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

Mining and quarrying-adjacent operations rely heavily on casual and labour-hire operators. Here are the casual rates for ordinary weekday hours under the Mining Industry Award 2020 [MA000011], generated from the current Fair Work pay guide:

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

• The Mining Industry Award 2020 [MA000011] sets minimum pay and conditions for employees in Australia’s general (metalliferous) mining industry — gold, iron ore, copper, nickel, mineral sands, uranium and similar — excluding black coal, brown coal, aluminium, oil & gas, quarrying, salt and steel-making.
• Minimums are reviewed each year after 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%.
• Adult minimum rates run from $27.53/hr (Introductory, $1,046.31/week) to $37.62/hr (Level 7 dual-trade instrumentation, $1,429.51/week) for a 38-hour week. These minimums include the all-purpose industry allowance.
• Casuals receive a 25% loading on top of these ordinary rates — e.g. a Level 3 competent operator is $38.18/hr casual for ordinary hours.
• On top of base rates you may also pay shift loadings (afternoon/night 15%, permanent night 30%), weekend and public-holiday penalties (Saturday 150%/200%, Sunday 200%, public holiday 250%), overtime (150% first 3 hours, 200% after), and the underground allowance ($2.06/hr).
• Get four things right for every worker: award coverage, classification level (Introductory + Levels 1–7), employment type (full-time, part-time, casual), and when they work (day, afternoon/night, weekend, public holiday, overtime).

Think of the Mining Industry Award (MA000011) as the legal minimum standard you can’t go below for covered mining work.

It sets:

• Minimum hourly and weekly rates for Introductory through Level 7 classifications, across five employee streams
• Extra pay for afternoon/night shifts, weekends, public holidays and overtime
• Allowances (the underground allowance, all-purpose industry allowance, leading-hand, first-aid, tool and others)
• Rules about casuals, shiftwork (continuous vs non-continuous), rostering, spans of hours and breaks
• A link into the National Employment Standards (NES) for leave and other basic rights

You can always pay more — and in mining, employers usually do, via enterprise agreements and site allowances — but you can’t legally pay less than the Award.

The Mining Award is updated roughly every July after the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review. Your job as an employer is to work out whether your staff are covered, classify them correctly, pay at least the Award minimum (including shift loadings, penalties and allowances), and update rates when the pay guide changes.

In simple terms, the Mining Industry Award covers employers and employees in the general (metalliferous) mining industry. Under clause 4 of the Award, it commonly applies to:

• Extraction of metals, minerals and ores — gold, iron ore, copper, nickel, mineral sands, uranium, gemstones and phosphates
• On-site processing, smelting and refining of those extracted materials
• Transport and handling of the product on the mining lease by the mine operator
• Servicing and maintaining plant and equipment at active mining sites
• Temporary labour-hire supplied into those mining activities

Typical roles include haul-truck and loader operators, drillers and drillers’ offsiders, process/plant operators, fitters, boilermakers, electricians and instrument technicians working on site, and trades assistants.

The single biggest coverage trap is black coal. Black coal mining is not covered by MA000011 — it has its own award, the Black Coal Mining Industry Award 2010 [MA000001], with different (generally more generous) rates and conditions, including a 35-hour week and 5 weeks’ annual leave.

Clause 4.3 of MA000011 specifically excludes several industries that people often assume are “mining”. You’ll need a different award (or an agreement) if the work is:

• Black coal mining → Black Coal Mining Industry Award [MA000001]
• Brown coal mining, aluminium, salt or steel-making
• Oil, gas and hydrocarbons extraction — excluded from MA000011
• Quarrying of stone, crushed stone, sand and gravel (and land reclamation) → covered by the separate Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award 2020 [MA000055], not MA000011
• Off-site manufacturing (e.g. a fabrication workshop) → Manufacturing Award
• Road transport of product away from the mine → logistics/road transport

MA000011 also does not cover clerical/administrative staff, professional engineers, geologists or scientists, or catering, accommodation, cleaning and security staff — unless they are employed directly by the mine operator. On-site electrical, plumbing or trades work performed by a contractor may fall under the Electrical Award or Plumbing Award depending on the employer and the work.

When in doubt, check the Award on the Fair Work website and use Fair Work’s Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT), or work through our guide on how to find which award applies.

A quick side-by-side to place MA000011 against the awards it’s most often confused with.

One thing that makes MA000011 different from most awards: it groups employees into five streams, each with its own set of classification levels. A worker’s stream depends on the kind of work they do, and classification is decided by actual duties, not job title.

This section is a practical snapshot of the current FY2026/27 minimum rates so you can sanity-check payroll. All figures are minimums from the official 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. Adult rates include the all-purpose industry allowance. Rates assume correct award coverage and classification.

