Meat Industry Award rates in Australia 2025/2026
A practical guide to pay rates, penalties, allowances and compliance
Updated 10 Mar 2026 • Rates effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025 (generally applicable until 30 June 2026 unless the Award is varied).
Written by
Steve Harris
This guide summarises key obligations under the Meat Industry Award 2020 (MA000059) and related workplace laws. Award rates, legislation and interpretations change over time. This guide reflects the Meat Industry Award 2020 [MA000059] and Fair Work Ombudsman guidance as at the update date above and may become outdated. Always check the current Award and Fair Work guidance before relying on this information.
It does not constitute legal, financial, payroll or employment advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Pay rates, penalty rates and allowance amounts under modern awards change periodically, particularly following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review. This guide includes indicative minimum figures based on rates effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025. Employers must always check the current Fair Work pay guide or the latest consolidated Award text before setting or paying wages.
This guide assumes the Meat Industry Award 2020 (MA000059) applies. Always confirm award coverage using Fair Work's Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) before relying on these rates.
Quick summary for time-poor owners
If you only skim one section, make it this one:
The Meat Industry Award 2020 [MA000059] sets minimum pay rates and conditions for many employers and employees in the meat industry (processing, manufacturing and certain retail butcher operations).
Rates in the Award were updated effective from 1 July 2025 (first full pay period on or after that date).
You must get five things right for every worker:
Award coverage
Does MA000059 apply to your business?
Establishment type
Processing vs manufacturing vs retail — affects span of hours + penalty rules
Classification
MI1–MI8 based on duties and skills
Employment type
Full-time, part-time, casual, daily hire, or part-time daily hire
When the work occurs
Span of hours, overtime, shiftwork, weekends, public holidays
The meat industry is a high-compliance-risk sector because of:
Different penalty rules by establishment type: Processing, manufacturing and retail have different span of hours and penalty triggers.
Shiftwork rates and overtime triggers: Complex shift loadings (afternoon 115%, night 125%, fixed night 130%) plus casual loading interactions.
Daily hire rules: Meat processing establishments can use daily hire with specific loading calculations (effectively 22% of weekly rate per day).
Payment by results / incentive systems: Must meet minimum earnings "floors" for ordinary time and penalty/overtime periods.
Allowances: Cold temperature, leading hand, first aid, clothing and meal allowances are easy to miss.
Quick Reference: most common rates (MI1)
Full-time / Part-time
$24.28/hr
Casual (ordinary hours)
$30.35/hr
Daily hire (per day)
$202.99/day
Based on MI1 classification as at 1 July 2025 • Always confirm classification and rates with Fair Work
Popular questions (snippets)
These are common topics people look up in relation to the Meat Award (you'll also see Fair Work publish dedicated help on penalty rates, shiftworker rates, payment by results and overtime calculations).
What's the minimum hourly rate under the meat Award in 2025/26?
It depends on classification (MI1–MI8). For example: MI1: $24.28/hour and MI8: $29.15/hour. These are base rates before penalties, overtime, and allowances.
What's the casual loading?
Casuals get a 25% loading on ordinary hours (and it's not paid on overtime).
Do casuals get both weekend penalties and casual loading?
Not usually. Under this Award, a casual who works ordinary hours on Saturday or Sunday is paid the weekend penalty rate instead of the casual loading.
What are the shiftwork rates?
Common shift rates include: Afternoon shift (115%), Night shift (125%), and Fixed night shift (130%). Casual shiftworkers get the shift rate plus the 25% casual loading (e.g., afternoon shift = 115% + 25% = 140%).
What's "daily hire" and does it apply to me?
Daily hire (and part-time daily hire) can be used by employers in a meat processing establishment and has its own minimum engagement rules and a daily hire loading calculation (effectively 22% of the weekly rate per day worked).
How do the new casual "employee choice" rules work?
Eligible casuals can give written notice to change to permanent employment under the NES employee choice pathway, with key eligibility timeframes (6 months for most employers, 12 months for small businesses) and employer response obligations (21 days).
Award coverage decision tree (start here before pay rates)
Not sure which award applies? Use this first — don't start with pay rates.
What does your business do?
Is your business mainly involved in:
- Meat processing (e.g., abattoirs, slaughtering, boning, packing)
- Meat manufacturing (e.g., smallgoods/processed meat manufacturing)
- Standalone retail meat outlets (butcher shops that aren't part of supermarket operations)
Check common "not covered" exclusions
The Meat Award does NOT cover:
- Poultry processing
- Game meat processing
- Meat inspectors
- Businesses whose activity is only distribution/marketing of meat products without manufacturing/processing/retail
- Machine maintenance as a standalone coverage category
- Retail meat outlets that are part of supermarket operations
Final check (strongly recommended)
Before setting pay rates:
- Confirm coverage using Fair Work guidance and the Award coverage clause
- Get advice if the answer isn't clear
What is the meat industry Award 2020?
