Surveying Award pay rates
Award code MA000066, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 12 adult classifications under the Surveying Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $26.44 to $49.09 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$26.44an hour
For Level 12. $1,004.90 for a full-time week. Up 5.97% from $24.95. Casuals get $33.05 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $26.44 an hour, the same as the National Minimum Wage. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 57 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- Level 12$26.44
- Level 11$27.55
- Level 10$29.45
- Level 9$31.30
- Level 8$33.77
- Level 7$34.46
- Level 6$35.38
- Level 5$37.24
- Level 4$38.16
- Level 3$39.83
- Level 2$43.54
- Level 1$49.09
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 12.
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.44 |
| Public holiday | 250%$66.10 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 12 | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| Level 11 | $1,046.90 | $27.55 | $34.44 |
| Level 10 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 9 | $1,189.40 | $31.30 | $39.13 |
| Level 8 | $1,283.10 | $33.77 | $42.21 |
| Level 7 | $1,309.50 | $34.46 | $43.08 |
| Level 6 | $1,344.50 | $35.38 | $44.23 |
| Level 5 | $1,415.00 | $37.24 | $46.55 |
| Level 4 | $1,450.20 | $38.16 | $47.70 |
| Level 3 | $1,513.70 | $39.83 | $49.79 |
| Level 2 | $1,654.40 | $43.54 | $54.43 |
| Level 1 | $1,865.60 | $49.09 | $61.36 |
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 and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Level 12
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$26.44 |
| Public holiday | 250%$66.10 |
Casual adult employees: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Level 12
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 125%$33.05 |
| Public holiday | 312.5%$82.63 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Level 12
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday - first 3 hours | 150%$39.66 |
| Monday to Saturday - after 3 hours | 200%$52.88 |
| Sunday | 200%$52.88 |
| Public holiday | 250%$66.10 |
Allowances paid on top
No allowance is set for the work itself, and 3 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Meal allowance | ||
| More than 2 hours’ overtime after usual finishing timeClause 19.2(a) | $16.62 per first and/or subsequent rest break | |
| More than 4 hours’ work on Sunday or public holidayClause 19.2(b) | $16.62 per first and/or subsequent rest break | |
| Vehicle allowance, using own vehicleClause 19.7 | $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.
The awards most people look up
Questions people ask
- What is the minimum pay rate under the Surveying Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $26.44 an hour ($1,004.90 a week full time), for Level 12. The highest adult classification is $49.09 an hour.
- How does the Surveying Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $26.44 an hour, the same as the National Minimum Wage. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 57 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Surveying Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 5.97%, from $24.95 to $26.44 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 Surveying Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Level 12 that makes $33.05 an hour.
- What allowances are paid under the Surveying Award?
- 3 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a meal allowance, more than 2 hours’ overtime after usual finishing time of $16.62 per first and/or subsequent rest break, a meal allowance, more than 4 hours’ work on Sunday or public holiday of $16.62 per first and/or subsequent rest break and a vehicle allowance, using own vehicle 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.