Professional Employees Award pay rates
Award code MA000065, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 9 adult classifications under the Professional Employees Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $33.71 to $59.05 an hour before tax.
Lowest adult rate
$33.71an hour
For Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (3 year degree). Up 4.75% from $32.18.
Its lowest adult rate is $33.71 an hour, 27.5% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 1 has 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- Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (3 year degree)$33.71
- Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (4 or 5 year degree)$34.57
- Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.2$35.15
- Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.3$36.62
- Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.4$38.47
- Level 2 Experienced professional/quality auditor/experienced medical research employee$39.77
- Level 3 Professional/senior (lead) quality auditor/experienced medical research employee$43.46
- Level 4 Professional/experienced medical research employee$49.02
- Level 5 Experienced medical research employee$59.05
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 Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (3 year degree).
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours and overtime | 100%$33.71 |
| Monday to Saturday – before 6.00 am and after 10.00 pm | 125%$42.14 |
| Sundays and public holidays | 150%$50.57 |
Minimum pay by classification from 1 July 2026
Annual rates are full-time salaries; hourly rates apply to full-time and part-time hours.
| Classification | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (3 year degree) | $66,825 | $33.71 |
| Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (4 or 5 year degree) | $68,538 | $34.57 |
| Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.2 | $69,688 | $35.15 |
| Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.3 | $72,590 | $36.62 |
| Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.4 | $76,267 | $38.47 |
| Level 2 Experienced professional/quality auditor/experienced medical research employee | $78,836 | $39.77 |
| Level 3 Professional/senior (lead) quality auditor/experienced medical research employee | $86,157 | $43.46 |
| Level 4 Professional/experienced medical research employee | $97,173 | $49.02 |
| Level 5 Experienced medical research employee | $117,064 | $59.05 |
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, overtime and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (3 year degree)
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours and overtime | 100%$33.71 |
| Monday to Saturday – before 6.00 am and after 10.00 pm | 125%$42.14 |
| Sundays and public holidays | 150%$50.57 |
Casual employees: ordinary, overtime and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (3 year degree)
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary or overtime hours | 125%$42.14 |
| Monday to Saturday – before 6.00 am and after 10.00 pm | 150%$50.57 |
| Sundays and public holidays | 175%$58.99 |
Allowances paid on top
No allowance is set for the work itself, 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.
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vehicle allowanceClause 16.3 | $1.00 a km |
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 Professional Employees Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $33.71 an hour, for Level 1 Graduate professional, Pay point 1.1 (3 year degree). The highest adult classification is $59.05 an hour.
- How does the Professional Employees Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $33.71 an hour, 27.5% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 1 has a higher minimum.
- How much did Professional Employees Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.75%, from $32.18 to $33.71 an hour, in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review. The table shows each classification's rate before and after.
- What allowances are paid under the Professional Employees Award?
- 1 allowance has a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a vehicle allowance of $1.00 a km. 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.