The Meat Industry Award 2020 [MA000059] is a modern award that sets minimum legal pay rates and employment conditions for employees in parts of the meat industry.
It includes rules about:
- Minimum rates and classifications (MI1–MI8)
- Ordinary hours and spans of hours
- Overtime, weekend/public holiday rates, and shiftwork rates
- Allowances (e.g., cold temperature, leading hand, first aid)
- Payment by results / incentive payment systems
- How award conditions interact with the National Employment Standards (NES)
You can pay above the Award — but you can't pay below it.
Who the meat Award covers (and who it doesn't)
Commonly covered businesses
Examples include businesses involved in processing, manufacturing, packing, preserving, or distributing meat and meat products, and certain standalone retail butcher businesses.
Common roles you often see under this Award
Depending on the establishment type and duties, roles can include:
- Slaughterfloor and boning room employees
- Packers and production workers
- Meat retail staff (butcher shop employees)
- Cleaners in covered establishments (special penalty rules apply)
Who may not be covered
The Award summary flags several exclusions:
- Poultry and game meat processing
- Meat inspectors
- Supermarket butcher departments
- Distribution-only businesses
- Maintenance-only roles
2025 minimum pay rates overview: what you must pay
These rates reflect changes from the Annual Wage Review effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025.
Any pay outcome depends on:
- Award coverage
- Classification (MI1–MI8)
- Employment type (full-time/part-time/casual/daily hire)
- Juniors/apprentices
- Penalties, overtime, shiftwork and allowances
Adult minimum rates (from 1 July 2025)
Minimum rates by classification:
| Classification | Weekly rate | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| MI1 | $922.70 | $24.28 |
| MI2 | $953.60 | $25.09 |
| MI3 | $965.10 | $25.40 |
| MI4 | $987.70 | $25.99 |
| MI5 | $1,005.20 | $26.45 |
| MI6 | $1,025.80 | $26.99 |
| MI7 | $1,068.40 | $28.12 |
| MI8 | $1,107.60 | $29.15 |
Important: These are minimum base rates before penalties/overtime/allowances.
Juniors & apprentices
Juniors (under 21)
Junior rates are percentages of the adult rate:
| Age | % of adult rate |
|---|---|
| Under 17 | 50% |
| 17 years | 60% |
| 18 years | 75% |
| 19 years | 85% |
Compliance tip: Put a birthday-based payroll process in place so junior rates automatically increase when a junior reaches the next age milestone.
Apprentices
The Award contains apprentice rate rules (including distinctions for apprentices who commenced before/after 1 January 2014, whether an apprentice has completed Year 12, and adult apprentice rates).
Because apprentice pay is detail-heavy, use the official pay guide and Award clauses when setting apprentice wages.
Employment types in the meat Award
Full-time
A full-time employee works an average of 38 ordinary hours per week.
Part-time
A part-time employee:
- Works less than 38 ordinary hours per week
- Has reasonably predictable hours, with at least 4 consecutive hours on any day
- Must have a written regular pattern of work recorded at engagement (with a specific exception for meat processing establishments)
Overtime trap: Under the Award, all time worked in excess of the mutually agreed part-time hours is overtime.
Daily hire and part-time daily hire (meat processing establishments)
This is a major "Meat Award-specific" issue. A meat processing establishment may employ daily hire or part-time daily hire employees.
Minimum engagement:
- Daily hire: no less than 7.6 ordinary hours for each day employed
- Part-time daily hire: no less than 4 consecutive hours for each day employed
Daily hire loading (how it's calculated):
For each day worked, a daily hire employee must be paid:
- a daily rate of 20% of the minimum weekly rate, and
- a loading of 10% of the daily rate (so effectively 22% of the weekly rate per day)
Practical example (MI1):
Weekly $922.70 → daily rate $184.54 (20%) + loading $18.45 (10% of daily) = $202.99 per day worked (before overtime/penalties).
