Hospitality Award pay guide: rates, penalties & classifications 2026/2027

Most hospitality businesses employ casual workers. Here are the casual rates you need to know for ordinary weekday hours (Mon–Fri, standard times). These figures are generated from the current Fair Work pay guide:

If you only skim one section, make it this one:

• The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009] (commonly known as “HIGA”) sets minimum pay and conditions for many hospitality workers in Australia.
• These minimums are reviewed each July following the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review. The FY2026/27 pay guide took effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, lifting all rates by 4.75%.
• You must get four things right for every staff member:
  • Award coverage – does the Hospitality Award actually apply?
  • Classification level – Introductory, Level 1–6, casino streams, managerial staff – hotel, etc.
  • Employment type – full-time, part-time, or casual.
  • When they work – weekday, nights, weekends, public holidays, overtime.
• Example of 2026/27 adult minimum pay (non-casino):
  • Level 1 Food & Beverage Attendant / Guest Service / Kitchen Attendant: full-time/part-time $26.44/hr, casual $33.05/hr (includes 25% casual loading).
  • Level 3 Cook / Food & Beverage Attendant / Front Office: full-time/part-time $27.97/hr, casual $34.96/hr.
• Junior rates are lower but still fixed by the Award — e.g. a 17-year-old full-time Level 1 Food & Beverage Attendant must get $15.86/hr ($19.83 as a casual).
• On top of base rates you may also pay penalty rates (weekends, late nights, early mornings, public holidays), overtime, and allowances (split shift, uniform, laundry, tools, meals, travel).
• Casuals with regular, ongoing hours can request conversion to permanent under updated casual conversion rules (Hospitality Award clause 11.6 plus the Fair Work Act changes).

Think of the Hospitality Award (HIGA) as a standard contract template that you can’t go below.

It sets:

• Minimum hourly rates for different jobs and ages
• Extra pay for weekends, nights, public holidays and overtime
• Allowances (broken shift, laundry, tools, meals etc.)
• Rules about casuals, rostering, breaks and classification
• Links into the National Employment Standards (NES) for leave and other basic rights

You can always pay more or offer better conditions, but you can’t legally pay less than the Award.

The Hospitality Award is reviewed continually and updated roughly every July after the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review. That’s when base rates typically go up.

Your job as an employer is to:

1. Work out whether your staff are covered by this Award.
2. Classify them correctly.
3. Pay at least the Award minimum, including penalties and allowances.
4. Update rates when the pay guide changes.

In simple terms, the Hospitality Award covers many — but not all — hospitality businesses. It commonly applies to:

• Hotels, motels and serviced apartments
• Pubs, bars, taverns and wine bars
• Function centres and catering operations
• Some hospitality venues with gaming or accommodation components

Important: Many cafés and restaurants are instead covered by the Restaurant Industry Award or the Fast Food Industry Award. Award coverage depends on the primary nature of the business and the employee’s duties, not just what the venue looks like.

Typical roles under the Award include:

• Front of house: Food & Beverage Attendants, bar staff, baristas, front office/reception, guest services, door staff and security officers employed directly by the hospitality business
• Back of house: cooks, apprentice cooks, chefs, kitchen hands/attendants, storepersons, gardeners/maintenance
• Casino / gaming: table gaming employees, electronic gaming employees, surveillance operators, casino equipment technicians
• Support roles: clerical/admin, reservations, some supervisors and managerial staff – hotel

You may need a different award (or an agreement) if:

• The person is a senior executive or very senior manager whose duties are clearly above Award level.
• The business is more retail than hospitality (e.g. supermarket with a café corner — they might fall under the Retail Award).

When in doubt, check:

• The Hospitality Award on the Fair Work website; and
• Fair Work’s Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) for award coverage; or
• An employment adviser or lawyer for a formal opinion.

Important: Many cafés and restaurants are covered by the Restaurant Industry Award, and many fast-food style operations are covered by the Fast Food Industry Award. If you’re unsure, confirm coverage before applying Hospitality classifications or rates.

Side-by-side comparison for small business owners.

