Retail Award Rates 2026-27: General Retail Industry Award (MA000004)
pay-calculator.au reproduces every adult classification rate in the General Retail Industry Award from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, then runs each one through its 2026-27 tax engine to show what the rate actually pays after tax.
What Are the Retail Award Rates for 2026-27?
Eight adult levels, $1,056.80 to $1,291.80 a week.
The General Retail Industry Award (MA000004) sets eight adult full-time and part-time classification levels, from Level 1 at $1,056.80 a week to Level 8 at $1,291.80 a week, operative from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 (Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide, General Retail Industry Award MA000004, published 24 June 2026). The hourly figures assume the 38-hour ordinary week set by the National Employment Standards.
| Classification | Weekly pay | Hourly rate | Casual hourly | Annual, 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $1,056.80 | $27.81 | $34.76 | $54,954 |
| Level 2 | $1,081.00 | $28.45 | $35.56 | $56,212 |
| Level 3 | $1,097.80 | $28.89 | $36.11 | $57,086 |
| Level 4 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 | $58,193 |
| Level 5 | $1,165.10 | $30.66 | $38.33 | $60,585 |
| Level 6 | $1,182.10 | $31.11 | $38.89 | $61,469 |
| Level 7 | $1,241.40 | $32.67 | $40.84 | $64,553 |
| Level 8 | $1,291.80 | $33.99 | $42.49 | $67,174 |
Casual hourly already includes the 25% casual loading, as published in the pay guide. The annual column is the weekly rate across 52 weeks, before tax. These are ordinary-hours base rates: Saturday, Sunday, evening, public holiday and overtime penalties apply on top. Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, General Retail Industry Award MA000004 pay guide.
pay-calculator.au does not reproduce the junior, apprentice or trainee percentages for this award, and does not reproduce the shift and higher-duties allowances. Those figures are not published on this site, so check the official pay guide or the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool rather than scaling the adult rates yourself.
What Does a Retail Award Rate Pay After Tax?
Fair Work stops at the gross rate. This is what lands in the bank.
Each level below is the weekly award rate across 52 weeks, run through the same 2026-27 tax engine that powers every calculator on this site. Income tax is shown after the Low Income Tax Offset, the Medicare levy at 2%, and the 12% super guarantee separately because the employer pays it on top of the wage rather than out of it.
| Classification | Gross per year | Income tax | Medicare levy | Take-home per year | Take-home per fortnight | Super on top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $54,954 | $6,830 | $1,099 | $47,024 | $1,809 | $6,594 |
| Level 2 | $56,212 | $7,227 | $1,124 | $47,861 | $1,841 | $6,745 |
| Level 3 | $57,086 | $7,502 | $1,142 | $48,442 | $1,863 | $6,850 |
| Level 4 | $58,193 | $7,851 | $1,164 | $49,178 | $1,891 | $6,983 |
| Level 5 | $60,585 | $8,604 | $1,212 | $50,769 | $1,953 | $7,270 |
| Level 6 | $61,469 | $8,883 | $1,229 | $51,357 | $1,975 | $7,376 |
| Level 7 | $64,553 | $9,854 | $1,291 | $53,408 | $2,054 | $7,746 |
| Level 8 | $67,174 | $10,672 | $1,343 | $55,158 | $2,121 | $8,061 |
Australian resident, tax-free threshold claimed, no study loan, no penalty rates or overtime included. On Level 1 the marginal tax rate is 30% but the average rate across the whole $54,954 is only 14.4%; at Level 8 the average is 17.9%. Run any rate through the salary calculator or the weekly pay calculator.
What Is the Casual Retail Rate Per Hour?
$34.76 at Level 1, rising to $42.49 at Level 8.
Casual retail employees are paid the base hourly rate plus a 25% casual loading, and the General Retail pay guide publishes the loaded rate directly, so the casual column in the table above is the pay guide figure rather than a calculation (Fair Work Ombudsman, Casual employees, updated 12 May 2026). The loading compensates for entitlements casual employees do not receive: paid annual leave, paid personal and carer’s leave, notice of termination and redundancy pay.
