Storage Services & Wholesale Award pay rates 2026/27
A practical guide for warehouses, distribution centres and wholesalers — storeworker and wholesale grades on one ladder, a grade-1 progression that moves on service, and overtime that steps up after two hours, not three.
Updated
Written by
Steve Harris
Summarise with AI
This guide summarises the Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2020 (MA000084) for Australian employers. Rates are from the Fair Work pay guide effective 1 July 2026; always confirm against the current pay guide before running payroll.
Looking for MA000084?
This is it. MA000084 is the official Fair Work code for the Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2020. This guide covers its pay rates, classifications, penalties and compliance for 2026/27.
View official MA000084 on Fair Work →Award rate calculator
Pick a grade, an employment type and a day to see the rate that applies. The calculator uses the current Fair Work pay guide for MA000084.
See how RosterElf interprets the Storage Services & Wholesale Award
This is an educational example showing how the Storage Services & Wholesale Award penalty rates work. It demonstrates how RosterElf automatically calculates correct pay rates based on classification level, employment type, and shift times.
Award penalty rates
Example weekly cost (38 hours)
Example only - not for payroll use
This is a demonstration of how RosterElf calculates award-compliant rates.
The actual cost for your employees will depend on:
- Their specific classification level and employment type
- Actual hours worked and shift times
- Any additional allowances, overtime, or enterprise agreement provisions
- Current award rates (which change annually in July)
For accurate payroll calculations, always:
- Verify current rates with the official Fair Work pay guide
- Confirm your employees' correct award coverage and classification
- Use award interpretation software or consult a payroll professional
- Review your specific enterprise agreement (if applicable)
Do not rely on this example for actual wage payments.
Stop calculating penalty rates manually
Let RosterElf handle award compliance automatically
Manual award calculations are time-consuming and error-prone. One mistake can lead to underpayments, compliance issues, and Fair Work penalties. RosterElf's award interpretation engine does the work for you.
How RosterElf automates award calculations
Create pay templates
Create pay templates for each classification level with award-compliant base rates and penalty multipliers. RosterElf applies the correct template to each shift automatically.
Award interpretation →Define rate rules
Configure when different penalty rates apply (evenings, weekends, public holidays). The system detects which rate to use based on shift times and days.
Penalty rates guide →Auto-apply to shifts
Every rostered shift calculates the correct pay rate based on the employee's classification, employment type, and shift timing. No manual work required.
Payroll integration →Quick pay rates reference 2026/27
What changed on 1 July 2026
Modern award minimum rates rose 4.75% from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, following the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review. The pay guide these rates come from was published 24 June 2026.
Rates below are the minimum ordinary hourly rates for adult employees. Casual rates include the 25% casual loading.
Adult minimum rates by classification
| Level | Example roles | Weekly pay | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 – on commencement | Storeworker or wholesale employee, first 3 months | $1,029.10 | $27.08 |
| Grade 1 – after 3 months | Storeworker or wholesale employee, 3–12 months service | $1,041.60 | $27.41 |
| Grade 1 – after 12 months | Storeworker or wholesale employee, 12+ months service | $1,053.50 | $27.72 |
| Grade 2 | Forklift operation, order picking, basic stock control | $1,062.80 | $27.97 |
| Grade 3 | Experienced operator, inventory and despatch responsibility | $1,093.10 | $28.77 |
| Grade 4 | Leading hand, warehouse supervision, complex stock systems | $1,125.30 | $29.61 |
Casual hourly rates (includes 25% loading)
| Level | Example roles | Casual hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 – on commencement | Storeworker or wholesale employee, first 3 months | $33.85 |
| Grade 1 – after 3 months | Storeworker or wholesale employee, 3–12 months service | $34.26 |
| Grade 1 – after 12 months | Storeworker or wholesale employee, 12+ months service | $34.65 |
| Grade 2 | Forklift operation, order picking, basic stock control | $34.96 |
| Grade 3 | Experienced operator, inventory and despatch responsibility | $35.96 |
| Grade 4 | Leading hand, warehouse supervision, complex stock systems | $37.01 |
Quick summary
The things that catch employers out
- Storeworkers and wholesale employees share one rate ladder — the grades are identical in the pay guide.
