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INHydrocarbons Upstream Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Hydrocarbons Upstream Award actually pays — the right classification level, shift and weekend penalties, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Hydrocarbons Upstream Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level — the calculator uses the adult rates from clause 16.1, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading, applied on top of the ordinary and penalty rates below, and again on overtime under clause 23.3.
- The award’s distinctive rule is the point-of-assembly provision: minimum rates already include compensation for 4 hours of travel at the start and end of each work cycle, with the ordinary rate paid for travel beyond that up to a 12-hour cap per journey.
- Overtime applies beyond 38 ordinary weekly hours for non-continuous employees: 150% for the first 2 hours, 200% after (casuals: 175% / 225%). Continuous shiftworkers are paid a flat 200% for all overtime instead.
- Penalty rates are substitution, not cumulative — a Sunday shift doesn’t stack the Sunday and night-shift multipliers together, the higher single rate applies (clause 24.2), and none of it applies to a voluntary shift swap.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including the industry allowance and shift penalties — but not to overtime.
Who the award covers
- Onshore and offshore drilling crews in oil and gas exploration and production
- Operations and processing employees at upstream hydrocarbons facilities
- Hydrocarbons industry services employees supporting exploration and production sites
- Modification and maintenance trades employees — dual-trade and instrument technicians
- On-hire labour suppliers and group training services in this industry
Field geologists (mudloggers, data engineers) have their own award, and maritime crew on offshore vessels sit under the Maritime Offshore Oil and Gas Award — check before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Upstream Hydrocarbons Award has one eight-level wage ladder shared by five classification groups — Hydrocarbons Industry Services, Onshore Drilling, Offshore Drilling, Operations and Processing, and Modification and Maintenance Trades. Match the actual work being done to the level definition, not the job title.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level—Introductory | $28.20 | $1071.60 | New starter across any classification group | Induction and initial training, working under direct supervision. The starting point for every group. |
| Level 1—Basic | $29.32 | $1114.00 | Basic operations, drilling or maintenance support | Basic and semi-skilled work carried out under close supervision within the employee’s classification group. |
| Level 2—Intermediate | $30.34 | $1152.90 | Drilling crew, operations or trades support | Semi-skilled work across a broader range of functions, with increasing independence from supervision. |
| Level 3—Competent | $31.21 | $1185.80 | Driller, operator, tradesperson | Competently performs the full range of duties within the classification group, working independently. |
| Level 4—Advanced | $33.18 | $1260.60 | Senior driller, senior operator, supervisor | Advanced specialist skills and broader problem-solving, may supervise others. Requires employer appointment. |
| Level 5—Advanced Specialist | $35.23 | $1338.50 | Rig supervisor, senior specialist | Highly advanced specialist work on complex tasks, with significant supervisory responsibility. Requires employer appointment. |
| Level 6—Dual Trade | $36.87 | $1400.80 | Dual-trade tradesperson (Modification and Maintenance) | Trade-qualified with competency in two trades, working across both disciplines. Modification and Maintenance Trades group only. |
| Level 7—Dual Trade Instrument Tech | $38.29 | $1454.80 | Dual-trade instrument technician (Modification and Maintenance) | The award’s top level: dual trade plus instrument-technician specialisation. Modification and Maintenance Trades group only. |
- Entry through Level 5 apply across all five groups — a driller, an operator and a trades support worker can all sit at the same level if the skill and supervision test matches.
- Levels 6 and 7 (Dual Trade and Dual Trade Instrument Tech) are reserved for the Modification and Maintenance Trades group only — they don’t exist in the other four groups.
- Progression to Level 4 or above requires employer appointment — it isn’t automatic on tenure or self-assessment.
- All employees are expected to work flexibly across tasks and acquire new skills as reasonably required — that flexibility is part of the classification structure itself, not extra duties owed a higher level.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Hydrocarbons Upstream 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 Hydrocarbons Upstream 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 Hydrocarbons Upstream Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 15). Break times are scheduled by the supervisor around operations — verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Hydrocarbons Upstream 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, MA000062) — 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 16.1 of the award, current at 1 July 2026. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser before running payroll.
What’s the point-of-assembly allowance for?
It compensates crew for travelling to and from a remote work site. The minimum rate already includes 4 hours of travel time at the start and end of each work cycle; travel beyond that is paid at the ordinary rate, up to a 12-hour maximum per journey.
Do penalty rates stack on top of each other?
No — clause 24.2 makes penalty rates substitution, not cumulative. If a shift qualifies for more than one penalty (say, night shift on a Sunday), the higher single rate applies, not both added together.
Does super apply to the industry allowance?
Yes — the industry allowance is an all-purpose, wage-related allowance and counts as part of ordinary-time earnings, so the 12% super guarantee applies to it along with shift and weekend penalties. True overtime is excluded.
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.
