Modern Award · MA000025

Electrical Contracting Award.

Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020. Verified penalty rates, shift loadings, leave loading and RDO arrangements, with a live calculator under the NES.

Sun: 200%PH: 250%Formal RDO5-wk shift workers
Free, no sign-up|Live|Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.87

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Standard FT week is 38 hours.
$
For loading & payout values.

Here's your entitlement

AU$6,268.17
Total annual leave value (incl. 17.5% loading) for 52 weeks of service.
4.0 wks
Entitlement
152.42 hrs
Accrued
19.1 days
Working days
See full calculationFair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.87
ComponentFormulaValue
Accrual rate (FULL-TIME)4 wks × 38h ÷ 522.923 hrs/wk
Hours accrued2.923 × 52 wks152.42 hrs
Hourly base rate-$35.00
Base leave value152.42 × $35.00$5,334.62
17.5% leave loadingbase × 0.175+ $933.56
Total payout-$6,268.17

Where the value comes from

Base leave
$5,334
17.5% loading
$933
Sarah Reid, CAHRI
Reviewed bySarah Reid, CAHRICert IV Payroll · Sydney based
Verified expert

Disclaimer: This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice. Results may be inaccurate due to changes in legislation or your circumstances. This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice. We do not recommend taking actions based solely on these results. The calculator makes assumptions and results may be inaccurate due to changes in legislation, modern awards, or your personal circumstances. You use this information at your own risk. We can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong. For official guidance, visit Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au). Fair Work Ombudsman.

Penalty Rates

Electrical Contracting penalty rates at a glance.

Rates verified against the official modern award text on awards.fairwork.gov.au.

Hours workedFull-time / part-timeCasual (incl. loading)
Ordinary hours100%125%
Saturday (first 2h / after)150% / 200%175% / 225%
Sunday200%225%
Public holiday250%275%
Afternoon shift115%140%
Night shift115%140%
Permanent night shift130%155%

All values are percentages of the base hourly rate. Casual rates shown are inclusive of the 25% casual loading on top of the FT/PT rate. Source: MA000025 on awards.fairwork.gov.au. For dollar amounts by classification, use the FWO Pay Calculator.

Electrical Contracting Snapshot

The numbers that drive this award.

Set by Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025) and the NES.

Sunday rate
200%
Of base hourly rate
Sunday work for full-time/part-time employees under this award.
Public holiday
250%
Of base hourly rate
Public holiday rate for FT/PT employees, paid in cash or substituted for time off.
Leave loading
17.5%
Annual leave loading on top
Or shift penalty earned during leave, whichever is greater (for shift workers).
Annual Leave, Loading & RDO

Award-specific provisions.

Where this award goes beyond, or sits at, the NES floor.

Annual leave5 weeks/year

Shift workers as defined receive a 5th week of annual leave under NES s.87(1)(b).

Leave loading17.5%

Standard 17.5% on minimum hourly rate. Shift workers receive the GREATER OF 17.5% or the shift penalty they would have earned during the leave. Run the numbers in the annual leave loading calculator.

Rostered Day Off (RDO)Yes

38-hour week worked as 8-hour days with a paid rostered day off, commonly one RDO per 4-week cycle taken in the fourth week. Work performed on an RDO is overtime.

Calculate your leave under this award

The Electrical Contracting Award sets your pay rates, but your paid leave runs on the National Employment Standards. Work out 4 weeks of holidays with the annual leave calculator, and your 10 days of paid sick and carer's leave with the personal leave calculator. To confirm which award applies to you and how it lifts entitlements above the NES floor, read our guide to modern awards.

Coverage

Who this award covers.

The Electrical Contracting Award (MA000025) is the common name for the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.

Industries

  • electrical contracting
  • electronic and communications contracting
  • data and communications cabling

Work types

  • electrical installation
  • electrical maintenance and repair
  • data and communications cabling
  • appliance repair
  • solar installation
  • line and tree clearing

Notes & exclusions. Ordinary hours are Monday to Friday. For day workers, Saturday is overtime at 150% for the first 2 hours then 200%; Sunday is 200%; public holidays are 250% (minimum 4-hour engagement on weekends and public holidays). Shift loadings are afternoon 115%, rotating night 115% and permanent (non-rotating) night 130%. Rates are quoted all-purpose: the industry allowance (all grades) and tool allowance (grades 5 and up) are built into the base and flow into penalties. Electricians in general manufacturing fall under the Manufacturing Award; plumbers and gasfitters under the Plumbing Award.

