AU
USA
UK
ES
FR
BR
TH
INFood and Beverage Manufacturing Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award actually pays — the right classification level, shift and weekend rates, the all-purpose casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level — the calculator uses the adult rates from clause 14.1(a), current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- The 25% casual loading is all-purpose: it stays inside the casual rate for every penalty and overtime calculation, so a casual on Saturday earns 187.5% — not 175%.
- Weekend ordinary hours need agreement first: day workers can only be rostered ordinary Saturday (150%) or Sunday (200%) hours by agreement with the employees concerned — without it, weekend work is overtime from the first hour.
- Shiftwork carries its own loadings — 112.5% early morning, 115% afternoon/night, 130% permanent night — and a Saturday shift pays 150% as a substitute for the shift loading, not on top of it.
- Overtime applies beyond 38 ordinary weekly hours: 150% for the first 3 hours, then 200% (casuals: 187.5% / 250% with the loading kept in).
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including shift and weekend penalties on ordinary hours — but not to overtime.
Who the award covers
- Food and beverage plants — preparing, cooking, baking, blending, brewing, fermenting, preserving, freezing and milling, including stock feed and pet food
- Tobacco product manufacturing
- Receiving, storing and handling ingredients and raw materials for production
- Bottling, canning, packaging, labelling, palletising and despatch of finished product
- Cleaning and sanitising of production tools, equipment and machinery
- Labour hire staff placed into food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing businesses
Meat, poultry, seafood and wine processing each have their own award, bakery shops sit under the Retail Award, farm work under the Horticulture Award, and general engineering under the Manufacturing Award — check before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award runs one six-level ladder tied to the national food-processing qualifications: Level 1 is a short induction grade, the middle levels climb with each AQF certificate, and Level 5 is the 100% tradesperson rate every other level is measured against. Classify on the competencies the person is required to use — the certificate they hold or its recognised equivalent, not the job title.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $25.74 | $978.10 | New starter · General hand (first 3 months) | The induction level (78% relativity): up to 38 hours of structured induction, general manual duties with minimal judgment under direct supervision. Lasts at most 3 months (4 weeks for seasonal staff, 152 worked hours for casuals). |
| Level 2 | $26.44 | $1004.90 | Production employee · Process worker · Packing line worker | Past induction: a range of manual production duties, limited judgment, direct supervision — often training toward Level 3. |
| Level 3 | $27.08 | $1029.10 | Machine operator · Production operator (Certificate I) | Holds an AQF Certificate I in Food Processing (or equivalent recognised experience): specialised duties, judgment within set procedures, general rather than direct supervision, responsible for their own quality. |
| Level 4 | $27.97 | $1062.90 | Senior production operator (Certificate II) | Holds an AQF Certificate II in Food Processing or equivalent recognised experience, training or prior learning. |
| Level 5 | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Trade-qualified employee — baker, brewer, food trades | Trade qualification or equivalent — the award’s 100% tradesperson rate that anchors the whole scale. |
| Level 6 | $30.38 | $1154.30 | Advanced tradesperson · Trade-level supervisor | Advanced trade skills or supervisory responsibility at trade level — qualifications and experience beyond Level 5. |
- Level 1 is temporary by design: no more than 3 months (4 weeks for seasonal employees, 152 worked hours for casuals) before the employee moves to Level 2.
- Qualifications drive the middle of the ladder: Certificate I in Food Processing (or equivalent) puts someone at Level 3, Certificate II at Level 4.
- Level 5 is the tradesperson rate — a trade-qualified baker, brewer or other food-trades employee using those skills belongs at Level 5 or above.
- Recognised experience counts at every level: each definition accepts “equivalent recognised experience, training or prior learning”, so a long-serving operator without the paper qualification may still classify above Level 2.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Food and Beverage Manufacturing 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 Food and Beverage Manufacturing 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 Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 13). Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Food and Beverage Manufacturing 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, MA000073) — 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 clause 14.1(a), current at 1 July 2026. Apprentices, juniors and unapprenticed juniors have their own tables, and all-purpose allowances (leading hand, heavy vehicle driving, boiler attendant) must be added to the rate before penalties are calculated. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
What does “all-purpose” casual loading actually mean?
The 25% loading is baked into the casual hourly rate before anything else is calculated — penalties and overtime multiply the loaded rate. A casual working Saturday earns 150% × 125% = 187.5% of the minimum, and double-time overtime pays 250%. Stripping the loading for penalty hours is one of the most common underpayments under this award.
Can I roster ordinary hours on a weekend?
Only by agreement — with the majority of employees concerned or with an individual. With that agreement in place, Saturday ordinary hours pay 150% and Sunday 200%. Without it, any weekend work is overtime: 150% for the first 3 hours then 200% on Saturday (minimum 4 hours), and 200% all day Sunday (minimum 3 hours).
Does super apply to shift penalties?
Yes — shift loadings and weekend 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.
Get started
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.
