Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award pay rates
Award code MA000052, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 7 adult classifications under the Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $28.51 to $34.50 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$28.51an hour
For Shipkeeper. $1,083.20 for a full-time week. Up 4.78% from $27.21. Casuals get $35.64 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $28.51 an hour, 7.8% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 12 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- Crane Driver (under 20 tonnes)$29.02
- Shipkeeper$28.51
- Crane Driver (over 20 tonnes)$31.94
- General Purpose Hand, Deckhand, Greaser, Passenger Attendant, Turnstile Attendant, Boating Attendant, Host, Fireman, Trimmer, Linesman, Cook, Sailor, Able Seaman, Leading Hand$31.09
- Engineer$32.86
- Mate$32.86
- Master$34.50
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 Shipkeeper.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$28.51 | 125%$35.64 |
| Saturday | 150%$42.77 | 175%$49.89 |
| Sunday | 200%$57.02 | 225%$64.15 |
| Public holiday | 250%$71.28 | 275%$78.40 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane Driver (under 20 tonnes) | $1,102.60 | $29.02 | $36.28 |
| Shipkeeper | $1,083.20 | $28.51 | $35.64 |
| Crane Driver (over 20 tonnes) | $1,213.90 | $31.94 | $39.93 |
| General Purpose Hand, Deckhand, Greaser, Passenger Attendant, Turnstile Attendant, Boating Attendant, Host, Fireman, Trimmer, Linesman, Cook, Sailor, Able Seaman, Leading Hand | $1,181.60 | $31.09 | $38.86 |
| Engineer | $1,248.60 | $32.86 | $41.08 |
| Mate | $1,248.60 | $32.86 | $41.08 |
| Master | $1,311.10 | $34.50 | $43.13 |
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 other than shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Shipkeeper
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$28.51 | 125%$35.64 |
| Saturday | 150%$42.77 | 175%$49.89 |
| Sunday | 200%$57.02 | 225%$64.15 |
| Public holiday | 250%$71.28 | 275%$78.40 |
Shiftwork
Shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Shipkeeper
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon | 115%$32.79 | 140%$39.91 |
| Night | 115%$32.79 | 140%$39.91 |
| Permanent night | 130%$37.06 | 155%$44.19 |
| Saturday | 150%$42.77 | 175%$49.89 |
| Sunday | 200%$57.02 | 225%$64.15 |
| Public holiday | 250%$71.28 | 275%$78.40 |
Allowances paid on top
24 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 6 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Charge hands allowance | ||
| Charge hands allowanceClause 16.2(b) | $38.52 a week | |
| Not directly supervised by foremanClause 16.2(b) | $57.31 a week | |
| Distant work | ||
| Relieving employee, broken parts of a weekClause 16.2(c)(ii) | $94.53 a day | |
| Relieving employee, week of 7 daysClause 16.2(c)(ii) | $664.41 a week | |
| Dual capacity allowance | ||
| Per day or part thereofClause 16.2(d) | $6.85 per day or part thereof | |
| Per hourClause 16.2(d) | $0.86 an hour | |
| Dirty or offensive work allowanceClause 16.2(e)(i) | $0.83 an hour | |
| Dirty work allowance, work alongside vessels in discharging alumina, petroleum, coke etc.Clause 16.2(e)(ii) | $2.13 an hour | |
| Wet work allowanceClause 16.2(f)(i) | $0.35 an hour | |
| Unloading and loading garbage allowanceClause 16.2(g) | $0.83 an hour | |
| Bilge allowanceClause 16.2(h) | $1.30 an hour | |
| Chipping hammers allowanceClause 16.2(i) | $0.12 an hour | |
| First aid allowanceClause 16.2(j) | $20.09 a week | |
| Loading and discharge of cargo and supplies | ||
| Transporting passengers and cargo, week of 5 working daysClause 16.2(k)(i) | $7.09 a day | |
| Transporting passengers and cargo, working week in excess of 5 days, additional allowanceClause 16.2(k)(i) | $7.21 a day | |
| Transporting cargo onlyClause 16.2(k)(ii) | $61.80 per trip | |
| Overnight cruises, one to 6 nightsClause 16.2(k)(iii) | $23.75 per trip | |
| Overnight cruises, over 6 nightsClause 16.2(k)(iv) | $35.45 per trip | |
| Waiting orders | ||
| Off-duty employeeClause 16.2(l)(i) | $4.96 per call | |
| Telephone installed at homeClause 16.2(l)(i) | $195.08 a year | |
| Towing allowance | ||
| Towing or carrying explosivesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 16.2(m)(i) | $3.43 per day or part thereof | |
| Towing non self-propelled bunker bargesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 16.2(m)(ii) | $3.19 per day or part thereof | |
| Special efforts allowance, ships stranded or wrecked or on fireClause 16.2(n)(i) | $20.21 an hour | |
| Loading for duties outside normal workClause 16.2(o) | $6.50 a day | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Meal allowance, overtime in excess of one and a half hoursClause 16.3(a)(i) | $22.32 each time | |
| Meal allowances, further 4 hours of overtimeClause 16.3(a)(ii) | $22.32 each time | |
| Compensation for loss of personal effects, an amount of up toClause 16.3(d) | $2,459.00 each time | |
| Transport allowance | ||
| Own vehicleClause 16.3(g)(i) | $1.00 a km | |
| Own vehicle, travel to or from different starting or finishing pointClause 16.3(g)(ii) | $1.00 a km | |
| Uniforms allowanceClause 16.3(k) | $18.79 a week | |
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 Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $28.51 an hour ($1,083.20 a week full time), for Shipkeeper. The highest adult classification is $34.50 an hour.
- How does the Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $28.51 an hour, 7.8% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 12 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.78%, from $27.21 to $28.51 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 Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Shipkeeper that makes $35.64 an hour.
- What are Sunday rates under the Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 200% of the ordinary rate on Sunday: $57.02 an hour at Shipkeeper. Public holidays are 250%. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award?
- 30 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a charge hands allowance of $38.52 a week, a charge hands allowance, not directly supervised by foreman of $57.31 a week and a distant work, relieving employee, broken parts of a week of $94.53 a day. 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.