Minimum Wages Increase 1st July 2026

From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $1004.90 based on a week of 38 ordinary hours ($26.44 per hour).

This is the base rate for adult employees in the national system who are award/agreement free. We use it to set different rates (called ‘special national minimum wages’) for certain types of employees, depending on:

• the type of employment (for apprentices or trainees)
• the employee’s age if they are under 21 years (‘junior’)
• the employee’s work capacity (if they have a disability).

To understand how we set the national minimum wage, see Annual wage reviews.