Hair and Beauty Award.
Hair and Beauty Industry 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.
Hair and Beauty Award pay rates and penalties.
Dollar rates effective from 1 July 2026 after the Annual Wage Review increase. Penalty rates verified against the MA000005 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 1Hair and beauty employee level 1
- Level 2Hair and beauty employee level 2
- Level 3Hair and beauty employee level 3
- Level 4Hair and beauty employee level 4
- Level 5Hair and beauty employee level 5
- Level 6Hair and beauty employee level 6
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
- The MA000005 award text as consolidated by the Fair Work Commission, reflecting Annual Wage Review [2026] FWCFB 3500, effective 1 July 2026.
- Penalty rates and allowances
- MA000005 on awards.fairwork.gov.au, the official award text.
- 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 | 133% | See notes |
| Sunday | 200% | See notes |
| Public holiday | 250% | See notes |
This award combines casual loading differently depending on the penalty. Some casual penalties substitute for the full-time rate rather than adding to it, so the casual column cannot be derived by adding 25% across the board. The stream detail below and the coverage notes give the specific rates.
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.
These are the percentages. To turn them into dollars for a specific roster, the penalty rates calculator prices Saturday, Sunday, public holiday and shift hours against this award’s own classification rates.
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 | Hair and beauty employee level 1 | $1,056.80 | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Level 2 | Hair and beauty employee level 2 | $1,081.00 | $28.45 | $35.56 |
| Level 3 | Hair and beauty employee level 3 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 4 | Hair and beauty employee level 4 | $1,139.90 | $30.00 | $37.50 |
| Level 5 | Hair and beauty employee level 5 | $1,174.00 | $30.89 | $38.61 |
| Level 6 | Hair and beauty employee level 6 | $1,215.90 | $32.00 | $40.00 |
Rates effective from 1 July 2026 after the Annual Wage Review increase. Weekly rates are for 38 ordinary hours. Casual rates include the 25% loading on top of the hourly rate. Source: the MA000005 award text as consolidated to 1 July 2026.
Allowances
Paid on top of the base rate. Amounts effective from 1 July 2026.
| Allowance | Amount | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First aid allowance | $14.55 | per week | For an employee with a current first aid qualification who is appointed by the employer to perform first aid duty (cl 20.3). |
| Tool allowance | $10.52 | per week | When the employer requires the employee to provide and use their own tools, including scissors and other cutting instruments. Necessary electrical equipment is reimbursed separately (cl 20.8). |
| Manager's allowance | $55.96 | per week | For an employee in charge of a hair or beauty establishment for a full week (cl 20.2). |
| Overtime meal allowance | $24.72 | per occasion | Full-time and part-time employees only. Overtime of more than one hour after the usual finishing time, without 24 hours notice, where the employee cannot reasonably go home for a meal. The employer may supply a meal instead (cl 20.5(a)). |
| Further overtime meal allowance | $24.72 | per occasion | Where that overtime is more than 4 hours (cl 20.5(b)). |
| Motor vehicle allowance | $1.00 | per km | When the employer requests the employee to use their own motor vehicle in performing duties (cl 20.6). |
| Broken Hill allowance | $47.90 | per week | For work at a workplace within the County of Yancowinna, NSW. Paid in addition to all other payments (cl 20.4). |
The numbers that drive this award.
Set by Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 (MA000005) and the NES.
Award-specific provisions.
Where this award goes beyond, or sits at, the NES floor.
Standard NES floor of 4 weeks per year of full-time service. Pro-rata for part-time.
Day workers get the greater of 17.5% or the weekend penalty rates they would have earned during the leave, not both. This award has no shiftwork provisions. Run the numbers in the annual leave loading calculator.
Clause 23.3 provides a named rostered day off. Work on an RDO is paid 200% at any time of day (Table 14), and all overtime on an RDO is 200% (Table 13). Clause 14.5 lets a full-time employee average 38 ordinary hours per week over up to 4 weeks.
Calculate your leave under this award
The Hair and Beauty 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 Hair and Beauty Award (MA000005) is the common name for the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.
Industries
Work types
Notes & exclusions. Saturday work between 7am and 6pm is paid 133%, Sunday between 10am and 5pm is 200%, and public holidays are 250% (clause 23). There is no shiftwork clause, so no afternoon or night loadings apply. Overtime is 150% for the first 3 hours then 200%, Monday to Saturday only; Sunday and rostered-day-off overtime is 200% for all hours and public holiday overtime is 250%. Annual leave loading is the greater of 17.5% or the weekend penalty amounts that would have been payable (clause 24.2(c)). Employees who do hair and beauty work in the general retailing, theatrical, amusement or entertainment industries are not covered by this award (clause 4.4). In a retail business the General Retail Award is the usual alternative.
Roles paid under this award.
Each classification has its own pay grade. Use the FWO Pay Calculator for current dollar rates.
- 01receptionist
- 02salon assistant
- 03make-up artist (Certificate II)
- 04nail technician (Certificate II)
- 05unqualified beautician or cosmetologist
- 06beautician (Certificate III)
- 07hairdresser (Certificate III)
- 08beauty therapist (Certificate IV)
- 09hairdresser (Certificate IV)
- 10trichologist
- 11beauty therapist (Diploma)
- 12apprentice
Hair and Beauty Award questions, answered.
Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000005. Verified against the modern award text.
Who does the Hair and Beauty Award cover?
What is the Saturday penalty rate under the Hair and Beauty Award?
What is the Sunday rate under the Hair and Beauty Award?
What is the public holiday rate under the Hair and Beauty Award?
How many weeks of annual leave do I get under the Hair and Beauty Award?
How is annual leave loading calculated under the Hair and Beauty Award?
What is the casual loading under the Hair and Beauty Award?
Does the Hair and Beauty Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
Where do I find current pay rates by classification under the Hair and Beauty Award?
Verified against the modern award text.
Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 (MA000005) 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.