Surveying Award.

Surveying Award 2020 (MA000066) covers any employer of professional surveyors and survey staff, cadastral surveying, mining surveying, hydrographic surveying. Common roles include field surveys and setting up survey instruments, reducing levels and survey computations, plan preparation, engineering surveys. Weekend work under this award is overtime, not a penalty rate. Ordinary hours must be worked between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm Monday to Friday (clause 14.1), so Saturday work is paid at the overtime rate of 150% for the first 3 hours and 200% after that (clause 21.1). Sunday is 200% and a public holiday 250%, each paid until you are relieved from duty (clause 21.4(a)), and all public holiday work is treated as overtime (clause 27.2). Overtime on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday carries a 4 hour minimum payment (clause 21.5). Casual rates compound: the award adds the 25% loading to the minimum hourly rate before applying the overtime rate, so a casual is paid 187.5% then 250% on a Saturday, 250% on a Sunday and 312.5% on a public holiday (clauses 21.2 and 21.4(b)). The award has no shiftwork provisions and no wage-related allowances such as first aid or leading hand (Schedule C.1). The level numbers run backwards. Level 12, Survey Assistant Level I, is the entry rate and equals the $1,004.90 National Minimum Wage, while Level 1, Surveyor Level VI, is the top of the ladder. A graduate from a 3 year course enters at Level 8 and from a 4 year course at Level 7 (clause A.15.2). A weekday off can be rostered only where the employer and a majority of employees agree (clause 15.1), with at least 4 weeks notice of the day (clause 15.2). Employees of a local government who are covered by another award are not covered by this one (clause 4.5).

Saturday work under this award is paid as overtime, not as a penalty rate, at these rates (clauses 14.1, 21.1 and 21.4(a)). Full-time and part-time employees are paid 150% of their base hourly rate for the first 3 hours worked on Saturday, then 200% for any hours after that. Casual employees receive 187.5% (this award applies the penalty to the CASUAL hourly rate, so the 25% loading compounds rather than adding), then 250% after 3 hours.

Sunday work under this award is paid as overtime, not as a penalty rate, at these rates (clauses 14.1, 21.1 and 21.4(a)). FT/PT employees are paid 200% of the base hourly rate (2.00x) for Sunday work. Casuals receive 250% (this award applies the penalty to the CASUAL hourly rate, so the 25% loading compounds rather than adding).

FT/PT employees who work on a gazetted public holiday are paid 250% of the base hourly rate (2.50x). Casuals receive 312.5% (this award applies the penalty to the CASUAL hourly rate, so the 25% loading compounds rather than adding). Employees who don't work the holiday receive their ordinary day's pay if it would otherwise have been a working day.

4 weeks per year of full-time service under the NES, paid pro-rata for part-time. The Surveying Award does not classify any of its workers as continuous-shift workers under NES s.87(1)(b), so the 5-week shift-worker entitlement does not apply. Calculate annual leave accrual →

Day workers get a flat 17.5% on the minimum hourly rate. This award has no shiftwork provisions. Leave loading calculator →

25% on top of the base hourly rate, paid in place of entitlements a casual does not get, such as paid annual leave and paid personal/carer's leave. Under this award the casual loading does NOT simply add to the penalty rates: check the penalty table, because a casual can be paid a different rate from the FT/PT rate plus loading.

No. The Surveying 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.

The Fair Work Commission reviews award minimum rates each year in the Annual Wage Review. The rates on this page took effect from 1 July 2026. The official source is the FWO Pay Calculator, which always reflects the current rates. Open the FWO Pay Calculator →