Weekend, evening and public holiday pay · 2026–27

Penalty rates calculator

Work out a week's pay with Saturday, Sunday, evening and public holiday rates under your award, and what you keep after tax.

Award

Base hourly rate

Your award minimum or contract rate, before any casual loading.

Employment

When you work	Hours	Rate %

I have a HECS-HELP or other study loan

Pay for the week before tax

How this is worked out

Each line is hours × base rate × the rate % for that time. For casuals the percentages already include the 25% casual loading, as the awards set them out.
Rates for the awards listed come from each award on the Fair Work Commission's site. Only the higher penalty is paid when two could apply.
Tax withheld uses the ATO's weekly withholding formula for payments from 1 July 2026, with the tax-free threshold claimed. A big week has more withheld; the year's tax is settled when you lodge.
This covers ordinary hours. For overtime, use the overtime calculator.

Penalty rates under common awards

Ordinary hours, as a % of the minimum hourly rate: full-time and part-time / casual (casual includes the 25% loading). Checked against each award on 2026-10-15.

Award	Saturday	Sunday	Public holiday
General Retail Industry Award 2020	125% / 150%	150% / 175%	225% / 250%
Fast Food Industry Award 2020, Level 1	125% / 150%	125% / 150%	225% / 250%
Fast Food Industry Award 2020, Levels 2 and 3	125% / 150%	150% / 175%	225% / 250%
Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020	125% / 150%	150% / 175%	225% / 250%
Restaurant Industry Award 2020, Introductory to Level 2	125% / 150%	150% / 150%	225% / 250%
Restaurant Industry Award 2020, Levels 3 to 6	125% / 150%	150% / 175%	225% / 250%

Common questions

What are penalty rates?

Higher hourly rates for working at times most people don't, like weekends, late nights and public holidays. They're set by your award or enterprise agreement as a percentage of your base rate.

How much is Sunday pay?

It depends on the award. Under the General Retail Industry Award a full-time or part-time employee gets 150% on Sunday and a casual 175%, so on a $30 base rate that's $45.00 an hour.

Do casuals get penalty rates?

Yes. Most awards set casual penalty rates that already include the 25% casual loading, such as 150% on Saturday instead of 125% plus a separate loading.

Is super paid on penalty rates?

Usually yes. Penalty rates for ordinary hours count as ordinary time earnings, so the super guarantee applies. Overtime generally doesn't.

Are penalty rates taxed more?

No. They're taxed as ordinary income. A week with lots of penalty hours can have more tax withheld because it's treated as if you earned that every week; any excess comes back at tax time.

Sources: General Retail Industry Award 2020, Fast Food Industry Award 2020, Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, Restaurant Industry Award 2020; ATO PAYG withholding Schedule 1. General information, not legal or tax advice. Check your own award or agreement.