Telecommunications Services Award pay rates
Award code MA000041, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 17 adult classifications under the Telecommunications Services Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $27.08 to $37.24 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$27.08an hour
For Customer Contact Trainee. $1,029.10 for a full-time week. Up 4.76% from $25.85. Casuals get $33.85 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $27.08 an hour, 2.4% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 35 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- Customer Contact Trainee$27.08
- Customer Contact Officer Level 1$27.97
- Customer Contact Officer Level 2$29.45
- Principal Customer Contact Specialist$31.03
- Customer Contact Team Leader$32.13
- Principal Customer Contact Leader$34.46
- Clerical and Administration Level 1$27.08
- Clerical and Administration Level 2$27.97
- Clerical and Administration Level 3$29.45
- Clerical and Administration Level 4$32.13
- Clerical and Administration Level 5$34.46
- Telecommunications Trainee$27.08
- Telecommunications Technical Employee$29.45
- Telecommunications Technician$31.27
- Advanced Telecommunications Technician$32.13
- Principal Telecommunications Technician$34.46
- Telecommunications Associate$37.24
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 Customer Contact Trainee.
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$27.08 | 125%$33.85 |
| Saturday – before 7.00 am or after 1.00 pm & Sunday – all day | 150%$40.62 | 175%$47.39 |
| Public holidays | 250%$67.70 | 275%$74.47 |
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.
Customer Contact StreamClause 15.1(a)
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Contact Trainee | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Customer Contact Officer Level 1 | $1,062.90 | $27.97 | $34.96 |
| Customer Contact Officer Level 2 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Principal Customer Contact Specialist | $1,179.30 | $31.03 | $38.79 |
| Customer Contact Team Leader | $1,221.10 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
| Principal Customer Contact Leader | $1,309.50 | $34.46 | $43.08 |
Clerical and Administrative StreamClause 15.1(b)
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clerical and Administration Level 1 | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Clerical and Administration Level 2 | $1,062.90 | $27.97 | $34.96 |
| Clerical and Administration Level 3 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Clerical and Administration Level 4 | $1,221.10 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
| Clerical and Administration Level 5 | $1,309.50 | $34.46 | $43.08 |
Technical StreamClause 15.1(c)
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Trainee | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Telecommunications Technical Employee | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Telecommunications Technician | $1,188.30 | $31.27 | $39.09 |
| Advanced Telecommunications Technician | $1,221.10 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
| Principal Telecommunications Technician | $1,309.50 | $34.46 | $43.08 |
| Telecommunications Associate | $1,415.00 | $37.24 | $46.55 |
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 Customer Contact Trainee
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$27.08 | 125%$33.85 |
| Saturday – before 7.00 am or after 1.00 pm & Sunday – all day | 150%$40.62 | 175%$47.39 |
| Public holidays | 250%$67.70 | 275%$74.47 |
Shiftwork
Full-time and part-time employees: shiftworkers, ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Customer Contact Trainee
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$27.08 |
| Afternoon & night shift | 115%$31.14 |
| Permanent night shift | 130%$35.20 |
| Saturday – before 7.00 am or after 1.00 pm & Sunday – all day | 150%$40.62 |
| Public holidays – afternoon & night shifts | 200%$54.16 |
Casual employees: shiftworkers, ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Customer Contact Trainee
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 125%$33.85 |
| Afternoon & night shift | 140%$37.91 |
| Permanent night shift | 155%$41.97 |
| Saturday – before 7.00 am or after 1.00 pm & Sunday – all day | 175%$47.39 |
| Public holidays – afternoon & night shift | 225%$60.93 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime rates
Dollars an hour at Customer Contact Trainee
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Sunday – first 3 hours | 150%$40.62 |
| Monday to Sunday – after 3 hours | 200%$54.16 |
| Public holidays (afternoon and night shifts) | 200%$54.16 |
| Public holidays (day work) | 250%$67.70 |
Allowances paid on top
4 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 4 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| First aid allowanceClause 18.2(a) | $22.38 a week | |
| Team leader/leading hand allowance | ||
| In charge of 11–20 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 18.3(b) | $73.19 a week | |
| In charge of 3–10 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 18.3(b) | $49.13 a week | |
| In charge of more than 20 employeesCounts towards overtime and penalty ratesClause 18.3(b) | $94.12 a week | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vehicle allowanceClause 18.4(a) | $1.00 a km |
| Meal allowanceClause 18.4(c)(i) | $18.82 each time |
| Distant work/travelling time payment, meal expensesClause 18.4(f)(ii) | $18.34 a meal |
| Tool allowance, Technicians (Apprentices’ tool allowance paid on percentage basis set out in clause 15.3(m))Clause 18.5(b)(i) | $18.13 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 Telecommunications Services Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $27.08 an hour ($1,029.10 a week full time), for Customer Contact Trainee. The highest adult classification is $37.24 an hour.
- How does the Telecommunications Services Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $27.08 an hour, 2.4% above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 35 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Telecommunications Services Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.76%, from $25.85 to $27.08 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 Telecommunications Services Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Customer Contact Trainee that makes $33.85 an hour.
- What are Sunday rates under the Telecommunications Services Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 150% of the ordinary rate on Sunday: $40.62 an hour at Customer Contact Trainee. Public holidays are 250%. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Telecommunications Services Award?
- 8 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including a first aid allowance of $22.38 a week, a team leader/leading hand allowance, in charge of 11–20 employees of $73.19 a week and a team leader/leading hand allowance, in charge of 3–10 employees of $49.13 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.