Casual
Key rules:
- Minimum engagement generally 4 hours per day/shift
- Exception: casual cleaner 2 hours
- Exception: casual clerk/bookkeeper 3 hours
- Casual loading: 25% on ordinary hours (not paid on overtime)
- Weekend ordinary hours: casuals get weekend penalty rates instead of the casual loading
Casual conversion & permanency pathways
There are two "conversion" pathways you should understand in the meat industry:
1) Award pathway: regular casual → daily hire (meat processing establishments)
A regular casual in a meat processing establishment may request conversion to daily hire or part-time daily hire. The Award sets:
- Who qualifies as a "regular casual" for this pathway (pattern over preceding 12 months)
- Written request requirement
- Employer can only refuse on reasonable grounds after consultation
- Conversion typically takes effect from the start of the next pay cycle after agreement (unless otherwise agreed)
2) NES pathway: "employee choice" (casual → permanent)
Fair Work's guidance explains the employee choice pathway under the NES:
- Eligible casuals can give written notice if they've been employed for at least 6 months (or 12 months if employed by a small business)
- The employer must consult and respond in writing within 21 days
- If accepted, the change usually takes effect from the first day of the employee's first full pay period after the employer's response (unless another day is agreed)
- There are transitional rules for casuals employed before 26 August 2024 (and when they can first give notice)
Practical compliance tip: Keep a report of long-term casual patterns and conversion requests (both Award-based daily hire conversion and NES employee choice).
Penalty rates, shiftwork & overtime in the meat Award
Ordinary hours and span of hours (critical)
The Award limits ordinary hours and sets a span of hours (outside this can trigger overtime).
- Ordinary hours generally must not exceed 10 per day
- Hours worked outside the span of hours must be paid at overtime rates
Spans differ by establishment type
Meat processing establishments:
Ordinary hours span is 6:00am–8:00pm Monday to Friday.
Meat manufacturing establishments:
Ordinary hours span is 6:00am–6:00pm Monday to Saturday.
Meat retail establishments:
Ordinary hours span is:
- 4:00am–6:00pm Monday to Saturday, and
- 8:00am–6:00pm Sunday
- For employees in the load out area: also 10:00pm–6:00am Monday to Saturday
Overtime rates (headline rules)
Overtime is generally paid at:
- 150% for the first 3 hours
- 200% after that
- Special rule example: In meat processing establishments, Sunday overtime is paid at 200%, with a minimum payment for 4 hours
Shiftwork rates (headline rules)
Shiftwork is defined and paid as follows:
| Shift type | Rate | Casual rate |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon shift (2pm–midnight) | 115% | 140% (115% + 25%) |
| Night shift (finishing after midnight and at/before 9am) | 125% | 150% (125% + 25%) |
| Fixed night shift | 130% | 155% (130% + 25%) |
Casual shiftworkers receive the shift rate plus the 25% casual loading (e.g., afternoon shift becomes 140%).
Weekend penalty rates (ordinary hours) — differs by establishment type
Meat processing establishments (where weekend ordinary hours are agreed):
- Saturday: 150%
- Sunday: 200%
Meat manufacturing establishments:
- Up to 4 ordinary hours on Saturday (within the specified span): 125%
- Casuals on ordinary Saturday hours get the 125% rate instead of casual loading
Meat retail establishments:
- Saturday ordinary hours: 125%
- Sunday ordinary hours: 150%
- Casuals on weekend ordinary hours are paid the penalty rate instead of casual loading
Cleaning employees (special penalties):
105% or 112.5% depending on start/finish timing, and certain rules about not "stacking" cleaning penalties and shiftwork rates (only the higher applies).
Public holidays (this is a common underpayment trap)
Public holiday rules include:
- Christmas Day & Anzac Day: 200% of minimum hourly rate for all time worked
- Good Friday: 150% for first 4 hours, 200% thereafter
- Other public holidays: 150% for first 2 hours, 200% thereafter
Important: For employees other than casuals, these payments are in addition to the base minimum rate (so totals can effectively be higher). There is also an option (by agreement) for time off instead within a timeframe.
Breaks (often audited)
- Employees must not work more than 5 hours without a 30-minute unpaid meal break (unless an alternative is mutually agreed)
- If an employee is called upon to work during meal break, they are paid overtime rates for that period
- Meat processing establishments may have a paid 10-minute rest break entitlement for employees integral to mechanised chain/conveyor/rail systems (with conditions and thresholds)
Allowances (often missed)
Allowances apply only when the Award's conditions are met, and must be correctly recorded (including being separately identified on payslips where required).