For adult employees, ordinary hours (based on a 38-hour week). These rates apply across all five streams:

Casuals receive the same base rate plus a 25% casual loading in place of paid leave. Adult casual rates for ordinary weekday hours:

Apprentice rates (below) are for apprentices who started on or after 1 January 2014 and did not complete Year 12. Apprentices who completed Year 12, or adult apprentices, are paid higher rates, and pre-2014 apprentices are calculated differently — check the pay guide or Fair Work’s PACT for the exact rate.

The Mining Award also sets junior rates for employees under 18 — broadly around 76% of the adult rate under 17 and about 85% at 17, with the full adult rate from age 18. Supported-wage and trainee rates are set separately again. Because the exact junior figure depends on age, stream and classification, match age + stream + classification + employment type against the Mining Industry Award pay guide from Fair Work before paying.

Getting the classification wrong is one of the most common causes of underpayment. The Mining Award uses an Introductory level plus Levels 1–7, based on skill, responsibility, qualifications and autonomy — assessed on actual duties, not job title.

• Introductory – trainees/new starters doing basic tasks under close supervision, usually for a limited period.
• Level 1–2 – routine operating and labouring tasks with direction; growing experience and autonomy.
• Level 3 – competent operators (e.g. haul-truck or loader operators) working with limited supervision.
• Level 4 – advanced operators and single-trade tradespersons.
• Level 5 – advanced specialists / trades with extra skills or supervisory duties.
• Level 6 – dual-trade tradespersons.
• Level 7 – advanced dual-trade instrument technicians (the top classification).

For each employee, record the award, stream, level and employment type, for example:

This classification should appear in the employment contract, your HR/payroll system, and any award-interpretation software you use. If you’re unsure, read the classification definitions in the Award, or confirm the right classification level with our free checker.

Here’s how common mining roles map to Award classifications. Remember these are Award minimums — enterprise agreements and site allowances usually push actual mine wages well above these figures (see how much mining and FIFO workers earn). For detailed duties by role, browse our free mining job description templates.

Entry operators typically start around Level 1–2 and move to Level 3 (competent) as they run equipment with limited supervision:

• Level 1 operator (casual): $35.81/hr ordinary hours
• Level 3 competent operator (permanent): $30.54/hr — casual: $38.18/hr ordinary hours
• Afternoon/night shift loadings, weekend penalties and the underground allowance apply on top — use the calculator above.

Drillers, offsiders and exploration field crews are usually Level 2–4 depending on experience and responsibility. Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) roster patterns and remote work don’t change the Award minimum, but often attract site or enterprise-agreement allowances and a remote camp allowance on top. Fatigue management also matters — see managing fatigue on mining and FIFO rosters and your mining WHS employer obligations.

Trade-qualified workers sit at the top of the scale (the maintenance trades stream, Levels 3–7):

• Level 4: single-trade tradesperson (fitter, boilermaker, electrician) — $32.51/hr permanent, $40.64/hr casual
• Level 6: dual-trade tradesperson — $36.20/hr permanent, $45.25/hr casual
• Level 7: advanced dual-trade instrument technician — $37.62/hr permanent, $47.03/hr casual

The Award works alongside the national definitions of full-time, part-time and casual employment.

• Full-time is generally an average of 38 ordinary hours per week (often averaged over a roster cycle for shiftworkers — up to a 26-week averaging period).
• Part-time employees work fewer, regular hours with an agreed pattern.
• Both accrue paid annual leave and personal/carer’s leave under the NES (pro-rata for part-time).

• No firm advance commitment to ongoing work with an agreed pattern.
• Paid a 25% casual loading instead of paid leave.
• Common on mine sites via direct casual engagement and labour hire.

Because so much mining runs around the clock, it pays to know the Award’s hours rules before you build a roster:

• Ordinary hours average 38 per week, and can be averaged over a cycle of up to 26 weeks.
• Day-work span is 6am–6pm; ordinary hours are up to 10 hours a day (extendable to 12 by agreement).
• Shiftworkers can work up to 10 consecutive ordinary hours on any day (up to 12 by agreement).

The Award defines shifts by when they finish:

• Afternoon shift – finishes after 7pm and at or before midnight → 15% loading.
• Night shift – finishes after midnight and at or before 8am → 15% loading.
• Permanent night shift – an employee who works night shift only, or for more than four consecutive weeks, or on a non-rotating roster → 30% loading.

This distinction changes how weekends and overtime are paid, so confirm it before you calculate:

• Continuous shiftworkers run a process that operates 24/7 and are regularly rostered on Sundays and public holidays. They get 5 weeks’ annual leave and all overtime at 200%.
• Non-continuous shiftworkers get 48 hours’ notice of roster changes and at least 8 consecutive hours’ rest between shifts, and use the tiered Saturday/overtime rates below.