- Grade 1 progresses on service, not on skill: on commencement, after 3 months, after 12 months. Employees move up automatically and payroll often misses it.
- Overtime steps up after two hours, not the three hours most awards use.
- Saturday is 150%, Sunday 200%, public holidays 250%.
- Casual loading is 25%, and the casual penalty figures are loading-inclusive.
Six grades covering warehouse, storage and wholesale work — from a storeworker on commencement through forklift and order-picking work at grade 2, to leading hands and warehouse supervision at grade 4.
What the Horticulture Award is
The Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2020 (MA000084) sets minimum pay and conditions for warehousing, storage, distribution and wholesale businesses. Its structure is unusual in two ways: the storeworker and wholesale streams share an identical ladder, and the first grade progresses by length of service rather than by skill acquired.
Rates change every 1 July, so a rate sheet from last financial year understates what you owe.
Classification levels
Classification drives every other figure in the award, so map each employee before you touch penalties.
| Grade | Weekly | Hourly | Typical work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 – on commencement | $1,029.10 | $27.08 | Storeworker or wholesale employee, first 3 months |
| Grade 1 – after 3 months | $1,041.60 | $27.41 | 3–12 months service |
| Grade 1 – after 12 months | $1,053.50 | $27.72 | 12+ months service |
| Grade 2 | $1,062.80 | $27.97 | Forklift operation, order picking, basic stock control |
| Grade 3 | $1,093.10 | $28.77 | Experienced operator, inventory and despatch responsibility |
| Grade 4 | $1,125.30 | $29.61 | Leading hand, warehouse supervision, complex stock systems |
Grade 1 moves on its own
The grade-1 progression is by service, not skill — on commencement, after 3 months, after 12 months. Nobody has to apply for it and no duties change, so it is the single most commonly missed increase on this award. Diarise the 3- and 12-month dates when you hire.
How pay is structured
Ordinary hours are an average of 38 per week. Every penalty and overtime figure is built off the minimum hourly rate for the classification.
Minimum weekly and hourly rates
| Level | Example roles | Weekly pay | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 – on commencement | Storeworker or wholesale employee, first 3 months | $1,029.10 | $27.08 |
| Grade 1 – after 3 months | Storeworker or wholesale employee, 3–12 months service | $1,041.60 | $27.41 |
| Grade 1 – after 12 months | Storeworker or wholesale employee, 12+ months service | $1,053.50 | $27.72 |
| Grade 2 | Forklift operation, order picking, basic stock control | $1,062.80 | $27.97 |
| Grade 3 | Experienced operator, inventory and despatch responsibility | $1,093.10 | $28.77 |
| Grade 4 | Leading hand, warehouse supervision, complex stock systems | $1,125.30 | $29.61 |
Casual loading is 25%
Casual employees receive the minimum hourly rate plus a 25% loading in place of paid leave and notice. On penalty days the casual rate is higher again — see the table below.
Ordinary hours and rostering
Ordinary hours are an average of 38 per week. Saturday ordinary hours are available by agreement and attract a 150% rate; Sunday attracts 200%.
Warehouse and distribution operations frequently run shift patterns across a long operating day, so the practical question is usually which shifts fall on penalty days and which cross into overtime after two hours.
Roster to the award, not around it
RosterElf applies the Storage Services & Wholesale Award rules as you build the roster, so the cost of a shift is visible before you publish it.