This section gives you a practical snapshot of the current FY2026/27 rates so you can sanity-check your payroll. All figures are minimums from the Fair Work pay guide effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, and are generated from the same data that powers the calculator above.

The rates below assume correct award coverage and classification.

For adult employees (usually 20+), ordinary weekday hours:

Casuals receive the same base rate plus a 25% casual loading to make up for not getting paid leave. Adult casual rates for ordinary weekday hours:

Junior rates are a percentage of the relevant adult rate. They depend on both:

1. Age (16, 17, 18, 19)
2. Classification (Level 1, Level 2, etc., and sometimes “office only” roles)

The hospitality junior scale is roughly: 16 and under 50%, 17 → 60%, 18 → 70%, 19 → 85%, 20 → 100% (adult). A couple of FY2026/27 examples:

• 17-year-old Level 1 Food & Beverage Attendant: full-time/part-time $15.86/hr, casual $19.83/hr
• 18-year-old Level 2 Cook Grade 1 (FT/PT): $18.96/hr
• 19-year-old Level 1 Food & Beverage Attendant (FT/PT): $22.47/hr

Because the junior tables are long and very specific, the safest approach is to download the latest pay guide for the Hospitality Award from Fair Work, find the Junior – Full-time & Part-time and Junior – Casual sections, then match age + classification + employment type.

Apprentice cooks have separate rates and rules (including special provisions when they reach certain years or proficiency levels). The FY2026/27 full-time apprentice base rates are:

Getting the classification wrong is one of the most common causes of underpayment. When the Award talks about “Level 1, Level 2, Level 3” etc., it’s not just jargon — it’s how Fair Work expects you to decide who gets which rate.

Most employees will fall into one of these broad groups:

• Food & Beverage (baristas, bar staff, waiters, bartenders)
• Guest Service / Front Office (hotel reception, concierge, guest service)
• Kitchen (kitchen attendants, cooks, apprentice cooks, chefs)
• Gaming / Security (casino staff, door staff, security officers)
• Leisure / Maintenance / Gardening
• Clerical / Office / Admin
• Storeperson / Warehouse

Within each stream, the Award describes what each level typically does — how much experience they have, whether they supervise others, whether they use trade qualifications (e.g. a qualified cook), and how complex their duties are. Roughly:

• Introductory – brand new starters doing basic tasks under close supervision, usually for a limited time.
• Level 1 – basic tasks with some routine and direction.
• Level 2–3 – more skilled work, may operate equipment, handle money, or have more responsibility.
• Level 4–5 – trade-qualified staff and supervisors.
• Level 6 – highly skilled or senior trade roles.
• Managerial staff – hotel – specific managerial roles still covered by the Award.

For each employee, you should have something like:

This classification should appear in the employment contract / letter of engagement, your HR or payroll system, and any roster or award interpretation software you use. If you’re really unsure, read the classification definitions in the Award and, if needed, get an employment adviser to confirm you’ve picked the right level. You can also confirm the right classification level with our free checker.

Here’s how common hospitality roles map to award classifications and pay rates. These are the rates you need to know for your most common staff positions.

Most bartenders start at Level 1 (basic bar service) or Level 2 (experienced, cocktail-focused):

• Level 1 bartender casual: $33.05/hr ordinary hours
• Level 2 bartender casual: $33.85/hr ordinary hours
• Weekends: penalties apply on top (Saturday +25%, Sunday +50% for full-time/part-time; casual loadings stack higher) — use the calculator above for exact figures

Senior or head bartenders may be Level 3 ($34.96/hr casual) if they supervise staff or have specialised bar management duties.

Cooks and chefs are classified by skill level and trade qualifications:

• Level 2: Cook Grade 1 (basic cooking) — $33.85/hr casual
• Level 3: Cook Grade 2 (skilled cook) — $34.96/hr casual
• Level 4: Cook tradesperson Grade 3 — $36.81/hr casual
• Level 5: Cook tradesperson Grade 4 (senior chef) — $39.13/hr casual
• Level 6: Cook tradesperson Grade 5 (head chef) — $40.16/hr casual

Trade-qualified chefs with a Certificate III or IV in Commercial Cookery typically start at Level 4 or above, depending on their responsibilities and experience.

