New South Wales Wages

Need to know your award wages or how much you are worth? Or just need some guidance on what to pay your employees? Look no further.... The information is provided as is and no guarantee of accuracy is given and professional advice and assistance should be sought prior to taking action

What is an Award?

Awards contain legally enforceable pay rates and employment conditions for work performed by employees throughout NSW. Awards set minimum conditions, rights and obligations.

The NSW Industrial Relations Commission has the power to make awards setting fair and reasonable conditions of employment for employees in NSW.

The Commission can make an award upon the application of an employer, a union or employer association registered under the NSW Industrial Relations Act 1996, the NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, or on its own initiative. It has the power to make an award in the course of an arbitration to resolve an industrial dispute.

An award is legally binding on all the employers and employees undertaking the work covered by the award, whether or not they were party to the making of the award.

Awards are issued by the NSW Industrial Registrar, acting on the authority of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. Awards are published in the NSW Industrial Gazette.

The NSW Office of Industrial Relations recommends strongly that you read the information contained on their website in conjunction with an authorised copy of the award.

Pay rates for common NSW awards

The lowest rate of pay that can lawfully be paid to an adult wage earner in an award is referred to as a minimum wage.

This is a list of pay rates for common NSW awards.

1. Building and Construction Industry (State) Award (001)
2. Cleaning and Building Services Contractors (State) Award (116)
3. Clerical and Administrative Employees (State) Award (135)
4. Clerical and Administrative Employees, Hire Cars and Taxis (State) Award (125)
5. Club Employees (State) Award (140)
6. Electricians, &c. (State) Award (293)
7. Hairdressers' &c. (State) Award (372)
8. Horticultural Industry (State) Consolidated Award (378)
9. Metal, Engineering and Associated Industries (State) Award (039)
10. Miscellaneous Workers' - General Services (State) Award (705)
11. Miscellaneous Workers' - Kindergarten and Child Care Centres, &c. (State) Award (482)
12. Plumbers and Gasfitters (State) Award (539)
13. Private Hospital Employees (State) Award (548)
14. Restaurants, &c., Employees (State) Award (577)
15. Shop Employees State Award (601)
16. Storemen and Packers, General (State) Award (912)
17. Transport Industry (State) Award (677)
18. Transport Industry Mixed Enterprises Interim (State) Award (665)
19. Warehouse Employees' - General (State) Award (702)

The wage clause in an award specifies the minimum wage that must be paid for each classification or grade of employee covered by the award. Each employee must receive this amount as a minimum.

Sometimes the actual minimum weekly pay consists of a normal award wage plus compulsory additional components such as industry allowances or tool allowances. There are often additional rates to be paid for very specific circumstances such as working in the wet or dealing with toxic substances.

The wage clause in an award often specifies how casual or part-time rates should be calculated, that is, what additional loading they receive.

Junior employees are sometimes paid a percentage of the adult rate, depending on their age.

Awards may also provide for the payment of penalty rates to employees who work their ordinary hours at certain times of the week, such as on a Saturday or Sunday or outside the ordinary span of hours on weekdays.

Wages should normally be paid on the same day each week. The Industrial Relations Act 1996 requires employers to provide their employees with a pay slip detailing all pay matters and deductions such as income tax, superannuation payments, union dues, health fund and all other deductions.

Employers and employees can use Check Your Pay to calculate wages and other entitlements under selected awards.

To find pay rates for awards not list here, please choose the award title from this alphabetical list of current NSW awards.

Source/Reference:

1. © State of New South Wales through the Office of Industrial Relations