Wage-related allowances
Cold temperature allowance
If required to work in an artificially reduced temperature below 0°C, per hour (or part hour):
| Temperature | Allowance per hour |
|---|---|
| Below 0°C but not below -16°C | $0.73 |
| Below -16°C but not below -18°C | $1.27 |
| Below -18°C but not below -21°C | $1.80 |
| Below -21°C | $2.45 |
First aid allowance
$3.99 per day for an appropriately qualified employee acting instead of and performing duties of a full-time first aid officer or nurse.
Leading hand allowance
- $17.09 per week (supervising at least 3 but fewer than 10 employees)
- $24.57 per week (supervising 10 or more employees)
Expense-related allowances
Clothing allowance (meat processing establishments only)
- $3.60 per week or $0.72 per day if required to launder own outer working clothes
- Not payable if employer launders them free of charge
Meal allowance
$18.38 if required to work overtime for 1.5 hours or more after rostered finishing time.
Travel/transfers
If temporarily transferred during working hours from one location to another, employer pays reasonable transit costs and travelling time.
Leave & super
Leave
Annual leave and public holidays are provided for in the NES (the Award adds detail such as definitions and payment mechanics in certain contexts).
Casual employees generally don't get paid annual leave (they get casual loading instead).
Superannuation
The Award notes that super rights and obligations are governed by superannuation legislation and the NES, and employers must make contributions to avoid the super guarantee charge.
The Award also lists default funds (subject to stapled fund rules and fund acceptance rules).
Step-by-step compliance plan for meat businesses
This is a practical, high-value "do this every quarter" checklist:
Confirm Award coverage (and whether any enterprise agreement applies)
Identify your establishment type (processing vs manufacturing vs retail) and configure payroll rules accordingly using award interpretation software
Classify every employee to MI1–MI8 based on duties, not job title
Lock down your employment types — especially distinguishing casual vs daily hire where relevant
For part-time staff, keep written agreements and track any hours beyond agreed hours (overtime risk)
Configure rostering software to flag:
- hours outside the span of hours (overtime risk)
- shiftwork patterns and correct shift loading
- weekend penalties that replace casual loading
Track allowance triggers (cold rooms, leading hand, first aid, meal allowance) and show them clearly on payslips
If you use payment by results / incentive systems, confirm the minimum earnings "floor" and weekend/overtime/public holiday minimums
Regularly review casual permanency pathways (Award daily hire conversion + NES employee choice)
Keep accurate time and wage records using digital HR record systems — most underpayment issues become hard to defend when records are poor
Common mistakes in the meat industry (high underpayment risk)
Applying the wrong award (or missing an exclusion)
e.g., supermarket butcher departments may not be covered
Using the wrong penalty rules because the business type wasn't identified correctly
Processing, manufacturing and retail have different span of hours and penalty triggers
Paying casual loading on weekends instead of the weekend penalty rate (or vice versa)
Casuals get weekend penalty rates instead of casual loading on ordinary weekend hours
Missing daily hire loading or mis-treating daily hire as casual
Daily hire has its own loading calculation (effectively 22% of weekly rate per day)
Failing to pay cold temperature allowance hours in freezer/cold room environments
Rates vary from $0.73 to $2.45 per hour depending on temperature
Not paying meal allowance after overtime conditions are met
$18.38 if required to work overtime for 1.5 hours or more after rostered finishing time
Underpaying public holidays by missing the "in addition to base" rule for non-casuals
For non-casuals, public holiday payments are in addition to the base minimum rate
Incentive/payment-by-results systems that don't meet minimum floors
Must meet minimum earnings for ordinary time and penalty/overtime periods
Final takeaways
The Meat Industry Award is complex because rules change by establishment type, and because of daily hire and payment by results mechanics.
The biggest traps are usually:
- Span of hours / overtime triggers
- Weekend penalties vs casual loading
- Shiftwork rates
- Public holiday pay
- Allowances (cold temp, leading hand, meal allowance)
Build your compliance system around: correct classification + correct establishment type + smart rostering rules + clean records.
Appendix A — classification examples (indicative only)
Disclaimer: Classification must be determined by comparing duties against the Award's classification definitions. The examples below are starting points only.
| Common role (example) | Likely MI range (indicative) | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level production/labouring duties | MI1–MI2 | Training/competency, tasks performed |
| Trained processing/packing work | MI2–MI4 | Independence, skill level, use of equipment |
| Skilled meat worker / higher responsibility roles | MI4–MI6 | Complexity, responsibility, certifications |
| Advanced / trades / senior skilled / supervisory/leading roles | MI6–MI8 | Trade-equivalent tasks, advanced skills, actual supervision, accountability, scope |
Tip: Create a one-page "classification matrix" that maps your job templates to MI levels with the Award clause references attached, then review it every time duties change.