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Miscellaneous Award Pay Calculator

Work out what a week under the Miscellaneous Award actually pays — the safety-net award for employees no other award covers: four levels, out-of-hours penalties, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.

How the Miscellaneous Award is applied

Minimum rates are set per classification level — the calculator uses the adult rates from clause 15.1, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
Casuals get a 25% loading on ordinary hours (minimum engagement: 2 consecutive hours), and the penalty percentages below already include it.
Ordinary hours outside 7am–7pm Monday–Friday attract a 120% penalty (145% casual) — the same rates apply all day Saturday.
Overtime applies beyond an average of 38 weekly hours (or the daily maximum): 150% for the first 3 hours, then 200% — and casuals are paid the same, because the loading is not paid on overtime.
Public holidays are 250% flat — the award’s table applies 250% to casuals as well, with no loading on top.
Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including penalty rates — but not to overtime.

Who the award covers

Employees throughout Australia who are not covered by any other modern award — the catch-all beneath the award system
Roles that don’t fit an industry or occupational award, classified across four service- and skill-based levels
Trade-qualified employees doing work no other award captures (Levels 3–4)
On-hire employees in these classifications, where no other award fits the work better
Group training apprentices and trainees hosted where this work is performed

Managers and professionals — accountants, finance, marketing, legal, HR, PR and IT specialists — sit outside this award entirely. And if any industry or occupational award covers the role (Retail, Hospitality, Clerks…), that award applies instead — the Miscellaneous Award only picks up what nothing else does.

Which level is your team member?

The Miscellaneous Award keeps classification deliberately simple: four levels, set by length of service and trade qualification (clause 12.1). Before you classify anyone, though, answer the prior question — does any other modern award cover this role? This award only applies when the answer is no.

Level	Per hour	Per week (38h)	Typical roles	The test
Level 1	$25.74	$978.10	New starter (first 3 months) in a role no other award covers	Employed for less than 3 months and not doing Level 3 or Level 4 work. A time-limited entry level, not a permanent home.
Level 2	$27.08	$1029.10	Established employee without trade qualifications	Employed for at least 3 months and not doing Level 3 or Level 4 work — where most employees under this award sit.
Level 3	$29.45	$1119.10	Trade-qualified employee (or equivalent)	Holds a trade qualification or equivalent and is doing duties that require it. The award’s “standard rate”.
Level 4	$32.13	$1221.10	Advanced trades · Sub-professional employee	Holds advanced trade qualifications and does duties requiring them — or works at a sub-professional level.

Levels 1 and 2 are time-based, not skill-based: under 3 months of service is Level 1, and from 3 months the same employee is Level 2 — the step up is automatic.
Level 3 is for employees with a trade qualification (or equivalent) whose duties actually require it — the qualification alone isn’t enough.
Level 4 covers advanced trade qualifications in use, or sub-professional work.
The award doesn’t cover managers or professionals at all — those roles are award-free, so the calculator doesn’t apply to them.

Allowances that can apply on top

Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Miscellaneous 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):

First aid allowance — trained, qualified and appointed to perform first aid duties$22.38/week

Leading hand allowance — team leader in charge of 3 or more employees$49.24/week (3–10) · $72.74 (11–20) · $92.89 (more than 20)

Meal allowance — more than an hour of overtime without 24 hours’ notice$24.56 first meal · $22.27 further (overtime past 4 hours)

Vehicle allowance — own car used for work by agreement$1.00/km

Clothing reimbursement — required special clothing or uniformCost reimbursed

Expense reimbursement — reasonable expenses incurred at the employer’s directionCost reimbursed

Annual leave loading17.5% on paid annual leave

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 Miscellaneous 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 Miscellaneous Award requires:

Meal breakNo more than 5 hours of work without an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes.

From the award’s breaks clause (clause 14) — the award’s only break rule. Verify the current award text before relying on it.

Calculate a week under the Miscellaneous 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.

Classification levelEmployment typeState or territoryWeekday hours (7am–7pm)Weekday hours outside 7am–7pmOrdinary hours worked before 7am or after 7pm Monday–FridaySaturday hoursSunday hoursPublic holiday hoursThe award’s own table sets 250% for casuals too — no extra loading

Rates current as of 1 July 2026 (adult minimums, MA000104) — 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 15.1, current at 1 July 2026. Juniors and apprentices are paid a percentage of these. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.

When does the Miscellaneous Award apply?

Only when no other modern award covers the role. It’s the safety net beneath the award system — if the work fits Retail, Hospitality, Clerks or any other industry or occupational award, that award applies instead. Managers and professionals aren’t covered by this award at all.

Do casuals get their 25% loading on overtime?

No. Clause 11.1(b) says the casual loading is not paid on overtime hours — so casual overtime is 150% then 200%, the same as permanent staff. On public holidays the award’s table also sets one rate (250%) for everyone.

Does super apply to penalty rates?

Yes — out-of-hours, weekend 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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