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INHair and Beauty Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week in the salon actually pays — the right qualification level, Saturday and Sunday penalties, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Hair and Beauty Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level — the calculator uses the adult rates from Table 4, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading for ordinary Monday–Friday hours inside the 7am–9pm span; before 7am or after 9pm the casual rate is 150% instead.
- Saturday daytime is 133% for permanent staff and 158% for casuals — table values, not base plus loading. Don’t apply a generic “150% Saturday” rule to this award.
- Sundays are 200% for permanent staff (10am–5pm span) and 225% for casuals at any time; public holidays are 250% for everyone.
- Overtime beyond 38 hours runs Monday–Saturday at 150% for the first 3 hours, then 200% (casuals 175%/225%) — and working a rostered day off pays 200% with a 4-hour minimum.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including penalty rates — but not to overtime.
Who the award covers
- Hairdressing — cutting, colouring, styling, shaving and beard trimming, wig-making
- Beauty treatments — waxing, facials, skin analysis, brow and lash work
- Hair removal by waxing, chemical treatment, electrolysis or laser
- Manicures, pedicures, nail enhancement and nail artistry
- Make-up application, body massage and aromatherapy
- On-hire staff and apprentices placed into salons via group training employers
Hair and beauty work inside general retail stores follows the Retail Award, and the same work in theatrical, amusement and entertainment settings sits under those industries’ awards — check before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Hair and Beauty Award runs a single six-level ladder, and it works differently from most awards: every step above Level 1 is gated on a formal qualification — Certificate II, III, IV or a Diploma. That makes classification unusually clean: check the certificate, and you usually have your answer. It also makes it easy to get wrong if nobody asked about qualifications at hiring.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $27.81 | $1056.80 | Receptionist · Salon assistant | The entry level: front desk, bookings and general salon assistance — no formal qualification required. |
| Level 2 | $28.45 | $1081.00 | Make-up artist (Cert II) · Nail technician (Cert II) · Unqualified beautician | Holds a Certificate II in make-up services or nail technology — or works as a beautician or cosmetologist without a formal qualification. |
| Level 3 | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Qualified hairdresser · Qualified beautician | Holds a Certificate III in Hairdressing or Beauty Services — the award’s standard rate and the classic salon hire. |
| Level 4 | $30.00 | $1139.90 | Beauty therapist (Cert IV) | Holds a Certificate IV in Beauty Therapy. |
| Level 5 | $30.89 | $1174.00 | Senior hairdresser (Cert IV) · Trichologist | A hairdresser holding a Certificate IV — or a hairdresser-trichologist with a Certificate IV in Trichology. |
| Level 6 | $32.00 | $1215.90 | Beauty therapist (Diploma) | Holds a Diploma in Beauty Therapy — the top of the ladder. |
- Level 1 is the receptionist and salon assistant. An unqualified beautician or cosmetologist sits at Level 2, not Level 1.
- Certificate III in Hairdressing or Beauty Services means Level 3 — the award’s standard rate, and the base for all seven apprentice rate tables.
- Certificate IV splits by stream: a beauty therapist is Level 4, a hairdresser (or hairdresser-trichologist) is Level 5. A Diploma in Beauty Therapy is Level 6.
- Adult rates start at 18, not 21 — the junior scale has just two steps: 50% under 17 and 75% at 17.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Hair and Beauty 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 Hair and Beauty 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 Hair and Beauty Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 16). Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Hair and Beauty 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, MA000005) — 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 4), current at 1 July 2026. Juniors are a percentage of these — 50% under 17, 75% at 17, full adult rate from 18 — and apprentices have seven separate rate tables built on the Level 3 standard rate. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
Why is my casual’s Saturday rate 158% and not 150%?
Because the award says so. Casual Saturday daytime is a table value of 158% — a phased figure set by the Commission — not base rate plus the 25% loading. Use the table, not arithmetic.
What level is a qualified hairdresser?
Level 3 — a Certificate III in Hairdressing is the gate, and Level 3 is also the award’s standard rate. A hairdresser who goes on to a Certificate IV moves to Level 5; the Certificate IV beauty therapist sits at Level 4.
Does super apply to penalty rates?
Yes — Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday 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.