See rostering softwarePenalty rates and overtime
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays all carry a penalty here — unlike the Horticulture Award. The detail to watch is overtime, which steps up after two hours rather than the three hours most awards use.
| When worked | Full-time / part-time | Casual (incl. loading) |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours, Monday to Friday | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday (agreement to work ordinary hours) | 150% | 175% |
| Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
| Overtime, first 2 hours (Mon–Sat) | 150% | 175% |
Casual penalty rates are loading-inclusive
The casual figures above already account for the 25% loading. Adding another 25% on top overpays — this is the most common arithmetic error on every modern award.
Overtime steps up after TWO hours
Most modern awards tier overtime at three hours. This one tiers at two. The calculator above uses the first-two-hours rate, so beyond that point the real cost is higher than it shows.
Allowances
The Storage Services and Wholesale Award carries allowances for cold-chamber work, forklift and other equipment operation, first aid, leading hands, and meal allowances on overtime. Cold-storage work in particular has its own graduated allowance by temperature — check the current pay guide for the amounts that apply to your site.
Allowance amounts are indexed each 1 July
Confirm every allowance against the current Fair Work pay guide before you rely on it in a pay run.
Leave entitlements
Leave comes from the National Employment Standards: four weeks of paid annual leave a year for full-time employees (pro rata for part-time), 10 days of paid personal/carer’s leave, plus parental and compassionate leave. Casuals accrue none of it — that is what the 25% loading is for.
Check the award’s annual leave clause before paying leave loading; it is not a universal entitlement.
Common mistakes
Missing the grade-1 service increases
On commencement, after 3 months, after 12 months. No application, no change of duties — the rate simply rises. This is the most frequent underpayment on this award.
Tiering overtime at three hours
Overtime steps up after two hours here. Using the three-hour convention from other awards underpays the third hour of every overtime shift.
Treating wholesale employees as a different pay scale
Storeworkers and wholesale employees share an identical ladder in the pay guide. Building two different scales creates drift with no basis in the award.
Adding casual loading on top of a casual penalty rate
The casual figures (175%, 225%, 275%) already include the 25% loading. Stacking another 25% overpays every penalty shift.
Final takeaways
- Six grades, from $27.08/hr on commencement to $29.61/hr at grade 4 (2026/27).
- Storeworkers and wholesale employees share one ladder.
- Grade 1 progresses on service — on commencement, after 3 months, after 12 months.
- Saturday 150%, Sunday 200%, public holidays 250%.
- Overtime steps up after two hours, not three.
- Casual loading is 25% and the casual penalty figures are loading-inclusive.
Industries using this award
Explore rostering for businesses covered by the Storage Services & Wholesale Award
Run MA000084 on autopilot
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Storage Services & Wholesale Award knowledge base
Step-by-step help for applying an award inside RosterElf.
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Prefer a spreadsheet? Get these rates in Google Sheets or download the open dataset .
Related award rate guides
Explore other Australian Modern Award pay rate guides
Get MA000084 right before payroll, not after
RosterElf applies the Storage Services & Wholesale rules as the roster is built — the Saturday and Sunday penalties and the two-hour overtime tier included.
Storage Services & Wholesale Award FAQ
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Minimum adult rates run from $27.08/hr ($1,029.10/week) for a storeworker or wholesale employee on commencement, to $29.61/hr ($1,125.30/week) at grade 4, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Casual rates are 25% higher — $33.85/hr on commencement.
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Employers and employees in the storage services and wholesale industry — warehouses, distribution centres, cold stores, despatch operations and wholesale businesses. Road transport drivers generally fall under the Road Transport Award instead, so a business doing both storage and transport may have employees under two awards.
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No. The pay guide gives them an identical ladder — grade 1 on commencement through grade 4 at the same weekly and hourly figures. Maintaining two separate scales in payroll only creates drift.
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Grade 1 has three steps based on length of service: on commencement ($27.08/hr), after 3 months ($27.41/hr) and after 12 months ($27.72/hr). No change in duties is required and no application is made — the entitlement simply arises with service, which is why it is the most commonly missed increase on this award. Diarise both dates at hire.