Meat Industry Award pay rates
Award code MA000059, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 8 adult classifications under the Meat Industry Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.74 to $30.53 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$25.74an hour
For MI 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- MI 1$25.74
- MI 2$26.44
- MI 3$26.60
- MI 4$27.23
- MI 5$27.71
- MI 6$28.28
- MI 7$29.45
- MI 8$30.53
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 MI 1.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours commencing on or after 6.30am and not later than 8.30am | 100%- | 125%- |
| Morning commencing after 8.30am and before 12 noon | 105%- | 130%- |
| Afternoon commencing at 12 noon or later and finishing at or before midnight | 112.5%- | 137.5%- |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI 1 | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| MI 2 | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| MI 3 | $1,010.90 | $26.60 | $33.25 |
| MI 4 | $1,034.60 | $27.23 | $34.04 |
| MI 5 | $1,052.90 | $27.71 | $34.64 |
| MI 6 | $1,074.50 | $28.28 | $35.35 |
| MI 7 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| MI 8 | $1,160.20 | $30.53 | $38.16 |
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
Cleaners (all establishments): adult employees: minimum hourly rates and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours commencing on or after 6.30am and not later than 8.30am | 100%- | 125%- |
| Morning commencing after 8.30am and before 12 noon | 105%- | 130%- |
| Afternoon commencing at 12 noon or later and finishing at or before midnight | 112.5%- | 137.5%- |
Meat manufacturing establishments: adult employees: minimum hourly rates and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday between 6am and 6pm | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Saturday, up to 4 ordinary hours between 6am and 6pm | 125%$32.18 | 125%$32.18 |
Meat processing establishments: adult employees: minimum hourly rates and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Saturday (if agreed under clause 14.3(b)) | 150%$38.61 | 150%$38.61 |
| Sunday (if agreed under clause 14.3(b)) | 200%$51.48 | 200%$51.48 |
Meat retail establishments: adult employees: minimum hourly rates and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday between 4am and 9pm | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Saturday, all ordinary hours worked between 4am and 6pm | 125%$32.18 | 125%$32.18 |
| Sunday to Saturday load out areas (10pm to 6am) | 125%$32.18 | 150%$38.61 |
| Sunday, all ordinary hours worked between 8am and 6pm | 150%$38.61 | 150%$38.61 |
Public holiday rates: employees
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Good Friday - First 4 hours | 250%$64.35 | 150%$38.61 |
| Other public holidays - First 2 hours | 250%$64.35 | 150%$38.61 |
| Christmas day and ANZAC Day | 300%$77.22 | 200%$51.48 |
| Good Friday - Subsequent hours | 300%$77.22 | 200%$51.48 |
| Other public holidays - Subsequent hours | 300%$77.22 | 200%$51.48 |
Shiftwork
Shiftworkers: adult employees: minimum hourly rates and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum hourly rate | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Afternoon shift | 115%$29.60 | 140%$36.04 |
| Night shift | 125%$32.18 | 150%$38.61 |
| Fixed night shift | 130%$33.46 | 155%$39.90 |
| Non-successive shift (afternoon or night shift) - First 3 hours | 150%$38.61 | 175%$45.05 |
| Non-successive shift (afternoon or night shift) - After 3 hours | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
Overtime
Cleaners (all establishments): Full-time and part-time adult employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Overtime - First 3 hours | 150%- |
| Overtime - After 3 hours | 200%- |
Meat manufacturing establishments: Full-time and part-time adult employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Overtime - First 3 hours | 150%$38.61 |
| Overtime - After 3 hours | 200%$51.48 |
Meat processing establishments: Full-time and part-time adult employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday - First 3 hours | 150%$38.61 |
| Monday to Saturday - After 3 hours | 200%$51.48 |
| Sunday - all day | 200%$51.48 |
Meat retail establishments: Full-time and part-time adult employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Overtime - First 3 hours | 150%$38.61 |
| Overtime - After 3 hours | 200%$51.48 |
Shiftworkers: Full-time and part-time adult employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at MI 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Overtime - First 3 hours | 150%$38.61 |
| Overtime - After 3 hours | 200%$51.48 |
| Overtime - Sunday, all day (meat processing establishments only) | 200%$51.48 |
Allowances paid on top
7 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 3 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cold temperature allowance | ||
| Below -16°C but not below -18°CClause 20.2(a) | $1.33 per hour or part thereof unless stated otherwise | |
| Below -18°C but not below -21°CClause 20.2(a) | $1.88 per hour or part thereof unless stated otherwise | |
| Below -21°CClause 20.2(a) | $2.56 per hour or part thereof unless stated otherwise | |
| Below zero but not below -16°CClause 20.2(a) | $0.77 per hour or part thereof unless stated otherwise | |
| First aid allowanceClause 20.2(b) | $4.18 a day | |
| Leading hand allowance, supervising | ||
| 3 to 9 employeesClause 20.2(c)(i) | $17.91 a week | |
| 10 or more employeesClause 20.2(c)(ii) | $25.74 a week | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | ||
| Meat processing establishments, daily allowanceClause 20.3(a)(i) | $0.74 a day | |
| Meat processing establishments, weekly allowanceClause 20.3(a)(i) | $3.70 a week | |
| Meal allowance, overtime of one and a half hours or moreClause 20.3(b) | $19.14 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 Meat Industry Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week full time), for MI 1. The highest adult classification is $30.53 an hour.
- How does the Meat 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 Meat 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 Meat Industry Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For MI 1 that makes $32.18 an hour.
- What are Sunday rates under the Meat Industry Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 125% to 200% of the ordinary rate on Sunday. Public holidays are 250–300%. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Meat Industry Award?
- 10 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a cold temperature allowance, Below -16°C but not below -18°C of $1.33 per hour or part thereof unless stated otherwise, a cold temperature allowance, Below -18°C but not below -21°C of $1.88 per hour or part thereof unless stated otherwise and a cold temperature allowance, Below -21°C of $2.56 per hour or part thereof unless stated otherwise. 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.