Gardening & Landscaping Award.
Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020. Verified penalty rates, shift loadings, leave loading and RDO arrangements, with a live calculator under the NES.
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| Component | Formula | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Accrual rate (FULL-TIME) | 4 wks × 38h ÷ 52 | 2.923 hrs/wk |
| Hours accrued | 2.923 × 52 wks | 152.42 hrs |
| Hourly base rate | - | $35.00 |
| Base leave value | 152.42 × $35.00 | $5,334.62 |
| 17.5% leave loading | base × 0.175 | + $933.56 |
| Total payout | - | $6,268.17 |
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.
Gardening & Landscaping Award pay rates and penalties.
Dollar rates effective from 1 July 2026 after the 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase. Penalty rates verified against the MA000101 award text.
Penalty rates by shift type
What each hour is worth as a percentage of the base rate, for permanent and casual employees.
Hourly rate by classification level
6 levels, measured from $0 so the gaps between them are true to scale.
- Level 1Garden labourer (entry)
- Level 2Gardener (experienced, no formal qualifications)
- Level 3Qualified gardener / horticulturist
- Level 4Senior gardener / specialist (arboriculture)
- Level 5Leading hand
- Level 6Landscape supervisor / park manager
National Minimum Wage, 4-year trend
Lifted each year by the Annual Wage Review. Up 23.7% since FY2023. Percentages are the movement in the NMW itself, which exceeded the award increase in the years the Commission realigned it to the C13 rate.
Where these numbers come from
- Dollar rates
- FWO Pay Guides and FWC Annual Wage Review [2026] FWCFB 3500, effective 1 July 2026.
- Penalty rates and allowances
- MA000101 on awards.fairwork.gov.au, the official award text.
- Industry figures
- ABS Labour Force, May 2026; ABS EEH, Aug 2025. Covers the broader industry, not only employees under this award.
- Your own figures
- Check your classification in the FWO Pay Calculator.
Penalty rates in full
Every loading in the award, side by side for full-time, part-time and casual employees.
| Hours worked | Full-time / part-time | Casual (incl. loading) |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday | 100% | 125% |
| Sunday | 100% | 125% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
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. For your own dollar amounts, use the FWO Pay Calculator.
Pay rates by classification
Weekly rates are for 38 ordinary hours. Casual hourly includes the 25% loading.
| Level | Classification | Weekly rate | Hourly rate | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Garden labourer (entry) | $1,004.90 | $26.44 | $33.05 |
| Level 2 | Gardener (experienced, no formal qualifications) | $1,079.60 | $28.41 | $35.51 |
| Level 3 | Qualified gardener / horticulturist | $1,157.80 | $30.47 | $38.09 |
| Level 4 | Senior gardener / specialist (arboriculture) | $1,267.40 | $33.35 | $41.69 |
| Level 5 | Leading hand | $1,388.90 | $36.55 | $45.69 |
| Level 6 | Landscape supervisor / park manager | $1,514.70 | $39.86 | $49.83 |
Rates effective from 1 July 2026 after the 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase. Weekly rates are for 38 ordinary hours. Casual rates include the 25% loading on top of the hourly rate. Source: FWO Pay Guides.
Allowances
Paid on top of the base rate. Amounts effective from 1 July 2026.
| Allowance | Amount | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool allowance | $20.40 | per week | For employees required to supply their own tools. |
| Industry allowance | $24.60 | per week | For working in the gardening and landscaping industry. |
| Pesticide application allowance | $15.30 | per week | For employees licensed and required to apply pesticides or herbicides. |
| Use of private vehicle | $0.97 | per km | When required to transport equipment between sites. |
The numbers that drive this award.
Set by Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020 (MA000101) and the NES.
Award-specific provisions.
Where this award goes beyond, or sits at, the NES floor.
Clause 20.2 defines a shiftworker for the purposes of the additional (fifth) week of annual leave under NES s.87(1)(b), even though the award has no separate shiftwork clause or shift loadings.
Flat 17.5% loading on minimum hourly rate while taking annual leave. Run the numbers in the annual leave loading calculator.
Clause 13.4 provides a formal rostered day off system on a 38-hour week. Ordinary hours may be averaged over a 4-week cycle, with the accrued time taken as a paid RDO.
Calculate your leave under this award
The Gardening & Landscaping 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.
Who this award covers.
The Gardening & Landscaping Award (MA000101) is the common name for the Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.
Industries
Work types
Notes & exclusions. Unusual among modern awards in setting no Saturday or Sunday penalty for ordinary hours: weekend work at ordinary hours is paid at 100%, with penalties arising only through overtime. Public holidays are 250%. There are no afternoon or night shift loadings, but clause 20.2 still defines a shiftworker for the extra week of annual leave.
Roles paid under this award.
Each classification has its own pay grade. Use the FWO Pay Calculator for current dollar rates.
- 01introductory level
- 02level 1
- 03level 2
- 04level 3
Gardening & Landscaping Award questions, answered.
Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000101. Verified against the modern award text.
Who does the Gardening & Landscaping Award cover?
Are there Saturday penalty rates under the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
Are there Sunday penalty rates under the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
What is the public holiday rate under the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
How many weeks of annual leave do I get under the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
Is annual leave loading paid under the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
What is the casual loading under the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
Does the Gardening & Landscaping Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
Where do I find current pay rates by classification under the Gardening & Landscaping Award?
Verified against the modern award text.
Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020 (MA000101) 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.