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INVehicle Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Vehicle Award actually pays — the right R-level classification, weekend penalties, the award’s tiered casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Vehicle Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level — the calculator uses the adult R1–R7 rates from clause 16.2, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casual loading is tiered by when the work happens, not a flat 25%: 25% weekday days, 50% weekday nights, 75% Saturday, 125% Sunday, 175% public holidays — and loadings never stack; the highest single loading applies.
- Permanent staff get 150% Saturday and 200% Sunday (clause 23) — but those penalties don’t apply to driveway attendants, console operators, roadhouse attendants or vehicle salespersons, who have their own special provisions.
- Overtime applies beyond 38 ordinary weekly hours: 150% for the first 3 hours, then 200% (casual overtime loadings: 75% then 125%), with a 4-hour minimum on Sundays and public holidays.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including penalty rates — but not to overtime.
- Casual minimum engagement is just 2 hours — short by award standards — and a call-back pays a 3-hour minimum per recall.
Who the award covers
- Workshops repairing, servicing, modifying or customising motor vehicles of all kinds
- Dealerships selling vehicles, parts and accessories — including salespersons
- Service stations and fuel retailing — driveway attendants and console operators
- Tyre selling, fitting, retreading and repair
- Towing, roadside and mobile service operations
- Driving school instruction
Vehicle manufacturing sits under the Manufacturing Award, general shops under the General Retail Industry Award, transport and freight businesses under the Road Transport and Distribution Award, and office staff under the Clerks Award. Car parks without repair or service facilities are excluded entirely — check before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Vehicle Award runs one ladder of seven levels, R1 to R7 — and below trade level, progression tracks nationally accredited training modules rather than years served. R1 to R5 cover the non-trade workshop, forecourt and retail roles; R6 is the trade-qualified benchmark; R7 is for genuine diagnostic specialists. Schedule A lists the classifications broadbanded into each level by name, so most roles can be matched directly.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (R1) | $25.74 | $978.10 | Car cleaner/washer · Driveway attendant · Parking attendant · Trades assistant | The entry level: little or no formal training, routine manual duties under direct supervision. Must be reclassified to R2 within 3 months. |
| Level 2 (R2) | $26.44 | $1004.90 | Tyre fitter · Lubritorium attendant · Battery repairer · Exhaust repairer (first 6 months) | Past the first 3 months: basic quality control of their own work, simple instructions, selected hand tools, some customer service. |
| Level 3 (R3) | $27.08 | $1029.10 | Detailer · Service receptionist (non-trade) · Storeperson (first 12 months) · Automotive wrecker | Has completed 8 modules of a nationally accredited RS&R Certificate (or equivalent): power and hand tools, fault-finding, works with only general supervision. |
| Level 4 (R4) | $27.97 | $1062.90 | Console operator · Automotive parts salesperson · Windscreen fitter · Vehicle salesperson (under 6 months) | 16 modules (or equivalent): licensed forklift work, inventory and store control, cash register and console skills, sales skills at this level. |
| Level 5 (R5) | $28.64 | $1088.20 | Experienced parts salesperson · Automotive servicer or checker · Radiator repairer (1st class) | 20 modules (or equivalent): minimum supervision, specialist troubleshooting, prepares reports, negotiates in sales and service. |
| Tradesperson I (R6) | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Motor mechanic · Automotive electrician · Panel beater · Painter · Parts interpreter · Vehicle salesperson (6+ months) | Holds a trade certificate or equivalent through an Australian apprenticeship: plans the work of others, applies quality control, works under limited supervision. |
| Tradesperson II (R7) | $32.22 | $1224.40 | Master technician · Diagnostic technician · Workshop technical advisor | Trade certificate plus a Certificate IV automotive qualification (diagnosis, overhauling, body repair or electrical technology) — diagnosing complex faults and mentoring the workshop is the principal function. |
- R1 is strictly temporary — the award requires reclassification to R2 within 3 months, so budget the R2 rate for any ongoing hire.
- Below trade level, count training modules: 8 modules of an accredited RS&R Certificate puts an employee at R3, 16 modules at R4, 20 at R5 — duties alone don’t settle it.
- A trade certificate means R6 — motor mechanics, auto electricians, panel beaters and painters all sit here. R7 needs a Certificate IV automotive qualification on top, with complex diagnosis as the principal function of the job.
- Vehicle salespersons move with experience — under 6 months R4, after 6 months R6 — and drivers have their own rate table (clause 16.3, $27.97–$29.45/hour) separate from the R-levels.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Vehicle 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 Vehicle 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 Vehicle Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 26). Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Vehicle 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, MA000089) — 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 R1–R7 rates from clause 16.2, current at 1 July 2026. Juniors (a percentage of R1 or R4 by age), apprentices (staged off the R6 rate) and drivers (clause 16.3) have their own tables. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
How does the casual loading really work?
It changes with the clock. A casual earns a 25% loading on weekday days, 50% between 6pm and 6am, 75% on Saturday, 125% on Sunday and 175% on public holidays — always instead of, never on top of, the permanent penalty. The highest single loading is the whole casual rate.
Where do apprentices fit?
Apprentice rates are staged percentages of the R6 tradesperson rate — from 50% in first year (55% with Year 12) up to 88% in fourth year, with a separate adult apprentice scale starting at 80% of R6. They also get a tool allowance of $5.88–$12.14/week by year.
Does super apply to penalty rates?
Yes — 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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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.