The safest options are Fair Work’s Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) or award-interpreting software that already has the Mining Award rules built in.

Mining runs around the clock, so shift loadings and penalties are where the real cost — and most underpayment risk — sits. The key rules under MA000011 for non-continuous shiftworkers:

• Afternoon and night shifts: a 15% loading on ordinary rates.
• Permanent night shift: a 30% loading for employees who work a fixed, ongoing night roster.
• Saturday: the first 3 hours before noon are paid at 150%, then 200% (and 200% after noon).
• Sunday: ordinary hours are paid at 200%.
• Public holidays: 250%.
• Overtime (non-continuous shiftworkers): 150% for the first 3 hours, 200% after.

Continuous shiftworkers are paid 200% for all overtime and are rostered across weekends and public holidays as part of the 24/7 cycle.

Overtime is triggered when an employee works beyond their ordinary rostered/averaged hours or outside the agreed span, exceeds daily/weekly limits, or works through required breaks. If you roster long swings or make lots of last-minute changes, check overtime rules — not just base rates. See our guides to calculating overtime costs and how to roster mining staff.

Beyond hourly pay and penalties, the Mining Award includes allowances that apply in specific situations. The most important for mining payroll are the industry allowance (already in the base rate) and the underground allowance. Current FY2026/27 amounts:

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

Permanent employees are entitled to, among other things:

• Paid annual leave – 4 weeks per year based on ordinary hours, or 5 weeks for continuous shiftworkers. Annual leave is paid with 17.5% leave loading (or the shift/weekend penalties the employee would have earned, whichever is greater).
• Paid personal/carer’s leave (sick leave) – 10 days per year based on ordinary hours.
• Compassionate leave, parental leave, family and domestic violence leave, and other NES entitlements.

Employers can direct employees to take excessive accrued leave (a threshold of 8 weeks, or 10 weeks for shiftworkers) and can direct leave during a temporary shutdown with 28 days’ notice.

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

Because continuous shiftworkers earn extra annual leave, confirm the shift category before finalising leave balances — read the relevant clauses or seek advice for complex rosters.

A simple process you can actually follow.

• Confirm your operation is covered by MA000011 and not black coal (MA000001), quarrying (MA000055), oil & gas, manufacturing or construction.
• Check whether a registered enterprise agreement applies — if so, its terms generally replace the Award (but must beat it on the BOOT).

• Grab the official Mining Industry Award pay guide from Fair Work and save it as your “price list”.

For each worker, write down: the award (MA000011), the stream (services, surface, processing, underground, maintenance trades), the level (Introductory or Level 1–7), employment type (full-time, part-time, casual), shift type (continuous vs non-continuous), and whether underground work applies. Match this to their actual duties, not just their job title.

• Enter the correct base rate per classification, and configure the underground, leading-hand, first-aid and tool allowances so they’re easy to apply.

Use Fair Work’s PACT each pay run, or use award-interpreting rostering/payroll software with payroll integration that understands the Mining Award and calculates shift loadings, weekend/public-holiday penalties and overtime automatically from the roster and timesheets.

Keep rosters, timesheets, pay records and contracts. Consider HR software with digital employment contracts to keep everything organised, and make sure payslips clearly show ordinary hours, shift loadings, penalties, overtime and allowances.

The traps that trip up mining employers most often.

Applying Mining Industry Award rates to black coal, quarrying or oil & gas workers (or vice versa) is a costly, common error — those industries are excluded from MA000011 and have their own awards.

Paying flat rates for afternoon/night shifts, or forgetting the $2.06/hr underground allowance when surface employees are sent underground.

The industry and electricians’ licence allowances are all-purpose — they must be added to the base before penalties and overtime. Treating them as flat add-ons understates penalty pay.

The two categories are paid differently for weekends, overtime and annual leave. Guessing leads to under- or over-payment.

Regular, ongoing casuals on fixed swings can create backpay and casual-conversion risk.

Still paying last year’s rates. Download the new pay guide every July and compare it to your payroll.

Applying the Mining Award correctly is a legal requirement — but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming:

• Confirm coverage first: MA000011 vs black coal (MA000001), quarrying (MA000055) and oil & gas, and check for an enterprise agreement.
• Classify correctly: the right stream, then Introductory + Levels 1–7 based on skill and responsibility.
• Don’t ignore shift loadings, penalties and the underground allowance: this is where most underpayments happen. You can estimate weekend and overtime costs before you publish a roster.
• Update every July and keep good records.
• Remember the Award is the floor — enterprise agreements usually set actual mine wages higher (see what mining and FIFO workers really earn).

For official guidance, see the Mining Industry Award [MA000011] on Fair Work, the Fair Work pay guide and PACT. For the wider picture, read the complete guide to Australian award rates in 2026.