Two consequences follow. A casual working a full 38-hour week at Level 1 earns more per week than a permanent Level 1 employee, but has no paid leave behind it, so the annual comparison depends entirely on how many weeks are actually worked. And a casual rate must be divided by 1.25 before it is compared with a permanent salary, or the leave is counted twice. The casual loading calculator handles both, and casual loading explained covers what the 25% trades away.
Do Penalty Rates Apply on Top of the Retail Award Rate?
Yes, and the exact retail percentages are not published on this site.
Every rate in the table above is an ordinary-hours base rate. Retail work outside ordinary hours attracts a penalty rate on top, and specific duties can attract an allowance on top of that again (Fair Work Ombudsman, Penalty rates, updated 12 May 2026). The patterns below are the common shape across modern awards, not the General Retail figures, and the Fair Work Ombudsman notes that some retail and hospitality awards set lower Sunday rates than the general pattern.
| Circumstance | Common pattern across awards |
|---|---|
| Saturday work | Around 150% of the base rate |
| Sunday work | Around 200% of the base rate |
| Public holiday | Around 250% of the base rate, or 150% plus a day off in lieu |
| Overtime, first 2 to 3 hours | Around 150% of the base rate |
| Overtime after that | Around 200% of the base rate |
These are common patterns across modern awards, not the exact General Retail MA000004 percentages, which pay-calculator.au has not published. Confirm the precise figure in the official pay guide before relying on it. Work out what a penalty shift pays with the overtime calculator, or read overtime and penalty rates.
How Do You Find Your Retail Classification Level?
Duties and responsibilities, never the job title on the roster.
Step 1: confirm the award
Check that General Retail MA000004 covers the business, not Fast Food MA000003 or a specialist award, using the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool.
Step 2: read Schedule A
Classification definitions sit in Schedule A of the award. Match your actual duties, responsibilities and experience to a level.
Step 3: check the payslip
Your payslip must show the ordinary hourly rate and the hours worked at it, so the rate is checkable in seconds. See how to read a payslip.
If you believe you are classified too low, raise it with your employer or payroll team in writing and keep your payslips, because they are the evidence. The Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) handles underpayment complaints and can compel back-payment. To put a figure on what is owed across past pay periods, including how the arrears are taxed, use the backpay calculator.
What This Page Does Not Cover
Four things pay-calculator.au has not published for this award.
Junior rates
Retail employs a large share of employees under 21, whose rates are a percentage of the adult rate set in the award. That percentage table is not published here, so no junior figure is stated.
Exact penalty percentages
The General Retail Saturday, Sunday, evening and public holiday percentages are in the official pay guide and are not reproduced on this site.
Allowances
Meal, laundry, cold work, first aid and higher-duties allowances are set in the award as dollar amounts and are not published here.
Enterprise agreements
Many large retailers pay under an enterprise agreement that sits above the award. An agreement cannot leave you worse off overall than the award it replaces.
Retail Award Rates FAQ
Common questions about General Retail MA000004 pay.
Sources for This Page
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide, General Retail Industry Award MA000004, published 24 June 2026, operative from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. This is the source for every weekly, hourly and casual rate in the table above.
- Fair Work Commission, Annual Wage Review 2026 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500, announced 2 June 2026 (the 4.75% increase to all modern award minimum rates).
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Casual employees, updated 12 May 2026 (the 25% casual loading and the entitlements it replaces).
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Penalty rates, updated 12 May 2026 (the common patterns table, which is not award-specific).
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Award classifications, updated 12 May 2026 (Schedule A and the duties-based classification rule).
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Hours of work, updated 19 December 2025 (the 38-hour ordinary week behind the hourly figures).
- ATO, resident tax rates 2026-27, with the 15% first marginal rate under the Income Tax Rates Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026, and the 12% super guarantee.
Last verified 4 August 2026. Award rates are reproduced from the Fair Work pay guide and are not calculated by pay-calculator.au. Take-home figures are computed at render from the 2026-27 tax engine, so a published rate change updates every table at once. pay-calculator.au is not a registered tax agent and this page is general information, not advice.
See What Your Retail Rate Pays After Tax
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