Penalty Rates Calculator
Add up a week's pay with weekend, public holiday and overtime rates. Every rate is editable to match your award.
Edit the penalty rates (% of base rate)
Defaults follow the General Retail Industry Award. Casual rates include the 25% casual loading. Check your own award on the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
This is your pay before tax. To see what you take home, put the weekly total into the pay calculator.
Printed from ClearCalc (clearcalc.com.au/penalty-rates-calculator/). Estimates only, not financial advice.
What are penalty rates?
Penalty rates are higher pay rates for working at times many people don't: weekends, public holidays, late nights and early mornings. Overtime rates apply when you work more than your ordinary hours. Your entitlements come from your award or enterprise agreement, so they vary between industries.
Typical rates (General Retail Industry Award)
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday (ordinary) | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday | 125% | 150% |
| Sunday | 150% | 175% |
| Public holiday | 225% | 250% |
Casual rates include the 25% casual loading, paid instead of leave entitlements. Other awards differ. For example, hospitality, health and clerical awards each have their own weekend and overtime rates, and some awards pay overtime at 150% for the first three hours rather than two. That's why every rate in this calculator can be edited.
How to work out your pay
Multiply each block of hours by your base hourly rate and the penalty percentage, then add them up. For example, at $28.50 an hour, 8 hours on a Saturday at 125% is 8 × $28.50 × 1.25 = $285.00, compared with $228.00 on a weekday.
Minimum wage from 1 July 2026
The national minimum wage rose to $26.44 an hour ($1,004.90 for a 38-hour week) from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Award minimum rates rose by the same percentage. Your base rate can't be lower than your award's minimum for your level.
Check your award
Use the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool or your award's pay guide on fairwork.gov.au to find the exact rates for your job, then enter them above. To turn your weekly gross into take-home pay, use the pay calculator, or see your yearly income on the hourly rate to salary table. If you're casual or part-time, the annual leave calculator explains what you do and don't accrue.
Frequently asked questions
Do casuals get penalty rates on top of the casual loading?
Under most awards, yes, but the combined rate is set by the award. Under the General Retail Award a casual gets 150% on Saturday and 175% on Sunday, which already includes the 25% loading.
What is time and a half?
150% of your base rate. Double time is 200%, and double time and a half is 250%.
Does an enterprise agreement change my penalty rates?
It can. An enterprise agreement replaces the award, but it must leave you better off overall than the award.
Is super paid on penalty rates?
Super guarantee is paid on ordinary time earnings, which generally include weekend and shift penalties for ordinary hours, but not overtime.
Official sources used for this calculator include: ATO – Tax rates for Australian residents, ATO – Medicare levy, Fair Work Ombudsman – Minimum wages. See how we calculate.
Reviewed by the ClearCalc team. Last reviewed October 2026. This calculator gives an estimate for general information only. Check important figures with the relevant government agency or a licensed professional.