Nursery Award pay rates
Award code MA000033, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 7 adult classifications under the Nursery Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.74 to $35.43 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$25.74an hour
For Grade 1A. $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 1A$25.74
- Grade 1B$26.44
- Grade 2$26.59
- Grade 3$27.81
- Grade 4$29.45
- Grade 5$32.54
- Grade 6$35.43
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 1A.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Saturday | 125%$32.18 | 150%$38.61 |
| Sunday | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
| Public holiday | 250%$64.35 | 275%$70.79 |
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 1A | $978.10 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| Grade 1B | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| Grade 2 | $1,010.30 | $26.59 | $33.24 |
| Grade 3 | $1,056.80 | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Grade 4 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Grade 5 | $1,236.50 | $32.54 | $40.68 |
| Grade 6 | $1,346.40 | $35.43 | $44.29 |
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 Grade 1A
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$25.74 | 125%$32.18 |
| Saturday | 125%$32.18 | 150%$38.61 |
| Sunday | 200%$51.48 | 225%$57.92 |
| Public holiday | 250%$64.35 | 275%$70.79 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1A
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| First 3 hours Monday to Saturday | 150%$38.61 |
| After first 3 hours Monday to Saturday | 200%$51.48 |
| Sunday | 200%$51.48 |
| Public holiday | 250%$64.35 |
Allowances paid on top
1 allowance is 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 |
|---|---|
| First aid allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 18.3(a) | $18.61 a week |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Meal allowance | ||
| Overtime in excess of 2 hoursClause 18.4(a)(i) | $17.90 a meal | |
| Overtime extending into second or subsequent meal breakClause 18.4(a)(ii) | $17.90 a meal | |
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 Nursery Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.74 an hour ($978.10 a week full time), for Grade 1A. The highest adult classification is $35.43 an hour.
- How does the Nursery 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 Nursery 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 Nursery Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Grade 1A that makes $32.18 an hour.
- What are Sunday rates under the Nursery Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 200% of the ordinary rate on Sunday: $51.48 an hour at Grade 1A. Public holidays are 250%. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Nursery Award?
- 3 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a first aid allowance of $18.61 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.