Classifications

Roles paid under this award.

Each classification has its own pay grade. Use the FWO Pay Calculator for current dollar rates.

  1. 01Electrical worker grade 1
  2. 02Electrical worker grade 2
  3. 03Electrical worker grade 3
  4. 04Electrical worker grade 4
  5. 05Electrical worker grade 5 (qualified electrician)
  6. 06post-trade and special-class electrician
  7. 07technician and supervisor
  8. 08apprentice
Electrical Contracting Q & A

Electrical Contracting Award questions, answered.

Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000025. Verified against the modern award text.

Who does the Electrical Contracting Award cover?
Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025) covers electrical contracting, electronic and communications contracting, data and communications cabling. Common roles include electrical installation, electrical maintenance and repair, data and communications cabling, appliance repair. Ordinary hours are Monday to Friday. For day workers, Saturday is overtime at 150% for the first 2 hours then 200%; Sunday is 200%; public holidays are 250% (minimum 4-hour engagement on weekends and public holidays). Shift loadings are afternoon 115%, rotating night 115% and permanent (non-rotating) night 130%. Rates are quoted all-purpose: the industry allowance (all grades) and tool allowance (grades 5 and up) are built into the base and flow into penalties. Electricians in general manufacturing fall under the Manufacturing Award; plumbers and gasfitters under the Plumbing Award.
What is the Saturday penalty rate under the Electrical Contracting Award?
Full-time and part-time employees are paid 150% of their base hourly rate for the first 2 hours worked on Saturday, then 200% for any hours after that. Casual employees receive an additional 25% casual loading on top.
What is the Sunday rate under the Electrical Contracting Award?
FT/PT employees are paid 200% of the base hourly rate (2.00x) for Sunday work. Casuals receive 225% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading). This is one of the higher Sunday rates in the modern-award system.
What is the public holiday rate under the Electrical Contracting Award?
FT/PT employees who work on a gazetted public holiday are paid 250% of the base hourly rate (2.50x). Casuals receive 275% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading). Employees who don't work the holiday receive their ordinary day's pay if it would otherwise have been a working day.
How many weeks of annual leave do I get under the Electrical Contracting Award?
Standard full-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year under the NES. Shift workers as defined receive a 5th week of annual leave under NES s.87(1)(b). The 5-week entitlement comes from NES s.87(1)(b), which the Electrical Contracting Award classifies eligibility for. Calculate annual leave accrual
How is annual leave loading calculated for shift workers under the Electrical Contracting Award?
Shift workers receive the GREATER OF 17.5% leave loading on the minimum hourly rate, OR the shift penalty they would have earned during the period of leave. The award protects shift workers from earning less on leave than they would have working the shifts. Leave loading calculator
What is the casual loading under the Electrical Contracting Award?
25% on top of the base hourly rate, in lieu of paid annual leave, paid personal leave and notice entitlements. Casual loading is added to the FT/PT rate when a casual works any of the penalty-rate hours above (Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, evening, night).
Does the Electrical Contracting Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
Yes. 38-hour week worked as 8-hour days with a paid rostered day off, commonly one RDO per 4-week cycle taken in the fourth week. Work performed on an RDO is overtime. RDOs are paid days off, distinct from annual leave; they exist to balance ordinary hours over a fixed period. If you are paid out on termination, accrued RDO time is typically included.
Does the Electrical Contracting Award have evening or night-shift loadings?
Yes. Under this award, afternoon-shift work attracts 115% of the base hourly rate (1.15x); night-shift work attracts 115% of the base hourly rate (1.15x); permanent night shift attracts 130% of the base hourly rate (1.30x). Casuals receive an additional 25% casual loading on top of these penalty rates.
Where do I find current pay rates by classification under the Electrical Contracting Award?
Pay rates by classification under MA000025 change quarterly with Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review decisions. The official source is the FWO Pay Calculator, which always reflects the current rates. Open the FWO Pay Calculator
Other Awards

Other modern awards.

If your role doesn't fit Electrical Contracting, one of these is likely your award.

Electrical Contracting Methodology

Verified against the modern award text.

Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025) on the Fair Work Commission's awards.fairwork.gov.au.

For up-to-date pay rates by classification, refer to the FWO Pay Calculator. Modern awards are reviewed and varied periodically by the Fair Work Commission; check the source for the latest text.

Last verified2 July 2026
ReviewerSarah Reid, CAHRI
Primary sourceMA000025 (Fair Work Commission)
Federal floorFW Act 2009 (Cth)
RefreshQuarterly