Manufacturing Award Rates 2025/2026 (MA000010)

Manufacturing Award (MA000010) — rates, coverage & key rules

Information is general only and does not replace professional advice. Always check official Fair Work sources.

The Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010) sets minimum pay rates and employment conditions for many employees working in manufacturing, production, processing, and associated industries across Australia.

From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025, Award wages increased following the Annual Wage Review. The Award also contains detailed rules on:

• Skill-based classifications
• Ordinary hours across day, afternoon, and night shifts
• Overtime vs shift penalties
• Allowances (industry, tool, leading hand, etc.)
• Casual minimum engagements and conversion

For many manufacturers, the biggest compliance risk is applying the wrong rate when a shift changes at short notice. Using award-aware rostering software helps reduce errors by applying rules consistently across rosters and timesheets.

Most searched Manufacturing Award rates (quick answer — MA000010)

Base minimum hourly rates (adult) — full-time & part-time employees (C-levels)

These are the minimum hourly rates in the Award's adult minimum rates table (clause 20.1(a)).

Note: These are minimum classification rates only. Employees may also be entitled to allowances, loadings or penalties under other clauses, and some adults (e.g., adult apprentices/trainees) have separate minimum rate tables.

Casual ordinary hourly rates (general table — inclusive of 25% casual loading)

These are the casual ordinary hourly rates in Schedule C (C.3.2(a)), at the 100% column (ordinary hours).

Important nuance: the table rates do not include any clause 30.2 all-purpose allowances; if an all-purpose allowance applies, it must be added as described in C.3.1 before applying the casual loading.

Note: The Schedule C table above is the general casual table (inclusive of 25% casual loading). The Award provides a different casual loading arrangement for certain vehicle manufacturing employees in the technical field (see clause 11.1(e) and Schedule C.3.2(b)).

Verify before you rely on this (required)

To avoid misclassification and missed allowances/penalties, employers should verify rates and entitlements using:

• Official Award text (consolidated)
• Fair Work Ombudsman Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT)
• Award summary / coverage

Roster control tip: Using roster warnings to flag shifts that trigger overtime/shiftwork helps prevent accidental underpayments.

Important — general information only (no reliance)

Manufacturing Award coverage — who MA000010 applies to

What is the Manufacturing Award?

The Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010) is a modern award that applies to many manufacturing and associated industry employers and employees, depending on what the business does and what work the employee performs.

Official sources:

• Fair Work Commission Award page
• Fair Work Ombudsman Award summary

Who the Manufacturing Award covers

The Award commonly covers employees such as:

• Production and process workers
• Tradespersons and apprentices
• Machine operators (including CNC and specialised plant operators)
• Storepersons and forklift operators (where covered)
• Maintenance staff directly supporting manufacturing operations
• Technical and production support employees

Operationally, coverage issues often show up in payroll when one team spans multiple sites or cost centres. If you run more than one plant or warehouse, multi-site rostering can help keep Award rules consistent across locations.

Who is NOT covered (common scenarios)

Employees may not be covered by MA000010 if they are:

• Covered by an enterprise agreement
• Covered by a different modern award (e.g., Clerks Award, Professional Employees Award)
• In senior managerial roles that are not Award-covered
• Covered by state or local government instruments

Always confirm coverage before relying on any summary. If you need to validate outcomes per employee, use the Fair Work pay calculator.

Manufacturing Award classifications & skill levels (C14–C4)

How classification works under MA000010

The Manufacturing Award uses a skill-based classification structure. Employees must be classified based on:

• Skill level and competencies used on the job
• Training, qualifications, and experience
• Level of autonomy and responsibility
• Complexity of tasks performed
• Supervision required and provided

The Manufacturing structure includes levels such as C14 through C4, plus trade and technical groupings. Classification errors typically cascade into underpayments across ordinary time, overtime, allowances, and leave.

A practical control is to ensure you store role details, licences, and competency evidence in one place (for example, using HR records and licence and certification management).

Why job titles don't determine pay

A job title like "Operator", "Leading Hand", or "Technician" doesn't automatically determine the Award level. Classification depends on what the employee actually does.

This is where businesses often benefit from written, role-specific terms in digital employment contracts (position, classification assumption, base hours, overtime approach).

Manufacturing Award pay rates 2025/2026 (MA000010 minimum rates)

Award rates are minimum base rates only and exclude overtime, shift penalties, and allowances. Always verify current full tables via official sources:

• Pay guides directory (FWO)
• PACT pay calculator

Common Manufacturing Award classifications

Rates vary by classification, pay point, age, and employment type. Always check the current Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for minimum hourly rates.

• C14 — Entry-level manufacturing employee
• C13 — Manufacturing employee with basic skills
• C12 — Experienced production worker
• C10 — Skilled operator / storeperson (in many cases)
• C8 — Advanced operator / higher skilled roles
• Tradesperson — Qualified trade roles

If you're managing multiple Awards (common in manufacturing businesses with admin + warehouse + production staff), using award interpretation reduces manual rework.

Manufacturing Award casual rates (25% loading explained)

Casual loading

Most casual employees receive a 25% casual loading on ordinary hours. However, the Award provides different casual loading rules for certain vehicle manufacturing employees in the technical field (see clause 11.1(e) and Schedule C).

