Building and Construction Award pay rates from 1 July 2026: hourly and weekly rates from CW1 level a to Level 9, casual, overtime, Sunday and public holiday rates, building trades, and take-home pay in 2026–27.
A new entrant (CW1 level a) gets $28.08 an hour in residential building and $28.44 in general building. A tradesperson (Level 3) gets at least $30.86, or $31.95 for a carpenter with the tool allowance. Open in the pay calculator.
Building and Construction Award pay rates
| Level | Hourly residential | Hourly general building | Casual hourly | Weekly (residential) | Year (52 weeks) | Take-home per fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level a) | $28.08 | $28.44 | $35.10 | $1,067.22 | $55,495 | $1,822 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level b) | $28.61 | $28.96 | $35.76 | $1,087.22 | $56,535 | $1,849 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level c) | $28.97 | $29.33 | $36.21 | $1,101.02 | $57,253 | $1,867 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level d) | $29.47 | $29.82 | $36.83 | $1,119.72 | $58,225 | $1,892 |
| Level 2 (CW/ECW 2) | $30.03 | $30.39 | $37.54 | $1,141.22 | $59,343 | $1,921 |
| Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) | $30.86 | $31.22 | $38.58 | $1,172.82 | $60,987 | $1,963 |
| Level 4 (CW/ECW 4) | $31.79 | $32.15 | $39.74 | $1,208.12 | $62,822 | $2,010 |
| Level 5 (CW/ECW 5) | $32.72 | $33.07 | $40.90 | $1,243.32 | $64,653 | $2,057 |
| Level 6 (CW/ECW 6) | $33.55 | $33.91 | $41.94 | $1,275.02 | $66,301 | $2,099 |
| Level 7 (CW/ECW 7) | $34.47 | $34.83 | $43.09 | $1,310.02 | $68,121 | $2,146 |
| Level 8 (CW/ECW 8) | $35.27 | $35.63 | $44.09 | $1,340.42 | $69,702 | $2,188 |
| Level 9 (ECW 9) | $35.87 | $36.23 | $44.84 | $1,363.22 | $70,887 | $2,219 |
Weekly hire (full-time and part-time) rates for 38 hours including the industry allowance, without the tool allowance. Casual rates are for residential work (general building casuals get about 45 cents more an hour). Take-home pay is after income tax and the Medicare levy for a full year in 2026–27. Daily hire employees get the follow-the-job loading; see the pay guide.
CW1 levels a to d
- Level a (new entrant): on starting in the industry
- Level b: after 3 months in the industry
- Level c: after 12 months in the industry
- Level d: after completing a construction skills test, structured training or equivalent
Building trades rates (with tool allowance)
| Trade | Hourly residential | Hourly general building | Weekly (residential) | Take-home per fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3 painter or glazier | $31.12 | $31.48 | $1,182.71 | $1,976 |
| Level 3 roof tiler, slate-ridger or roof fixer | $31.43 | – | $1,194.41 | $1,992 |
| Level 3 bricklayer | $31.63 | $31.99 | $1,202.08 | $2,002 |
| Level 3 caster, fixer, floorlayer specialist or plasterer | $31.76 | $32.11 | $1,206.92 | $2,008 |
| Level 3 carpenter, joiner, stonemason, tilelayer, floor sander and similar | $31.95 | $32.30 | $1,214.04 | $2,018 |
| Level 4 signwriter | $32.05 | $32.41 | $1,218.01 | $2,023 |
| Level 4 joiner special class and letter cutter | $32.88 | $33.23 | $1,249.34 | $2,065 |
| Level 5 refractory bricklayer or bricklayer special class | $33.49 | $33.84 | $1,272.58 | $2,096 |
| Level 5 special class plasterer | $33.62 | $33.97 | $1,277.42 | $2,102 |
| Level 5 carver, carpenter or stonemason special class | $33.80 | $34.16 | $1,284.54 | $2,112 |
| Level 8 carpenter-diver | $36.36 | $36.71 | $1,381.64 | $2,244 |
Overtime, Sunday and public holiday rates (residential)
| Level | Overtime Mon-Fri first 2 hours | Overtime after 2 hours | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level a) | $42.12 | $56.16 | $56.16 | $70.20 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level b) | $42.92 | $57.22 | $57.22 | $71.53 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level c) | $43.46 | $57.94 | $57.94 | $72.43 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1) (level d) | $44.21 | $58.94 | $58.94 | $73.68 |
| Level 2 (CW/ECW 2) | $45.05 | $60.06 | $60.06 | $75.08 |
| Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) | $46.29 | $61.72 | $61.72 | $77.15 |
| Level 4 (CW/ECW 4) | $47.69 | $63.58 | $63.58 | $79.48 |
| Level 5 (CW/ECW 5) | $49.08 | $65.44 | $65.44 | $81.80 |
| Level 6 (CW/ECW 6) | $50.33 | $67.10 | $67.10 | $83.88 |
| Level 7 (CW/ECW 7) | $51.71 | $68.94 | $68.94 | $86.18 |
| Level 8 (CW/ECW 8) | $52.91 | $70.54 | $70.54 | $88.18 |
| Level 9 (ECW 9) | $53.81 | $71.74 | $71.74 | $89.68 |
How it works
- The Building and Construction General On-site Award covers on-site building, engineering and civil construction work, including labourers and building trades.
- Rates include the industry allowance; tradespeople also get a tool allowance. Other allowances (fares and travel, height, special work) are extra.
- Casuals get a 25% loading instead of paid leave. Super is paid on top. Many larger sites pay under an enterprise agreement.
Common questions
What is the Building and Construction Award pay rate?
From 1 July 2026, a new entrant (CW1 level a) on weekly hire gets $28.08 an hour in residential building and $28.44 in general building, rising to $36.23 at Level 9. Casuals get $35.10.
How much does a construction labourer earn?
A labourer usually starts at CW1: $28.08 to $29.47 an hour in residential building depending on time in the industry (levels a to d), or about $55,495 a year full-time.
How much does a carpenter get under the award?
A carpenter is Level 3: $31.95 an hour residential ($1,214.04 a week) including the tool allowance. See carpenter salary.
Is weekend work overtime in construction?
For day workers, yes: ordinary hours are worked Monday to Friday, so weekend work is paid at overtime rates. Sunday is double time ($56.16 at CW1 level a) and public holidays are $70.20.
What is the difference between residential and general building?
The award sets separate rates for residential building work and for general (non-residential) building. Residential rates are a little lower: about $13 a week at each level.
When do the rates go up?
Each year from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. Next: 1 July 2027 (Annual Wage Review).
See also carpenter salary, apprentice carpenter wages, electrician pay and the sole trader tax calculator for subcontractors.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide and award text (Schedule A), Building and Construction General On-site Award [MA000020], rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Take-home pay: ATO tax rates. Checked 2026-10-22. General information only.