Kitchen hands typically start at Level 1:

• Level 1 kitchen attendant casual: $33.05/hr ordinary hours
• Level 2 kitchen attendant casual: $33.85/hr (with experience or additional duties)
• Weekend rates: apply penalty multipliers (Saturday +25%, Sunday +50%)

Wait staff classifications depend on experience and duties — our waiter job description template lists the full duties at each level:

• Level 1: Food & beverage attendant (basic table service) — $33.05/hr casual
• Level 2: Experienced wait staff, wine service — $33.85/hr casual
• Level 3: Senior wait staff with supervisory duties — $34.96/hr casual

The Award itself doesn’t change the basic national definitions, but it works together with them.

• Usually around 38 hours per week, ongoing
• Guaranteed regular hours
• Entitled to paid annual leave and paid personal (sick & carer’s) leave, plus other NES leave

• Less than 38 hours per week, but with a regular pattern of hours
• Also entitled to paid leave, but on a pro-rata basis
  • Example: 20 hours/week → 4 weeks’ annual leave = 80 hours per year

Under the Award, part-time hours and patterns should be agreed in writing so there’s clarity about what counts as ordinary hours vs overtime.

• No firm advance commitment to ongoing work with an agreed pattern of work
• Paid a 25% casual loading on top of the base rate instead of paid leave
• Can be cancelled or changed more easily (subject to the Award and any applicable minimum engagement rules)

Recent changes to the law mean casual conversion now mainly operates through the employee choice pathway, rather than mandatory employer offers in all cases. The Hospitality Award (clause 11.6) still applies alongside the Fair Work Act.

In simple terms, a casual may be able to request conversion if:

• They have been employed for at least 6 months (or 12 months for small businesses); and
• Their work pattern has become regular and ongoing, and could continue as a part-time or full-time arrangement.

If they convert:

• They lose the 25% casual loading
• They gain paid leave entitlements
• You must treat them as permanent going forward (with the usual rules around hours, overtime, etc.)

Transitional rules apply depending on when the casual was hired and the size of the business. Casuals employed before 26 August 2024 may still fall under older conversion pathways during the transition period. Because the rules depend on hire date and business size, get advice before refusing a conversion request. See our casual conversion guide for the full process.

This is where many small hospitality businesses lose the plot — and where underpayments often happen. The Award sets different pay for weekday ordinary hours, evenings/nights, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and overtime (hours beyond the ordinary roster or outside the span of hours). The idea is simple: the less popular the time, the higher the pay.

The actual penalty percentages vary depending on whether the employee is full-time/part-time or casual, which day of the week, what time of day, and whether the hours are ordinary hours or overtime. Because these details are fiddly and change over time, the safest options are:

• Use Fair Work’s Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) when calculating wages; or
• Use award-interpreting payroll/rostering software with roster warnings and time and attendance that already has the Hospitality Award rules built in.

Overtime can be triggered when an employee works more than their agreed ordinary hours (part-timers), exceeds 38 hours per week or daily limits (full-timers), or is required to work outside the span of ordinary hours. The Award sets overtime penalties (e.g. time and a half, double time) that must be applied on top of base rates. For a complete breakdown of break and overtime rules, see our Fair Work breaks and overtime guide. If you roster people long hours or do a lot of last-minute changes, check overtime rules, not just base rates.

Beyond hourly pay and penalties, the Award also has a shopping list of allowances — extra payments that kick in for specific situations. Common hospitality allowances include:

• Split shift / broken shift allowance – when an employee’s working day is split with a long gap in the middle.
• Uniform or special clothing allowance – if you require particular clothing and don’t supply it.
• Laundry allowance – if staff have to wash special uniforms themselves.
• Meal allowance – if staff work beyond a certain number of hours without a meal break, or stay back for overtime under specific conditions.
• Tool allowance – for trades roles that must supply their own tools.
• Travel or vehicle allowances – for using their own vehicle or travelling between sites.

The exact amount in dollars is updated with each pay guide and is listed under “Allowances” in the Fair Work pay guide.

The Award sits on top of the National Employment Standards (NES), which set minimum leave entitlements for permanent employees.

