 | $30.15 | $37.69 |
| Team leader | $62,364 | $1,199.30 | $31.56 | $39.45 |
| Field supervisor | $66,986 | $1,288.20 | $33.90 | $42.38 |
| Research assistant | $66,986 | $1,288.20 | $33.90 | $42.38 |
| Field manager | $73,164 | $1,407.00 | $37.03 | $46.29 |
| Research officer | $73,164 | $1,407.00 | $37.03 | $46.29 |
| Research manager | $96,304 | $1,852.00 | $48.74 | $60.93 |
Other classificationsClause A.1
| Classification | Annual |
|---|---|
| Market research trainee, maximum earnings | $6,463 |
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 Market research trainee
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday - Friday outside spread of hours | 100%$34.00 |
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.59 |
| Public holiday | 100%$41.41 |
| Saturday | 100%$34.00 |
| Sunday | 100%$41.41 |
Casual employees: ordinary rates
Dollars an hour at Market research trainee
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| All ordinary hours | 125%$33.24 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Market research trainee
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| All hours in excess of rostered ordinary hours | 125%$33.24 |
Allowances paid on top
3 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Penalty | ||
| SaturdayClause 19.1(a) | $7.41 an hour | |
| Sunday or public holidayClause 19.1(b) | $14.82 an hour | |
| Monday to Friday outside daily spread of ordinary hoursClause 19.1(c) | $7.41 an hour | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Motor vehicle allowanceClause 16.2 | $1.00 a km |
| Damage to or theft of personal effects, an amount of up toClause 16.3 | $514.60 per single claim |
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 Market and Social Research Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $26.59 an hour ($1,010.30 a week full time), for Market research trainee. The highest adult classification is $48.74 an hour.
- How does the Market and Social Research Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $26.59 an hour, 0.6% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 49 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Market and Social Research Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.77%, from $25.38 to $26.59 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 Market and Social Research Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Market research trainee that makes $33.24 an hour.
- What are Sunday rates under the Market and Social Research Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 100% of the ordinary rate on Sunday: $41.41 an hour at Market research trainee. Public holidays are 100%. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Market and Social Research Award?
- 5 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a penalty, Saturday of $7.41 an hour, a penalty, Sunday or public holiday of $14.82 an hour and a penalty, Monday to Friday outside daily spread of ordinary hours of $7.41 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.