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INClerks Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Clerks Award actually pays — the right classification level and year step, Saturday and Sunday penalties, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Clerks Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level and year step — the calculator uses the adult rates from Table 3, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading and a minimum 3-hour engagement per shift; the weekend percentages below already include the loading.
- Saturday ordinary hours are 125% (150% casual) — the penalty clerical employers most often miss. Sunday ordinary hours are 200% (225% casual) with at least 4 hours’ pay.
- Overtime beyond 38 weekly hours: 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200%, Monday to Saturday (casuals 175% / 225%); all Sunday overtime is 200% and public holidays 250%.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including penalty rates — but not to overtime.
- Work someone through their meal break and every hour is payable at 200% until a break is given — the same rate applies when they front up again without a 10-hour break between days.
Who the award covers
- Private-sector employees who mainly do clerical and administrative work
- Receptionists, switchboard operators and front-desk staff
- Accounts, payroll and bookkeeping clerks — invoices, orders, records and journals
- Typists, word processing and data entry operators; secretaries and executive assistants
- Call centre customer contact staff
- Labour hire staff placed into clerical roles not covered by another award
Wherever an industry award has its own clerical classifications — Retail, Hospitality, Legal Services, Aged Care, SCHADS and many others — that award wins. Public sector employees, qualified accountants in accountancy practices, banking/finance/insurance and retail travel agencies are also out — check clause 4 before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Clerks Award runs one ladder from Level 1 to Level 5, with year-of-service pay points inside Levels 1 and 2 and a call-centre stream alongside. Schedule A’s own rule: the characteristics are the primary guide, and what counts is the level of competency and skill the person is required to exercise — not the duty list on their position description.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 — Year 1 | $26.97 | $1024.70 | Office junior · Mail and filing clerk · Junior receptionist | The entry level: reception and switchboard, filing and copying, mail handling and basic records — working under close direction while learning the basics. |
| Level 1 — Year 2 | $28.24 | $1073.10 | Receptionist · Records clerk (second year at Level 1) | Level 1 duties after a year at the level — and clerical experience with a previous employer counts toward that year. |
| Level 1 — Year 3 | $29.11 | $1106.20 | Receptionist · Records clerk (third year at Level 1) | Level 1 duties after two years at the level — the last step before Level 2. |
| Level 2 — Year 1 | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Administration assistant · Word processing operator · Accounts or payroll clerk | Works under general direction: word processing, reconciling accounts, invoices and payroll data, routine travel bookings, answering enquiries. The award’s “standard rate”. |
| Level 2 — Year 2 | $30.00 | $1139.90 | Administration assistant (second year at Level 2) | Level 2 duties after a year at the level — prior experience in the classification counts here too. |
| Level 3 | $31.11 | $1182.10 | Senior accounts clerk · Specialist clerk · Developing executive assistant | Specialised or non-routine work with only general guidance: wage and salary records, banking summaries, ledgers, advanced word processing — and able to train Level 1–2 staff. |
| Level 4 | $32.67 | $1241.40 | Executive assistant · Office supervisor · Payroll officer | Advises within their own area with limited guidance; supervision of lower levels is the principal feature — allocating duties, checking progress and quality, preparing financial or tax schedules. |
| Level 5 | $33.99 | $1291.80 | Office manager · Senior executive assistant | Works under broad direction with specialist knowledge: reports for management on accounts, finances and staffing; schedules workloads, monitors quality and counsels staff. |
- Levels 1 and 2 step up by service — three yearly pay points at Level 1, two at Level 2 — and clerical experience with a previous employer counts toward those years. An experienced hire rarely starts at Level 1, Year 1.
- Level 3 is the specialist step: wage and salary records, banking reports, ledgers and other non-routine work with only general guidance — plus enough experience to train Level 1 and 2 staff.
- Supervision is the principal feature of Level 4, and Level 5 adds specialist knowledge and management reporting — think office manager rather than senior clerk.
- Call-centre roles have their own pay points: a principal customer contact specialist sits at $31.33/hour and a technical associate at $37.24 — and a Certificate II, III or IV in customer contact forces a minimum classification.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Clerks Award adds allowances for particular duties and situations — being the designated first aid officer, working overtime without notice, using your own car. They’re small lines individually, but they’re legal entitlements and they add up. The common ones (1 July 2026 amounts):
The calculator below doesn’t include allowances — add the ones that apply to your team on top of the result. The full list lives in the award’s allowances clause.
Break entitlements under the Clerks Award
Breaks are part of the award too — and missed or worked-through breaks usually carry a penalty rate, so they belong in the roster, not just the tea room. Here’s what the Clerks Award requires:
Rest breaks count as time worked and their timing is set by the employer. The full rules live in the award’s breaks clause.
Calculate a week under the Clerks Award
Enter the week as it’s actually rostered. Weekend, evening and public-holiday hours are paid at the award’s penalty rates; anything beyond 38 hours is priced as overtime; super is applied to ordinary-time earnings only.
Rates current as of 1 July 2026 (adult minimums, MA000002) — first full pay period on or after that date.
This week’s numbers
Nothing is stored or sent — the maths runs on this page.
Are these the exact legal rates?
The classification minimums are the adult rates from the award (Table 3), current at 1 July 2026. Junior rates (under 21) are a percentage of these, and shiftworkers have their own loadings — 115% for afternoon or night shift, 130% for permanent nights. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
My new admin has years of experience — do they start at Level 1, Year 1?
Usually not. The year steps count service in the classification with a previous employer, so an experienced hire typically enters at a higher pay point — often Level 2. Classify the competency required first, then place them on the right year.
What does a Saturday actually cost?
Ordinary Saturday hours are 125% (150% for casuals). If the Saturday is overtime — say the person has already worked 38 hours Monday to Friday — it’s 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200%, with a minimum of 3 hours’ pay.
Does super apply to penalty rates?
Yes — Saturday and Sunday penalties on ordinary hours are ordinary-time earnings, so the 12% super guarantee applies. True overtime is excluded. The calculator applies exactly that split.
This is a general calculator, not legal advice. It applies the award’s published adult minimums to the hours you enter — it can’t see your enterprise agreement, allowances or individual arrangements, and junior, apprentice and shiftwork rates differ. Always confirm pay against the award, your agreement or your adviser. If you believe something here is materially wrong or out of date, please contact us — we’ll review it promptly.
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Tommy applies the right award rates to every shift as you roster — penalties, loading and super included. Start with your email and your numbers come along.
