Modern Award · MA000026

Graphic Arts & Printing Award.

Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing 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

ⓘ Calculated under section 87 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the National Employment Standards. Loading rate per the relevant modern award.

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.

Pay & Rate Data

Graphic Arts & Printing 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 MA000026 award text.

Entry rate$26.44Per hour, lowest classification
Top rate$39.86Per hour, highest classification
Sunday200%Of base rate, full-time / part-time
Public holiday250%Of base rate, full-time / part-time
Casual loading25%On top of the applicable rate
Leave loading17.5%Paid while taking annual leave
Workforce~65,000employees covered nationally by this or similar awards
Avg weekly earnings$1,356.80All employees in this industry, full-time adult

Penalty rates by shift type

What each hour is worth as a percentage of the base rate, for permanent and casual employees.

Full-time / part-timeCasual (incl. 25% loading)
50%100%150%200%250%100%125%Ordinary200%225%Saturday200%225%Sunday250%275%Public hol.120%145%Afternoon120%145%Night130%155%Perm night

Hourly rate by classification level

6 levels, measured from $0 so the gaps between them are true to scale.

Minimum wage $26.44Level 1$26.44Level 2$28.41Level 3$30.47Level 4$33.35Level 5$36.55Level 6$39.86
  • Level 1Junior / trainee (entry level)
  • Level 2Print machinist / graphic designer (basic)
  • Level 3Print machinist / designer (experienced)
  • Level 4Senior tradesperson / multi-skilled operator
  • Level 5Leading hand / pre-press specialist
  • Level 6Production coordinator

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.

$21$24$26$21.38FY2023+5.2%$23.23FY2024+8.6%$24.10FY2025+3.75%$24.95FY2026+3.5%$26.44FY2027+6%

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
MA000026 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 workedFull-time / part-timeCasual (incl. loading)
Ordinary hours100%125%
Saturday200%225%
Sunday200%225%
Public holiday250%275%
Afternoon shift120%145%
Night shift120%145%
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. 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.

LevelClassificationWeekly rateHourly rateCasual hourly
Level 1Junior / trainee (entry level)$1,004.90$26.44$33.05
Level 2Print machinist / graphic designer (basic)$1,079.60$28.41$35.51
Level 3Print machinist / designer (experienced)$1,157.80$30.47$38.09
Level 4Senior tradesperson / multi-skilled operator$1,267.40$33.35$41.69
Level 5Leading hand / pre-press specialist$1,388.90$36.55$45.69
Level 6Production coordinator$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.

AllowanceAmountFrequencyNotes
Tool allowance$22.40per weekFor tradespeople required to supply their own hand tools.
Leading hand allowance$21.80per weekFor employees in charge of other workers.
First aid allowance$14.75per weekFor appointed first aid officers.
Graphic Arts & Printing Snapshot

The numbers that drive this award.

Set by Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award 2020 (MA000026) 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

Continuous shiftworkers accrue 190 hours (5 weeks) 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

The 38-hour week may be worked with rostered days off under clause 13.4. Work performed on an RDO is overtime paid at 150%.

Calculate your leave under this award

The Graphic Arts & Printing 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 Graphic Arts & Printing Award (MA000026) is the common name for the Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.

Industries

  • printing
  • publishing
  • graphic arts
  • newspaper offices

Work types

  • printing
  • pre-press
  • print finishing
  • bookbinding
  • graphic design
  • newspaper production
  • ink and print-machine operation

Notes & exclusions. Day workers work ordinary hours Monday to Friday. Working a Saturday or Sunday is paid 200% (whether as overtime, or as ordinary hours worked by agreement under clause 13.3); public holidays are 250%. Weekday overtime is 150% for the first 3 hours then 200%. Shift loadings are 120% for morning, afternoon and rotating night, and 130% for non-rotating (permanent) night. The award has distinctive newspaper-office provisions and an all-purpose visual-display-terminal allowance. Shiftworker leave loading is the higher of 17.5% or the relevant weekend penalty.

Classifications

Roles paid under this award.

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

  1. 01Level 1
  2. 02Level 2
  3. 03Level 3
  4. 04Level 4
  5. 05Level 5
  6. 06Level 6
  7. 07Level 7
  8. 08Level 8
  9. 09graphic designer
  10. 10printer
  11. 11pre-press operator
  12. 12print finisher
  13. 13bookbinder
Graphic Arts & Printing Q & A

Graphic Arts & Printing Award questions, answered.

Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000026. Verified against the modern award text.

Who does the Graphic Arts & Printing Award cover?
Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award 2020 (MA000026) covers printing, publishing, graphic arts, newspaper offices. Common roles include printing, pre-press, print finishing, bookbinding. Day workers work ordinary hours Monday to Friday. Working a Saturday or Sunday is paid 200% (whether as overtime, or as ordinary hours worked by agreement under clause 13.3); public holidays are 250%. Weekday overtime is 150% for the first 3 hours then 200%. Shift loadings are 120% for morning, afternoon and rotating night, and 130% for non-rotating (permanent) night. The award has distinctive newspaper-office provisions and an all-purpose visual-display-terminal allowance. Shiftworker leave loading is the higher of 17.5% or the relevant weekend penalty.
What is the Saturday penalty rate under the Graphic Arts & Printing Award?
Full-time and part-time employees are paid 200% of the base hourly rate (2.00x) for working on Saturday. Casuals receive 225% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading).
What is the Sunday rate under the Graphic Arts & Printing 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 Graphic Arts & Printing 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 Graphic Arts & Printing Award?
Standard full-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year under the NES. Continuous shiftworkers accrue 190 hours (5 weeks) of annual leave under NES s.87(1)(b). The 5-week entitlement comes from NES s.87(1)(b), which the Graphic Arts & Printing Award classifies eligibility for. Calculate annual leave accrual →
How is annual leave loading calculated for shift workers under the Graphic Arts & Printing 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 Graphic Arts & Printing 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 Graphic Arts & Printing Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
Yes. The 38-hour week may be worked with rostered days off under clause 13.4. Work performed on an RDO is overtime paid at 150%. 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 Graphic Arts & Printing Award have evening or night-shift loadings?
Yes. Under this award, afternoon-shift work attracts 120% of the base hourly rate (1.20x); night-shift work attracts 120% of the base hourly rate (1.20x); 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 Graphic Arts & Printing Award?
Pay rates by classification under MA000026 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 →
Graphic Arts & Printing Methodology

Verified against the modern award text.

Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award 2020 (MA000026) 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 sourceMA000026 (Fair Work Commission)
Federal floorFW Act 2009 (Cth)
RefreshQuarterly