Silviculture Award pay rates
Award code MA000040, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 6 adult classifications under the Silviculture Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $27.14 to $30.13 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$27.14an hour
For Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1. $1,031.20 for a full-time week. Up 4.75% from $25.91. Casuals get $33.93 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $27.14 an hour, 2.6% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 32 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- Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1Minimum weekly rate$27.14
- Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 2Minimum weekly rate$28.15
- Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 3Minimum weekly rate$28.64
- Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 4Minimum weekly rate$29.34
- Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 5Minimum weekly rate$29.88
- Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 6Minimum weekly rate$30.13
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 Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday - After 8 hours | 150%$44.03 | 175%$51.36 |
| Saturday - First 2 hours | 150%$44.03 | 175%$51.36 |
| Monday to Friday - After 10 hours | 200%$58.70 | 225%$66.04 |
| Saturday - After 2 hours | 200%$58.70 | 225%$66.04 |
| Sunday - All hours | 200%$58.70 | 225%$66.04 |
| Public holidays - All hours | 250%$73.38 | 275%$80.71 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum weekly rateSilviculture and afforestation worker grade 1 | $1,031.20 | $27.14 | $33.93 |
| Minimum weekly rateSilviculture and afforestation worker grade 2 | $1,069.60 | $28.15 | $35.19 |
| Minimum weekly rateSilviculture and afforestation worker grade 3 | $1,088.40 | $28.64 | $35.80 |
| Minimum weekly rateSilviculture and afforestation worker grade 4 | $1,115.00 | $29.34 | $36.68 |
| Minimum weekly rateSilviculture and afforestation worker grade 5 | $1,135.60 | $29.88 | $37.35 |
| Minimum weekly rateSilviculture and afforestation worker grade 6 | $1,144.80 | $30.13 | $37.66 |
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
Bushfire fighting: employees
Dollars an hour at Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday - After 8 hours | 150%$44.03 | 175%$51.36 |
| Saturday - First 2 hours | 150%$44.03 | 175%$51.36 |
| Monday to Friday - After 10 hours | 200%$58.70 | 225%$66.04 |
| Saturday - After 2 hours | 200%$58.70 | 225%$66.04 |
| Sunday - All hours | 200%$58.70 | 225%$66.04 |
| Public holidays - All hours | 250%$73.38 | 275%$80.71 |
Full-time and part-time employees other than shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$29.35 |
| Public holiday - All hours | 250%$73.38 |
Casual employees other than shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Casual hourly rate | 125%$36.69 |
| Public holiday - All hours | 275%$80.71 |
Shiftwork
Full-time and part-time shiftworkers: ordinary, penalty rates and overtime
Dollars an hour at Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day | 100%$29.35 |
| Afternoon and night | 115%$33.75 |
| Less than 5 successive shifts | 150%$44.03 |
| Saturday | 150%$44.03 |
| Overtime | 200%$58.70 |
| Sunday | 200%$58.70 |
| Public holidays | 250%$73.38 |
Casual shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day | 125%$36.69 |
| Afternoon and night | 140%$41.09 |
| Less than 5 successive shifts | 175%$51.36 |
| Saturday | 175%$51.36 |
| Sunday | 225%$66.04 |
| Public holidays | 275%$80.71 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees other than shiftworkers: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday - first 2 hours | 150%$44.03 |
| Monday to Saturday - after 2 hours | 200%$58.70 |
| Sunday - all day | 200%$58.70 |
| Public holiday - all day | 250%$73.38 |
Allowances paid on top
6 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 11 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Special allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 17.3 | $7.70 a week | |
| Industry allowanceCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 17.4(a) | $42.10 a week | |
| Leading hand in charge of | ||
| 1 personClause 17.4(b)(i) | $26.92 a week | |
| 2 to 5 personsClause 17.4(b)(i) | $59.86 a week | |
| 6 to 10 personsClause 17.4(b)(i) | $75.90 a week | |
| More than 10 personsClause 17.4(b)(i) | $101.10 a week | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Fares and travelling time | ||
| Metropolitan radial areasClause 17.5(a) | $15.36 a day | |
| Distant jobsClause 17.5(b) | $15.36 a day | |
| Country radial areasClause 17.5(c)(i) | $15.36 a day | |
| Travelling outside radial areasClause 17.5(d)(ii) | $1.00 a km | |
| Transfer during ordinary working hoursClause 17.5(h)(ii) | $1.00 a km | |
| Meal allowance, overtime in excess of one and a half hoursClause 17.6 | $17.90 each time | |
| Living away from home allowances | ||
| Board and lodging, full weekClause 17.7(c)(ii) | $523.12 a week | |
| Board and lodging, broken part of weekClause 17.7(c)(iii) | $74.75 a day | |
| Camping out, camping allowance, full weekClause 17.7(d)(ii) | $280.47 a week | |
| Camping out, camping allowance, less than a weekClause 17.7(d)(ii) | $40.01 a day | |
| Weekend return homeClause 17.7(g)(i) | $32.75 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 Silviculture Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $27.14 an hour ($1,031.20 a week full time), for Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1. The highest adult classification is $30.13 an hour.
- How does the Silviculture Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $27.14 an hour, 2.6% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 32 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Silviculture Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.75%, from $25.91 to $27.14 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 Silviculture Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1 that makes $33.93 an hour.
- What are Sunday rates under the Silviculture Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 200% of the ordinary rate on Sunday: $58.70 an hour at Silviculture and afforestation worker grade 1. Public holidays are 250%. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Silviculture Award?
- 17 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a special allowance of $7.70 a week, an industry allowance of $42.10 a week and a leading hand in charge of, 1 person of $26.92 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.