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INTravelling Shows Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Travelling Shows Award actually pays — the right grade, overtime, casual loading and super — calculated the way the award says.
How the Travelling Shows Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per grade — the calculator uses the adult rates from clause 16, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading on ordinary hours, not paid on overtime.
- Sunday work is paid at the ordinary rate, not a penalty rate — one of the few modern awards where that’s true. It’s a deliberate feature of the award given shows typically run weekends, not an oversight.
- Overtime applies beyond 38 ordinary weekly hours over a 28-day cycle: 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200% (the casual loading isn’t added on top of overtime rates).
- A 10-hour break is required between shifts — resume sooner and every hour is payable at 200% until the break is taken.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings — but not to overtime.
Who the award covers
- Employers in the travelling shows industry and their employees
- Ride attendants, ticket sellers and counter/cashier staff at travelling shows
- Construction technicians and erectors of temporary or permanent show structures
- Supervisors and operators of stands, amusements or rides
- General labouring, driving and site work incidental to running a travelling show
Fixed amusement parks and permanent recreation venues sit under the Amusement, Events and Recreation Award, not this one — check whether the show is genuinely travelling before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Travelling Shows Award has one classification ladder with four grades, and it’s built around experience and responsibility rather than a formal trade test: how long someone has been in the industry, how much supervision they need, and whether they’re running a stand or ride themselves.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | $25.74 | $978.10 | Ride attendant · new entrant · general labourer | A new entrant with less than 3 months’ experience in the industry, working under routine supervision on rides, amusements, games, stalls or general labouring. |
| Grade 2 | $27.08 | $1029.10 | Ticket seller · counter attendant · program seller · cashier | At least 3 months’ experience; works from simple instructions, handles cash and EFTPOS, and assists a Grade 3 employee with erecting or dismantling structures. |
| Grade 3 | $27.97 | $1062.90 | Construction technician · erector · maintenance/utility hand | An assistant supervisor to a Grade 4 employee — rigs steel or timber components and erects or dismantles structures, without holding a trade qualification. |
| Grade 4 | $30.38 | $1154.30 | Supervisor or operator of a stand, amusement or ride with 4+ employees | Works from complex instructions, provides on-the-job training, and supervises a stand, amusement or ride where 4 or more people are employed. |
- Grade 1 is capped by experience, not skill level — under 3 months in the industry, full stop. It covers everything from ride operation to general labouring while someone is new.
- Grade 2 is the natural progression at the 3-month mark: ticket selling, cash handling and assisting more senior staff with bump-in and bump-out.
- Grade 3 is a construction and rigging role — erecting or dismantling structures — without needing a trade qualification, working as an assistant supervisor to Grade 4.
- Grade 4 is defined by headcount: supervising or operating a stand, amusement or ride with 4 or more employees is what separates it from Grade 3.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Travelling Shows 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 Travelling Shows 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 Travelling Shows Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 15). Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Travelling Shows 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, MA000102) — 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 (clause 16), current at 1 July 2026. Junior and supported-wage rates sit outside this calculator. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
Why isn’t Sunday paid at a higher rate?
This award genuinely pays Sunday at the ordinary rate (clause 21.1) — shows typically run their busiest days on weekends, so the award treats Sunday as a normal working day rather than a penalty day. It’s worth flagging to staff moving from a hospitality or retail award, where Sunday is usually the highest-paid day.
What do I owe for public holiday work?
150% of the minimum hourly rate for full-time and part-time staff, plus an additional day off within 14 days — casuals get the same 150% with a 4-hour minimum payment but no day-off entitlement, since they’re already paid the casual loading instead of leave entitlements.
Does super apply to the driving or first aid allowance?
No — allowances that reimburse a cost or compensate for a specific duty (driving, first aid, uniform, travel) generally aren’t ordinary-time earnings for super purposes the way penalty rates are. The calculator applies the 12% guarantee to wages, not to these allowances.
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.