Minimum engagement

Minimum engagement provisions apply in many circumstances and depend on the applicable clause, engagement type, and roster arrangement. Always confirm minimum engagement requirements using the Award and pay guide.

Casual conversion (NES pathway)

Casual conversion rules operate through the Fair Work Act (NES "employee choice" pathway). See Fair Work Ombudsman guidance: Casual employees.

To manage casual conversion risk, it helps to track patterns of work and availability accurately using staff availability management.

Manufacturing Award ordinary hours & rostering rules

Ordinary hours arrangements in manufacturing frequently involve:

• Averaging over a roster cycle
• Day/afternoon/night shifts
• Weekend work by agreement
• RDO patterns

Because small roster changes can change the correct rate (ordinary vs overtime vs shift), it's best practice to use rosters with built-in controls like roster warnings.

For planning, managers often need to see labour coverage across time horizons. Useful tooling includes daily, weekly, and monthly roster views.

Manufacturing Award overtime rates & penalty rates

When is overtime paid under the Manufacturing Award?

Overtime generally applies when an employee works outside ordinary hours or beyond limits/averaging arrangements (depending on the clause and roster structure).

Common overtime rate patterns under the Manufacturing Award

The Award provides for overtime rates that may include time-and-a-half (150%) and double time (200%) depending on circumstances. Higher rates may apply on Sundays and public holidays.

Exact overtime rates and triggers depend on the employee's classification, shift status, and any averaging arrangements. Always confirm in the Award and pay guide.

A reliable way to reduce overtime miscalculations is to align timesheets to rosters with time and attendance tools and visibility into exceptions using live attendance.

Manufacturing Award shiftwork & shift loadings

Manufacturing commonly operates on shiftwork. Where shiftwork applies, shift loadings may apply to ordinary rostered hours depending on shift type and timing.

Shift loadings apply only where an employee is engaged as a shiftworker under the Award and the shift meets the Award definition. Definitions of shifts are precise and boundaries matter.

What are Manufacturing Award shift penalties?

Because shift boundaries matter (especially for night shift), accurate clocking is critical. Options include:

• Kiosk time clock for factory floor clock-on/off
• GPS geofencing for mobile teams or multi-site maintenance
• Photo proof where you need higher integrity clocking

Manufacturing Award meal & rest breaks

Meal and rest breaks are a frequent compliance issue in manufacturing environments (particularly where production pressure leads to missed breaks).

Your compliance controls are stronger when break rules are supported by rostering guardrails and timesheet verification. Many businesses implement exception reporting and audit trails via roster reporting and broader analytics.

Manufacturing Award allowances (leading hand, tool & industry allowances)

Allowances under MA000010 may include (depending on role and circumstance):

• Leading hand allowance
• Tool allowance
• Industry allowances
• First aid allowance
• Travel-related or expense reimbursements (in limited scenarios)

Some allowances are "all-purpose" (affecting other calculations) and others are expense-based. Always confirm what is payable and how it interacts with overtime and leave calculations in the Award and pay guide.

If you process allowances through payroll, it helps to have clean integration paths (e.g., payroll integration), including common systems like Xero or MYOB.

Manufacturing Award leave entitlements

Most leave entitlements sit in the National Employment Standards (NES), including:

• Annual leave
• Personal/carer's leave
• Parental leave
• Compassionate leave

NES source: National Employment Standards.

Long service leave is governed by state and territory legislation, not the Award.

Manufacturing Award compliance checklist (2025/2026)

For day-to-day controls, manufacturers often rely on auto-scheduling to reduce manual roster errors and roster templates for consistent shift patterns.

Common Manufacturing Award mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Misclassification (wrong C-level)

Fix: role-based evidence, periodic reviews, documented duty statements, structured onboarding (see employee onboarding).

Overtime vs shift loading confusion

Fix: ensure your rules engine is consistent; validate with PACT and pay guide; implement exception reporting.

Allowances applied incorrectly (or not included when all-purpose)

Fix: map allowance types clearly; audit calculations.

Poor timekeeping records

Fix: standardise time capture and approvals; reduce "paper timesheet drift" with mobile rostering apps.

Communication gaps on last-minute shift changes

Fix: confirm changes in writing and notify teams quickly using structured employee communication tools and employee team chat.

Manufacturing Award enterprise agreements & other instruments

This guide covers the Manufacturing Award 2020 (MA000010) only. Where an enterprise agreement applies, Award terms may be replaced (subject to lawful requirements). Always confirm the correct instrument per employee.

Fair Work Ombudsman overview: Enterprise agreements.

Manufacturing Award key takeaways — MA000010 compliance summary

• Confirm MA000010 coverage before applying rates
• Classify by Award definitions and actual duties (not job titles)
• Apply updated base rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025
• Treat overtime vs shiftwork as a primary compliance risk
• Apply allowances correctly (and identify all-purpose allowances)
• Maintain strong records and timekeeping controls
• Use systematic rostering controls (warnings, templates, reporting) to reduce payroll errors

Final note and sources of authority

Nothing in this guide limits or alters an employer's legal obligations. Only the Fair Work Commission or a court can make a binding determination of Award coverage or classification.