Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award pay rates
Award code MA000109, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 2 adult classifications under the Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $27.52 to $29.24 an hour before tax.
Lowest adult rate
$27.52an hour
For Dive master. $1,045.80 for a full-time week. Up 4.76% from $26.27.
Its lowest adult rate is $27.52 an hour, 4.1% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 26 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- Dive master$27.52
- Dive instructor$29.24
Hover or tap a row for last year's rate. Every rate, in every unit, is in the tables below.
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.
| Classification | Annual | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dive master | $54,531 | $1,045.80 | $27.52 |
| Dive instructor | $57,936 | $1,111.10 | $29.24 |
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 rates
Dollars an hour at Dive master
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Sunday | 100%$27.52 |
Casual employees (and other employees where duration of employment is less than 4 weeks): ordinary rates
Dollars an hour at Dive master
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Sunday | 100%$34.40 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Dive master
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Sunday - first 2 hours | 150%$41.28 |
| Monday to Sunday - after 2 hours | 200%$55.04 |
Allowances paid on top
1 allowance is for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 5 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 |
|---|---|
| Language allowanceClause 17.2 | $62.75 a week |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle allowanceClause 17.3(b) | $1.00 a km | |
| Travel to and from distant workClause 17.3(e)(ii) | $7.60 each time | |
| Accommodation and meals allowance | ||
| Distant workClause 17.3(f)(ii) | $449.24 a week | |
| Distant work, broken parts of the weekClause 17.3(f)(iii) | $64.27 a day | |
| Loss of personal effects allowance, maximum, an amount of up toClause 17.3(g)(i) | $3,200.00 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.
The awards most people look up
Questions people ask
- What is the minimum pay rate under the Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $27.52 an hour ($1,045.80 a week full time), for Dive master. The highest adult classification is $29.24 an hour.
- How does the Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $27.52 an hour, 4.1% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 26 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.76%, from $26.27 to $27.52 an hour, in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review. The table shows each classification's rate before and after.
- What are Sunday rates under the Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 100% of the ordinary rate on Sunday: $27.52 an hour at Dive master. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award?
- 6 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a language allowance of $62.75 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.