AU
USA
UK
ES
FR
BR
TH
INWater Industry Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Water Industry Award actually pays — the right classification level, shift and public holiday penalties, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Water Industry Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level — the calculator uses the rates from clause 15.1, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate — but the award specifically excludes that loading from penalty rate and overtime calculations, so casual penalty and overtime figures apply the stated multiplier to the base rate, not the loaded one.
- There’s no day-worker Saturday or Sunday penalty here — the distinctive rule is rostered shift loadings instead: 115% for an afternoon shift finishing between 6pm and midnight, 130% for a night shift finishing between midnight and 8am.
- Overtime applies beyond 38 ordinary weekly hours: 150% for the first 2 hours Monday to Saturday, then 200% — Sunday overtime is a flat 200%, and public holiday overtime is 250%.
- Public holidays are simple and strict: any hours actually worked are 250% of the minimum hourly rate, no exceptions.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including shift loadings — but not to overtime.
Who the award covers
- Harvesting, transportation, storage, treatment and supply of water — including desalination
- Harvesting, transportation, storage, treatment and recycling of waste water, stormwater and sewerage
- Operational, technical, administrative and trades staff at water utilities and treatment facilities
- On-call and shiftwork roles maintaining water and sewerage infrastructure
- Labour hire staff placed into a water industry employer
Local government water operations sit under the Local Government Industry Award, construction contractors under their own building/electrical/plumbing awards, and bottled water processing isn’t covered at all — check the coverage clause before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Water Industry Award has one classification ladder with ten skill-based levels, from entry-level operational work at Level 1 through to senior management at Level 10. Classify by the skills, qualifications and responsibilities the role actually requires — most operational and trades hires sit at Levels 1–5.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $27.11 | $1030.10 | Entry-level operator — basic operational tasks | Entry level operational employee with minimal experience and qualifications; basic tasks under close supervision; on-the-job training. |
| Level 2 | $27.97 | $1062.90 | Operator with industry experience | Operational beyond Level 1, with relevant water industry experience and Year 10 education; handles basic public communications. |
| Level 3 | $29.03 | $1103.00 | Operator/entry administrative — may supervise | Operational beyond Level 2 plus entry administrative work; general daily guidance; may supervise lower levels. Cert II or non-trades Cert III. |
| Level 4 | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Technician/tradesperson — leads at the work face | Operational/administrative beyond Level 3; entry level for technical and trades employees with a trade certificate or Cert IV. The award’s standard rate. |
| Level 5 | $31.30 | $1189.40 | Senior technician or tradesperson | Technical, administrative or trades work beyond Level 4; post-trade certificate or diploma; exercises discretion within standard practices. |
| Level 6 | $33.87 | $1287.20 | Specialised service technician | Beyond Level 5; diploma or advanced diploma; provides specialised service and may receive external recommendations. |
| Level 7 | $34.46 | $1309.50 | Specialist technical / entry graduate professional | Specialist technical work beyond Level 6; entry level for graduate professionals with a degree or diploma and considerable experience. |
| Level 8 | $37.24 | $1415.00 | Professional or project manager | Professional, specialist advisory and project management work beyond Level 7; considerable specialist knowledge with major operational impact. |
| Level 9 | $39.83 | $1513.70 | Key specialist / experienced professional | Key specialists and experienced professionals with a management function; accountable for major sections or projects. |
| Level 10 | $43.54 | $1654.40 | Senior manager | Senior managers reporting to senior executive officers, with a focus on operational and strategic objectives. |
- Levels 1–3 are entry and developing operational roles — minimal experience through to Cert II/III and some administrative work.
- Level 4 is the trades and technical entry point — a trade certificate or Cert IV, leading at the work face — and sets the award’s standard rate ($29.45/hour) used for wage-related allowances.
- Levels 5–8 step up through post-trade qualifications, diplomas and specialist or graduate-professional work with growing operational impact.
- Levels 9–10 are for key specialists and senior managers — annualised wage arrangements are only available at these two levels (clause 17), and must be reconciled annually.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Water 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 Water 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 Water Industry Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clauses (clauses 14 and 21.9). Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Water 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, MA000113) — 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 rates from the award (clause 15.1), current at 1 July 2026. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser — especially for Level 9–10 annualised arrangements, which have their own reconciliation rules.
Why isn’t there a Saturday or Sunday penalty?
For day workers, this award genuinely doesn’t set one — ordinary hours on any day are paid at the plain rate. What it does penalise is rostered shiftwork: an afternoon shift attracts 115%, a night shift 130%, regardless of which day of the week it falls on.
What happens if someone works a public holiday?
They’re paid 250% of the minimum hourly rate for every hour actually worked — one of the higher public holiday rates among modern awards, and it applies whether the person is full-time, part-time or casual (casual loading isn’t added on top).
Does super apply to shift loadings?
Yes — afternoon and night shift loadings are paid for ordinary hours, so they’re ordinary-time earnings and 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.
Get started
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.
