Electrical Award rates in Australia 2025/2026

Quick summary — Electrical Award 2025/26

The Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025) sets minimum pay and conditions for employees in the electrical contracting industry. The 2025/26 rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025.

Key rates at a glance (2025/26)

You must get four things right for every worker: (1) Award coverage (does MA000025 apply?), (2) Classification/grade (Grades 1–10, apprentices), (3) Employment type (full-time, part-time, casual), and (4) When they work (ordinary hours vs overtime; Sunday/public holidays; call-backs; RDO substitutions).

What the Electrical Award actually is

Think of the Award as a minimum legal "rulebook" for pay and core conditions. It sets (among other things):

• Minimum wage rates by grade/classification
• Overtime and public holiday rates
• Allowances and how to pay them
• Minimum engagements and rules for casual employment
• Annual leave loading and some award-specific leave rules

You can always pay above the Award, but you generally can't pay below it.

Who it covers

This Award is designed for businesses and employees in the electrical, electronic and communications contracting industry (where MA000025 is the correct modern award).

Classifications (Grades 1–10)

The Award classifies electrical workers into 10 grades based on their skills, qualifications, and responsibilities. Correct classification is essential for correct pay.

Pay rates 2025/26 (adult, FT/PT)

Full-time & part-time hourly rates (ordinary hours)

From Schedule B — effective ppc 01Jul25.

Casual rates (ordinary hours)

Casuals must be paid the ordinary hourly rate plus 25% casual loading:

Calculated from ordinary rates + 25% casual loading.

Overtime, Sunday & public holidays

Sunday and public holiday rates (day workers)

Overtime rates (FT/PT day workers)

For FT/PT day workers, Schedule B summarises overtime rates as:

• Monday to Saturday: 150% for first 2 hours, then 200% after 2 hours
• Sunday: 200%
• Public holiday: 250%

Call-backs and availability duty

These are frequent underpayment areas:

• Call-back (recall after leaving): minimum 4 hours at the appropriate rate each time recalled
• Availability for duty: allowance of $94.02 per week
• Single call-out on availability: minimum 2 hours at the appropriate rate

RDO system (rostered day off)

If you're using an average hours system that provides a day off in a work cycle, the Award defines an RDO and sets practical rules, including:

• 4 weeks' notice of the weekday the employee is to take off
• The RDO (or part RDO) must not coincide with a public holiday
• Substitution rules — if a substitute day off isn't granted, additional payment requirements apply (150% in ordinary hours; 200% outside ordinary hours)

If you run RDOs, document your RDO cycle in writing and ensure payroll knows how to treat RDO substitutions.

Allowances

The Electrical Award contains a long list of allowances. Split them into:

1. All-purpose allowances (become part of the "ordinary hourly rate" for overtime/penalties)
2. Expense-related allowances (paid as set amounts when the trigger happens)

All-purpose allowances (2025 amounts)

Expense-related allowances (2025 amounts)

Practical note: Travel and job-site start/finish payments are high-risk because they depend on how you direct employees to start/finish and what transport is provided — they're not automatically "baked into" the hourly rate.

Apprentices

Apprentices have separate provisions and wage tables. In Schedule B, the Award sets adult apprentice ordinary/public holiday rates.

Adult apprentices (commencing on or after 1 January 2014)

Because apprentice rates and progression can get complex, the safest approach is: confirm the apprentice's category under the Award's provisions, and use the Award's Schedule B tables for the correct year/rate.

Employment types (FT/PT/casual)

Full-time

A full-time employee is engaged to work an average of 38 ordinary hours per week.

Part-time

A part-time employee works a constant number of hours less than 38 per week, and the employer must inform them of their ordinary hours and start/finish times on engagement.

Casual

Key casual rules under this Award include:

• Casuals are paid the ordinary hourly rate plus 25% casual loading
• The casual loading is paid instead of paid leave and other permanent entitlements
• A casual must be engaged and paid for at least 2 consecutive hours each time they attend work

Casual conversion

The Award now points to the NES pathway for changing from casual employment to full-time/part-time and references sections 66A to 66MA of the Fair Work Act.

Fair Work Ombudsman publishes guidance on the employee choice pathway, including how and when a casual employee can seek to become permanent.

Leave entitlements

Leave entitlements largely come from the National Employment Standards (NES), with the Award adding some extra rules.

Annual leave loading

When an employee takes paid annual leave:

• Day work: 17.5% annual leave loading applies
• Shiftwork: if shift loadings would have been higher than 17.5%, shift loadings apply instead

Step-by-step compliance plan

1. Confirm award coverage: Before you set rates, confirm MA000025 applies (don't rely on "everyone in the industry uses it").
2. Classify every employee: Record for each worker: Award (MA000025), Grade/classification or apprentice category, Employment type (FT/PT/casual).
3. Set base rates using Schedule B: Use Schedule B ordinary rates (and confirm whether any all-purpose allowances like licence/leading hand apply).
4. Make overtime rules automatic: Ensure payroll handles: overtime multipliers, Sunday/public holiday multipliers, minimum 4-hour payments where required, call-back and availability duty rules.
5. Build an allowances checklist: Decide which allowances commonly apply (licence, leading hand, travel, start/finish, etc.) and train supervisors on when to trigger them.
6. Leave loading check: Confirm annual leave is paid with the correct 17.5% annual leave loading.
7. Keep records: Keep contracts, classifications, rosters, timesheets, and payslips clean and consistent — especially if you use RDO arrangements or call-outs.

Common mistakes (what causes underpayments)

1. Wrong award (never assume)
2. Wrong grade/classification (or no written record)
3. Paying Schedule B rates but also paying industry/tool allowances again (double-counting)
4. Forgetting all-purpose allowances must be included before overtime/penalties (licence/leading hand/etc)
5. Missing minimum payments (4 hours on weekend/public holiday overtime; call-back minimums; availability single call-out minimums)
6. Missing travel/start-finish/site allowances because "it's only a small amount"
7. Not paying annual leave loading (17.5%)
8. Casual compliance gaps: ignoring 2-hour minimum engagement or not understanding the employee choice pathway