Modern Award · MA000119

Restaurant Award.

Restaurant Industry Award 2020. Verified penalty rates, shift loadings, leave loading and RDO arrangements, with a live calculator under the NES.

Sun: 150%PH: 225%5-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

Restaurant 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 MA000119 award text.

Entry rate$26.83Per hour, lowest classification
Top rate$42.44Per hour, highest classification
Sunday150%Of base rate, full-time / part-time
Public holiday225%Of base rate, full-time / part-time
Casual loading25%On top of the applicable rate
Leave loading17.5%Paid while taking annual leave
Workforce~310,000employees covered nationally by this or similar awards
Avg weekly earnings$1,284.60All 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%Ordinary125%150%Saturday150%175%Sunday225%250%Public hol.

Hourly rate by classification level

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

Minimum wage $26.44Level 1$26.83Level 2$27.99Level 3$29.40Level 4$31.55Level 5$34.91Level 6$38.41Level 7$42.44
  • Level 1Food and beverage attendant grade 1 (entry)
  • Level 2Food and beverage attendant grade 2
  • Level 3Food and beverage attendant grade 3 / bar attendant
  • Level 4Chef de partie / bar supervisor
  • Level 5Chef de cuisine / restaurant supervisor
  • Level 6Sous chef / restaurant manager
  • Level 7Head chef / maître d'

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
MA000119 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%
Saturday125%150%
Sunday150%175%
Public holiday225%250%

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 1Food and beverage attendant grade 1 (entry)$1,019.70$26.83$33.54
Level 2Food and beverage attendant grade 2$1,063.60$27.99$34.99
Level 3Food and beverage attendant grade 3 / bar attendant$1,117.20$29.40$36.75
Level 4Chef de partie / bar supervisor$1,198.80$31.55$39.44
Level 5Chef de cuisine / restaurant supervisor$1,326.40$34.91$43.64
Level 6Sous chef / restaurant manager$1,459.70$38.41$48.01
Level 7Head chef / maître d'$1,612.90$42.44$53.05

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
Meal allowance$17.65per occasionWhen an employee works overtime for more than 2 hours without notice.
Uniform allowance$16.40per weekWhen required to wear protective clothing or a uniform.
Cold work allowance$0.68per hourFor employees working in cold storage below 0 degrees C for more than 1 hour.
First aid allowance$15.90per weekFor appointed first aid officers.
Restaurant Snapshot

The numbers that drive this award.

Set by Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119) and the NES.

Sunday rate
150%
Of base hourly rate
Sunday work for full-time/part-time employees under this award.
Public holiday
225%
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
Flat loading on minimum hourly rate while taking annual leave.
Annual Leave, Loading & RDO

Award-specific provisions.

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

Annual leave5 weeks/year

A 7-day shiftworker regularly rostered on Sundays and public holidays, in a business where shifts run continuously 24 hours a day 7 days a week, receives 5 weeks annual leave (clause 25.2). Rare in practice for restaurants.

Leave loading17.5%

Flat 17.5% loading on minimum hourly rate while taking annual leave. Run the numbers in the annual leave loading calculator.

Rostered Day Off (RDO)No

No formal RDO accrual cycle in this award. Time off in lieu of overtime (TOIL) may still be available.

Calculate your leave under this award

The Restaurant 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 Restaurant Award (MA000119) is the common name for the Restaurant Industry Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.

Industries

  • restaurants
  • cafes
  • bistros
  • reception centres
  • catering by a restaurant business

Work types

  • food and beverage service
  • cooking
  • kitchen work
  • waiting tables
  • bar service
  • supervision
  • management

Notes & exclusions. Covers sit-down food venues (restaurants, cafes, bistros, reception centres). Full-time and part-time weekend and public holiday penalties match the Hospitality Award: Saturday 125%, Sunday 150%, public holiday 225%. The key differences from Hospitality are the late-night loading (a flat dollar amount for ordinary hours from 10pm, not a percentage, so it is not shown in the penalty table below) and the classification structure (Introductory plus Levels 1 to 6). Overtime is 150% for the first 2 hours then 200% (175% first 2 hours on Saturday, 200% all Sunday). Casual Sunday work is an exception to the usual 25% casual differential: Table 8 sets it at 150% for Introductory to Level 2, identical to the full-time rate, and 175% for Levels 3 to 6. Excludes venues attached to pubs, hotels or registered clubs (Hospitality Award) and takeaway-only outlets (Fast Food Award).

Classifications

Roles paid under this award.

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

  1. 01Introductory
  2. 02Level 1 (food and beverage / kitchen attendant)
  3. 03Level 2 (cook, waiter)
  4. 04Level 3 (tradesperson cook)
  5. 05Level 4
  6. 06Level 5
  7. 07Level 6 (chef, supervisor, manager)
Restaurant Q & A

Restaurant Award questions, answered.

Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000119. Verified against the modern award text.

Who does the Restaurant Award cover?
Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119) covers restaurants, cafes, bistros, reception centres and related industries. Common roles include food and beverage service, cooking, kitchen work, waiting tables. Covers sit-down food venues (restaurants, cafes, bistros, reception centres). Full-time and part-time weekend and public holiday penalties match the Hospitality Award: Saturday 125%, Sunday 150%, public holiday 225%. The key differences from Hospitality are the late-night loading (a flat dollar amount for ordinary hours from 10pm, not a percentage, so it is not shown in the penalty table below) and the classification structure (Introductory plus Levels 1 to 6). Overtime is 150% for the first 2 hours then 200% (175% first 2 hours on Saturday, 200% all Sunday). Casual Sunday work is an exception to the usual 25% casual differential: Table 8 sets it at 150% for Introductory to Level 2, identical to the full-time rate, and 175% for Levels 3 to 6. Excludes venues attached to pubs, hotels or registered clubs (Hospitality Award) and takeaway-only outlets (Fast Food Award).
What is the Saturday penalty rate under the Restaurant Award?
Full-time and part-time employees are paid 125% of the base hourly rate (1.25x) for working on Saturday. Casuals receive 150% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading).
What is the Sunday rate under the Restaurant Award?
FT/PT employees are paid 150% of the base hourly rate (1.50x) for Sunday work. Casuals receive 175% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading).
What is the public holiday rate under the Restaurant Award?
FT/PT employees who work on a gazetted public holiday are paid 225% of the base hourly rate (2.25x). Casuals receive 250% (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 Restaurant Award?
Standard full-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year under the NES. A 7-day shiftworker regularly rostered on Sundays and public holidays, in a business where shifts run continuously 24 hours a day 7 days a week, receives 5 weeks annual leave (clause 25.2). Rare in practice for restaurants. The 5-week entitlement comes from NES s.87(1)(b), which the Restaurant Award classifies eligibility for. Calculate annual leave accrual →
Is annual leave loading paid under the Restaurant Award?
Yes. 17.5% loading is paid on the minimum hourly rate during periods of paid annual leave. There is no shift-worker variation in this award, so the loading is a flat 17.5% across employee types. Leave loading calculator →
What is the casual loading under the Restaurant 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 Restaurant Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
No. The Restaurant Award does not include a formal RDO accrual cycle. Time off in lieu of overtime (TOIL) may still be available where the employer and employee agree, but it works differently from a formal RDO and is not automatically accrued.
Where do I find current pay rates by classification under the Restaurant Award?
Pay rates by classification under MA000119 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 →
Restaurant Methodology

Verified against the modern award text.

Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119) 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 verified21 July 2026
ReviewerSarah Reid, CAHRI
Primary sourceMA000119 (Fair Work Commission)
Federal floorFW Act 2009 (Cth)
RefreshQuarterly