Pharmaceutical Industry Award pay rates
Award code MA000069, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 12 adult classifications under the Pharmaceutical Industry Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $27.08 to $29.61 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$27.08an hour
For Grade 1, on commencement. $1,029.10 for a full-time week. Up 4.76% from $25.85. Casuals get $33.85 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $27.08 an hour, 2.4% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 35 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 1, on commencementManufacturing/production worker$27.08
- Grade 1, after 3 monthsManufacturing/production worker$27.41
- Grade 1, after 12 monthsManufacturing/production worker$27.72
- Grade 2Manufacturing/production worker$27.97
- Grade 3Manufacturing/production worker$28.77
- Grade 4Manufacturing/production worker$29.61
- Grade 1, on commencementWarehouse/distribution worker$27.08
- Grade 1, after 3 monthsWarehouse/distribution worker$27.41
- Grade 1, after 12 monthsWarehouse/distribution worker$27.72
- Grade 2Warehouse/distribution worker$27.97
- Grade 3Warehouse/distribution worker$28.77
- Grade 4Warehouse/distribution worker$29.61
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 1, on commencement.
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 100%$27.08 |
| Public holiday | 250%$67.70 |
| RDO - all day | 250%$67.70 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing/production workerGrade 1, on commencement | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Manufacturing/production workerGrade 1, after 3 months | $1,041.60 | $27.41 | $34.26 |
| Manufacturing/production workerGrade 1, after 12 months | $1,053.50 | $27.72 | $34.65 |
| Manufacturing/production workerGrade 2 | $1,062.80 | $27.97 | $34.96 |
| Manufacturing/production workerGrade 3 | $1,093.10 | $28.77 | $35.96 |
| Manufacturing/production workerGrade 4 | $1,125.30 | $29.61 | $37.01 |
| Warehouse/distribution workerGrade 1, on commencement | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Warehouse/distribution workerGrade 1, after 3 months | $1,041.60 | $27.41 | $34.26 |
| Warehouse/distribution workerGrade 1, after 12 months | $1,053.50 | $27.72 | $34.65 |
| Warehouse/distribution workerGrade 2 | $1,062.80 | $27.97 | $34.96 |
| Warehouse/distribution workerGrade 3 | $1,093.10 | $28.77 | $35.96 |
| Warehouse/distribution workerGrade 4 | $1,125.30 | $29.61 | $37.01 |
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: day workers, ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1, on commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 100%$27.08 |
| Public holiday | 250%$67.70 |
| RDO - all day | 250%$67.70 |
Casual employees: dayworkers, ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1, on commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 125%$33.85 |
| Public holiday | 275%$74.47 |
Shiftwork
Full-time and part-time employees: shiftworkers, ordinary and shift penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1, on commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day | 100%$27.08 |
| Afternoon & night shift | 115%$31.14 |
| Permanent night shift | 130%$35.20 |
| Non-successive shifts | 150%$40.62 |
| Public holiday | 250%$67.70 |
| RDO - all day | 250%$67.70 |
Casual employees: shiftworkers, ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1, on commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day | 125%$33.85 |
| Afternoon & night shift | 140%$37.91 |
| Permanent night shift | 155%$41.97 |
| Non-successive shifts | 175%$47.39 |
| Public holiday | 275%$74.47 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: day workers, overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1, on commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday - first 2 hours | 150%$40.62 |
| Saturday - first 2 hours | 150%$40.62 |
| Monday to Friday - after 2 hours | 200%$54.16 |
| Saturday - after 2 hours | 200%$54.16 |
| Sunday - all day | 200%$54.16 |
| Public holiday - all day | 250%$67.70 |
| RDO - all day | 250%$67.70 |
Full-time and part-time employees: shiftworkers, overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1, on commencement
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday - first 2 hours outside or first 3 hours in excess | 150%$40.62 |
| Saturday - first 2 hours | 150%$40.62 |
| Monday to Friday - after 2 hours outside or after 3 hours in excess | 200%$54.16 |
| Saturday - after 2 hours | 200%$54.16 |
| Sunday - all day | 200%$54.16 |
| Public holiday - all day | 250%$67.70 |
| RDO - all day | 250%$67.70 |
Allowances paid on top
7 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| First aidClause 17.2(a)(i) | $22.27 a week | |
| Gentian violet and similar substances | ||
| Minimum paymentClause 17.2(b) | $2.25 minimum payment per day | |
| Per hourClause 17.2(b) | $0.74 an hour | |
| Chlorpromazine hydrochlorideClause 17.2(c) | $0.62 per hour or part of an hour | |
| RespiratorClause 17.2(d) | $1.07 per hour or part of an hour | |
| Sterile areasClause 17.2(e) | $3.17 per day or part of a day | |
| Dust maskClause 17.2(f) | $3.17 per day or part of a day | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| MealClause 17.3(a)(i) | $19.14 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 Pharmaceutical Industry Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $27.08 an hour ($1,029.10 a week full time), for Grade 1, on commencement. The highest adult classification is $29.61 an hour.
- How does the Pharmaceutical Industry Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $27.08 an hour, 2.4% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 35 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Pharmaceutical Industry Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.76%, from $25.85 to $27.08 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 Pharmaceutical Industry Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Grade 1, on commencement that makes $33.85 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Pharmaceutical Industry Award?
- 8 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a first aid of $22.27 a week, a gentian violet and similar substances, minimum payment of $2.25 minimum payment per day and a gentian violet and similar substances, per hour of $0.74 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.