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INRail Industry Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Rail Industry Award actually pays — the right classification level, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday penalties, shiftwork loadings, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Rail Industry Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level and stream — the calculator uses the TCI adult rates from clause 15.1(c), current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading on the ordinary hourly rate.
- The award’s distinctive rule: Saturday (150%/175%), Sunday (200%/225%) and public holiday (250%/275%) penalties apply to every hour worked that day — ordinary hours and overtime alike. Most awards strip the penalty once overtime kicks in; this one doesn’t.
- Weekday overtime is 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200% (casuals: 175%/225%) — a shorter first tier than many awards.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including weekend and public-holiday penalties — but not to overtime.
- Shiftworkers and permanent night shiftworkers get 5 weeks of annual leave instead of 4, and a higher 20% leave loading instead of 17.5% — a trap for payroll teams building leave provisions off a generic template.
Who the award covers
- Rail infrastructure managers and rolling stock managers, and their employees
- Technical and civil infrastructure staff — track, signals and structures trades
- Operations staff — train crew, yard and terminal roles
- Clerical, administrative and professional staff supporting rail operations
- Labour hire staff placed into a rail transport operator
Private sidings not on a main freight or passenger line, sugar mill rail networks, mining-lease rail not on main lines, and rail infrastructure design, construction or fabrication done by someone other than a rail transport operator sit outside this award — check coverage before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Rail Industry Award runs three separate classification streams — Clerical, Administration and Professional (CAP, 9 levels), Operations (6 levels) and Technical and Civil Infrastructure (TCI, 7 levels). This calculator models the TCI stream, the trade and maintenance ladder most rail contractors hire into. Pick the stream first, then classify by the skill and supervision level actually required — not the job title.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (TCI) | $26.44 | $1004.90 | General labourer · Cleaner | Routine manual duties — general labouring and cleaning, minimal judgment, working under direct supervision while completing structured training. |
| Level 2 (TCI) | $27.08 | $1029.00 | Trainee track/signals worker | Works to standard operating procedures under direct supervision, can recognise basic quality faults and report hazards. |
| Level 3 (TCI) | $27.97 | $1062.80 | Certificate I/II qualified track or signals worker | Holds a Level I or II certificate, responsible for their own work under routine supervision, exercises discretion within their training and assists with on-the-job training. |
| Level 4 (TCI) | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Tradesperson (Certificate III) — fitter, electrician, signals technician | Trade-qualified (Certificate III), works under limited supervision, inspects work for conformity with operational standards. The award’s standard rate. |
| Level 5 (TCI) | $30.76 | $1168.90 | Leading hand supervising non-trades civil staff | Supervises non-trade civil staff or is an experienced tradesperson undertaking training toward Certificate IV; provides limited technical guidance and reports. |
| Level 6 (TCI) | $32.13 | $1220.90 | Certificate IV tradesperson · trade team leader | Holds Certificate IV, provides trade guidance within a work team, trains others alongside supervisors, works under limited supervision. |
| Level 7 (TCI) | $34.66 | $1317.20 | Work Group Leader (signals) · senior technical specialist | Provides technical guidance across the level, prepares technical reports, understands the operating principles of the systems the trade works on — the top TCI level. |
- Confirm the stream before you open the rate table: CAP for clerical/professional roles, Operations for train crew and yard staff, TCI for trade and civil infrastructure work. This calculator covers TCI.
- The jump to Level 4 is Certificate III trade qualification — the award’s standard rate and the level most qualified tradespeople should sit at.
- Levels 5 and 6 are about supervising others or holding Certificate IV — not just years of service.
- Level 7 (Work Group Leader) requires understanding the operating principles of the systems the trade works on, not just the trade skills themselves.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Rail Industry 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 Rail Industry 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 Rail Industry Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 14) — a lighter rule than most awards, reflecting rail operations. Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Rail Industry 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, MA000015) — 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 TCI-stream adult rates from clause 15.1(c) of the award, current at 1 July 2026. The award also has CAP and Operations streams with their own rate tables — confirm which stream actually covers the role before relying on this calculator. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
Why do Saturday and Sunday penalties still apply to overtime?
Because clauses 21.3–21.5 say so explicitly — "any hours, ordinary and overtime, worked on a Saturday/Sunday/public holiday" attract the penalty rate. Most awards only pay the penalty on ordinary hours and switch to a flat overtime rate once you’re past 38 hours; the Rail Industry Award keeps the day-based penalty running through overtime too.
Which stream should I use if my staff don’t fit TCI?
If you’re classifying clerical or professional rail staff, use the CAP stream (9 levels, clause 15.1(a)); for train crew and yard operations, use the Operations stream (6 levels, clause 15.1(b)). This calculator models TCI rates only — the classification tests and pay run differently for the other two streams.
Does super apply to the weekend penalties?
Yes — Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday penalties paid on ordinary hours are ordinary-time earnings, so the 12% super guarantee applies. Genuine overtime hours are excluded, even though they still attract the day-based penalty rate under this award.
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.