They are entitled to, among other things:

• Paid annual leave – generally 4 weeks per year, based on their ordinary hours.
  • Example: 20 hours per week → 4 weeks’ leave = 80 hours per year.
• Paid personal/carer’s leave (sick leave) – also based on their ordinary hours.
• Compassionate leave, parental leave, family and domestic violence leave, and other NES entitlements.

• No paid annual leave or paid personal/carer’s leave.
• Instead, they receive the 25% casual loading on their hourly rate.

The Award may add extra detail (e.g. how leave interacts with public holidays, additional annual leave in certain shift patterns), so read the relevant clauses or seek advice for complex situations.

Here’s a simple process you can actually follow in your business.

• Check that your venue and staff fit within the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009] coverage.
• If you’re not sure, get advice — being on the wrong award can make all your calculations wrong.

• Grab the official Hospitality Award pay guide from Fair Work. From 1 July 2026, download the new 2026/27 guide reflecting the 4.75% increase.
• Save it somewhere obvious — this is your “price list”.

For each staff member, write down:

1. Award: Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009]
2. Stream (F&B, kitchen, guest service, clerical, gaming, etc.)
3. Level (Introductory, Level 1–6, or specific casino classification)
4. Employment type (full-time, part-time or casual)
5. Age (for juniors)

Make sure this matches their actual duties, not just their job title.

• Use the pay guide to enter the correct base rate for each classification and age.
• Double-check adult rates like: Level 1 adult FT/PT $26.44, Level 1 adult casual $33.05.
• And any juniors, e.g. a 17-year-old Level 1 casual at $19.83.

You have two realistic choices:

• Use Fair Work’s Pay and Conditions Tool each pay run (time-consuming, but possible for very small teams); or
• Use award-interpreting rostering/payroll software with payroll integration that understands the Hospitality Award and automatically calculates penalties and overtime based on the roster and timesheets.

• Review the Allowances section of the pay guide.
• Decide when each allowance applies in your business (split shifts, uniforms, meals, etc.).
• Update payroll so that allowances are easy to add (or automated if using software).

• Once or twice a year, check which casuals have regular patterns of work over 6–12 months.
• If they look “permanent”, look into casual conversion obligations and options.

• Keep copies of rosters, timesheets, pay records and contracts. Consider using HR software with digital employment contracts and employee onboarding to keep everything organised.
• Make sure payslips clearly show ordinary hours vs overtime, different penalty rates, and allowances.

Good records are your best defence if there’s ever a dispute or audit.

Here are the traps that trip up a lot of small venues.

Example: every casual gets $30 per hour, regardless of age, classification or weekend work.

• That might underpay some staff (e.g. Level 4 or Level 5 adults), and overpay others.
• It almost certainly ignores Sunday/public holiday penalties and allowances.

• Staff on fixed rosters for years, with regular hours, who still get a casual loading and no paid leave.
• This creates risk around backpay and casual conversion disputes.

• Using lots of split shifts in a day but never paying a split shift allowance.
• Making staff provide and launder uniforms without uniform/laundry allowances.

• Still paying last year’s rates because “that’s what we’ve always paid”.
• Fair Work and many advisors recommend you download the new pay guide every July and compare it to your payroll.

• No written classification.
• No record of agreed part-time hours.
• Rosters and timesheets stored in random places or never kept at all.

If Fair Work investigates, poor records make it hard to prove you’ve done the right thing.

Understanding and applying the Hospitality Award correctly isn’t optional — it’s a legal requirement. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s what to remember:

• Get the basics right: Know which award applies, classify your staff correctly, and use the right base rates.
• Don’t ignore penalties and allowances: These are where most underpayments happen. You can estimate weekend and overtime costs before you publish a roster, or use software to help.
• Review your casuals: If they’ve been working regular hours for months, consider casual conversion obligations.
• Update every July: Download the new pay guide and compare it to your payroll.
• Keep good records: Written classifications, agreed hours, rosters, timesheets and payslips are your best protection.
• Use the right guide: If your business is a café, restaurant, club or fast-food venue, make sure you’re using the correct award guide — Hospitality rates cannot be safely applied across awards.

For official guidance, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website.