Wine Industry Award pay rates
Award code MA000090, with rates in force from 1 July 2026.
Minimum pay for 6 adult classifications under the Wine Industry Award 2020, from 1 July 2026: $25.79 to $31.30 an hour before tax. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Lowest adult rate
$25.79an hour
For Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment). $979.90 for a full-time week. Up 4.75% from $24.62. Casuals get $32.24 an hour, with the 25% loading.
Its lowest adult rate is $25.79 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 69 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- Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment)$25.79
- Grade 1 (after 6 months of employment)$26.44
- Grade 2$26.84
- Grade 3$27.91
- Grade 4$29.45
- Grade 5$31.30
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 Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment).
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$25.79 | 125%$32.24 |
| Saturday - cellar door or vineyard | 125%$32.24 | 150%$38.69 |
| Sunday - cellar door | 200%$51.58 | 225%$58.03 |
| Public holiday | 250%$64.48 | 275%$70.92 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment) | $979.90 | $25.79 | $32.24 |
| Grade 1 (after 6 months of employment) | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| Grade 2 | $1,020.10 | $26.84 | $33.55 |
| Grade 3 | $1,060.70 | $27.91 | $34.89 |
| Grade 4 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Grade 5 | $1,189.40 | $31.30 | $39.13 |
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 Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment)
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$25.79 | 125%$32.24 |
| Saturday - cellar door or vineyard | 125%$32.24 | 150%$38.69 |
| Sunday - cellar door | 200%$51.58 | 225%$58.03 |
| Public holiday | 250%$64.48 | 275%$70.92 |
Shiftwork
Shiftworkers: ordinary and penalty rates
Dollars an hour at Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment)
| When | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100%$25.79 | 125%$32.24 |
| Afternoon shift and night shift | 115%$29.66 | 140%$36.11 |
| Permanent night shift | 130%$33.53 | 155%$39.97 |
| Saturday | 150%$38.69 | 175%$45.13 |
| Sunday | 200%$51.58 | 225%$58.03 |
| Public holiday | 250%$64.48 | 275%$70.92 |
Overtime
Full-time and part-time employees: overtime
Dollars an hour at Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment)
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday - First 2 hours | 150%$38.69 |
| Monday to Saturday - After 2 hours | 200%$51.58 |
| Sunday | 200%$51.58 |
| Public holiday | 250%$64.48 |
Casual adult employees: overtime
Dollars an hour at Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment)
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday - First 2 hours | 150%$38.69 |
| Monday to Saturday - After 2 hours | 200%$51.58 |
| Sunday | 225%$58.03 |
| Public holiday | 275%$70.92 |
Allowances paid on top
15 allowances are for the work itself, paid when the job calls for it, and 2 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Other leading hand, in charge of | ||
| 1 to 4 employeesClause 19.2(a)(i) | $27.21 a week | |
| 5 to 10 employeesClause 19.2(a)(i) | $43.79 a week | |
| More than 10 employeesClause 19.2(a)(i) | $67.06 a week | |
| Coopers stream leading hand, in charge of | ||
| 11 to 20 employeesClause 19.2(a)(ii) | $61.08 a week | |
| 3 to 10 employeesClause 19.2(a)(ii) | $40.38 a week | |
| More than 20 employeesClause 19.2(a)(ii) | $78.45 a week | |
| Mobile crane operator's allowanceClause 19.2(b) | $0.35 an hour | |
| First aid allowance | ||
| Per dayClause 19.2(c) | $4.45 a day | |
| Per weekClause 19.2(c) | $22.26 a week | |
| Wet work allowanceClause 19.2(e) | $6.66 a day | |
| Wine vats allowanceClause 19.2(f) | $1.24 an hour | |
| Confined spaces allowanceClause 19.2(g) | $0.41 an hour | |
| Dirty work allowanceClause 19.2(h) | $0.24 an hour | |
| Cask firing allowance | ||
| Maximum per week, an amount of up toClause 19.2(i) | $35.10 a week | |
| Per day or part thereofClause 19.2(i) | $7.01 per day or part thereof | |
To cover costs
| Allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vehicle allowanceClause 19.3(b) | $1.00 a km |
| Meal allowance, overtime in excess of 2 hoursClause 19.3(c)(i) | $19.14 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.
Questions people ask
- What is the minimum pay rate under the Wine Industry Award?
- From 1 July 2026, the lowest adult rate is $25.79 an hour ($979.90 a week full time), for Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment). The highest adult classification is $31.30 an hour.
- How does the Wine Industry Award minimum compare?
- Its lowest adult rate is $25.79 an hour. Of the 116 awards that set hourly rates, 69 have a higher minimum.
- How much did Wine Industry Award rates go up on 1 July 2026?
- The lowest adult rate rose 4.75%, from $24.62 to $25.79 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 Wine Industry Award?
- 25% on top of the ordinary hourly rate, paid instead of leave entitlements. For Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment) that makes $32.24 an hour.
- What are Sunday rates under the Wine Industry Award?
- Full-time and part-time employees get 200% of the ordinary rate on Sunday: $51.58 an hour at Grade 1 (first 6 months of employment). Public holidays are 250%. Casual rates are in the penalty tables above.
- What allowances are paid under the Wine Industry Award?
- 17 allowances have a dollar amount set by the Commission, including an other leading hand, in charge of, 1 to 4 employees of $27.21 a week, an other leading hand, in charge of, 5 to 10 employees of $43.79 a week and an other leading hand, in charge of, more than 10 employees of $67.06 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.