Clerks Award Pay Rates 2026
The Clerks Award minimum rates (Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020, MA000002) apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Adult classifications run Level 1 to Level 5, plus two call-centre roles. The 25% casual loading is modelled on the casual loading calculator.
Last updated September 2026.
Key takeaways
- Level 1 Year 1 is $26.97 an hour and $1,024.70 a week from 1 July 2026.
- Casual Level 1 Year 1 is $33.71 an hour. The 25% loading is already inside that figure.
- Ordinary Saturday work from 7.00 am to 12.30 pm, for a non-shiftworker, is 125%, not 150%.
- Sunday is 200% and a public holiday is 250% for a non-shiftworker.
- Table 3 does not contain a Level 6, Level 7, or Level 8 adult minimum.
1. Clerks Award minimum rates from 1 July 2026
Adult ordinary rates from clause 16 and the Fair Work pay guide. Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday columns below are for employees who are not shiftworkers. Start at the modern awards hub if this is not your award.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Saturday 7am–12.30pm | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 — Year 1 | $1,024.70 | $26.97 | $33.71 | $33.71 | $53.94 | $67.43 |
| Level 1 — Year 2 | $1,073.10 | $28.24 | $35.30 | $35.30 | $56.48 | $70.60 |
| Level 1 — Year 3 | $1,106.20 | $29.11 | $36.39 | $36.39 | $58.22 | $72.78 |
| Level 2 — Year 1 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 | $36.81 | $58.90 | $73.63 |
| Level 2 — Year 2 | $1,139.90 | $30.00 | $37.50 | $37.50 | $60.00 | $75.00 |
| Level 3 | $1,182.10 | $31.11 | $38.89 | $38.89 | $62.22 | $77.78 |
| Call centre principal customer contact specialist | $1,190.40 | $31.33 | $39.16 | $39.16 | $62.66 | $78.33 |
| Level 4 | $1,241.40 | $32.67 | $40.84 | $40.84 | $65.34 | $81.68 |
| Level 5 | $1,291.80 | $33.99 | $42.49 | $42.49 | $67.98 | $84.98 |
| Call centre technical associate | $1,415.10 | $37.24 | $46.55 | $46.55 | $74.48 | $93.10 |
2. Clerks private sector award 2026: Level 1 versus Level 5
The query clerks private sector award 2026 is the Annual Wage Review column that applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. The Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for MA000002, published 24 June 2026, and clause 16 of the Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020 set Level 1 Year 1 at $26.97 an hour. Level 5 is $33.99. The highest adult row in that table is call centre technical associate at $37.24. A chart that runs “Level 1 $25.80 to Level 8 $52.40” is not this award.
Years of service include clerical work for a previous employer, under clause 16.2. That moves someone from Year 1 to Year 2 inside Level 1. It does not create a Level 8. NSW government clerks are a different instrument — the Crown Employees salary scale.
3. The 25% casual loading is already in the casual hourly rate
Casual employees are paid at least 125% of the minimum hourly rate. For Level 1 Year 1 the pay guide figure is $33.71. Adding another 25% on top of $33.71 double-counts the loading. Superannuation Guarantee is 12.0% from 1 July 2025 and sits outside the award hourly rate. Estimate tax on a full-time annual equivalent with the take-home pay calculator.
4. Saturday is 125% in the ordinary morning window
For an employee who is not a shiftworker, the pay guide sets Saturday between 7.00 am and 12.30 pm at 125% of the minimum hourly rate. Level 1 Year 1 is $33.71, the same dollar as the casual weekday rate, but it is a penalty on the permanent rate, not the casual loading. Sunday for a non-shiftworker is 200% ($53.94 at Level 1 Year 1). A public holiday for a non-shiftworker is 250% ($67.43). Shiftwork uses different columns in the same pay guide. Do not paste a single “Saturday 150%, Sunday 175–200%” line over every roster.
5. Overtime is 150% then 200%
The pay guide’s Monday-to-Saturday overtime columns, for a non-shiftworker, are 150% for the first two hours and 200% after that. At Level 1 Year 1 that is $40.46 then $53.94. Ordinary hours are separate from overtime. Juniors are a percentage of the adult minimum: 45% under 16, then 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% at ages 16 through 20. Full conditions stay in the award, not in this summary. Other awards on this site, including SCHADS, use different levels.
6. How to check a clerks payslip
- Confirm the instrument is MA000002, not a state public service clerks award.
- Read the level and the year inside Level 1 or Level 2.
- Use the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- If the rate is already casual, do not add 25% again.
- Match Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday only if the person is not a shiftworker. Otherwise open the shiftwork table in the pay guide.
Primary pages: the Fair Work Ombudsman award text and the Fair Work Commission consolidation.
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020 (MA000002), clause 16
- Fair Work Commission — MA000002 consolidated to 1 July 2026
- Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide, published 24 June 2026
Modern awards hub
Other Fair Work awards. Clerks rates do not transfer to SCHADS or retail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Australian tax, superannuation, and take-home pay guidance grounded in current ATO rulings.
What is the Clerks Private Sector Award rate in 2026?
From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, Level 1 Year 1 is $26.97 an hour ($1,024.70 a week). Casual Level 1 Year 1 is $33.71 an hour, which already includes the 25% loading. The adult scale in clause 16 stops at Level 5 ($33.99) and the call centre technical associate ($37.24). There is no Level 8 minimum of $52.40 in Table 3.
Is Saturday pay 150% under the Clerks Award?
Not for ordinary Saturday hours between 7.00 am and 12.30 pm for an employee who is not a shiftworker. The Fair Work pay guide sets that window at 125% of the minimum hourly rate. For Level 1 Year 1 that is $33.71. Overtime is a different column: 150% for the first two hours and 200% after that.
What is Sunday and public holiday pay?
For a non-shiftworker, the pay guide sets Sunday at 200% and a public holiday at 250% of the minimum hourly rate. Level 1 Year 1 is $53.94 on Sunday and $67.43 on a public holiday.
Does prior clerical work count toward Year 2 or Year 3?
Clause 16.2 says service in the classification, including administrative and clerical experience with a previous employer, counts toward a year of service. The employer can ask for reasonable evidence.
How much super applies?
The Superannuation Guarantee is 12.0% from 1 July 2025. It is calculated on ordinary time earnings. It is not an extra line in the award hourly rate.