Modern Award · MA000089

Vehicle Repair & Retail Award.

Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020. Verified penalty rates, shift loadings, leave loading and RDO arrangements, with a live calculator under the NES.

Sun: 200%PH: 250%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

Vehicle Repair & Retail 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 MA000089 award text.

Entry rate$19.70Per hour, lowest classification
Top rate$36.81Per 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~175,000employees covered nationally by this or similar awards
Avg weekly earnings$1,438.60All 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%Ordinary150%175%Saturday200%225%Sunday250%275%Public hol.118%143%Afternoon130%155%Night

Hourly rate by classification level

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

Minimum wage $26.44Level 1$19.70Level 2$22.85Level 3$26.44Level 4$28.62Level 5$30.47Level 6$33.35Level 7$36.81

Grey bars fall below the adult national minimum wage. Junior and apprentice classifications are lawfully paid a set percentage of the adult rate under this award.

  • Level 1Vehicle repair (entry / first year apprentice)
  • Level 2Vehicle repair (second year)
  • Level 3Vehicle repair (third year) / adult entry
  • Level 4Tradesperson (qualified mechanic / panel beater)
  • Level 5Senior tradesperson / specialist
  • Level 6Leading hand / workshop controller
  • Level 7Workshop 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.

$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
MA000089 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%
Saturday150%175%
Sunday200%225%
Public holiday250%275%
Afternoon shift118%143%
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 1Vehicle repair (entry / first year apprentice)$748.60$19.70$24.63
Level 2Vehicle repair (second year)$868.40$22.85$28.56
Level 3Vehicle repair (third year) / adult entry$1,004.90$26.44$33.05
Level 4Tradesperson (qualified mechanic / panel beater)$1,087.40$28.62$35.78
Level 5Senior tradesperson / specialist$1,157.80$30.47$38.09
Level 6Leading hand / workshop controller$1,267.40$33.35$41.69
Level 7Workshop manager$1,398.70$36.81$46.01

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$28.70per weekFor tradespeople required to supply and maintain their own hand tools.
Vehicle allowance$0.97per kmFor employees using their own vehicle for work-related travel.
Leading hand allowance$24.60 - $48.90per weekFor employees in charge of 2-10 other employees, scaled by team size.
First aid allowance$14.75per weekFor appointed first aid officers.
Vehicle Repair & Retail Snapshot

The numbers that drive this award.

Set by Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 (MA000089) 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

A 7-day shiftworker regularly rostered on Sundays and public holidays receives a 5th week of annual leave (clause 29.11).

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)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 Vehicle Repair & Retail 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 Vehicle Repair & Retail Award (MA000089) is the common name for the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.

Industries

  • motor vehicle repair
  • vehicle servicing
  • vehicle retail and sales
  • service stations and fuel retail
  • tyre fitting
  • towing and roadside assistance
  • vehicle dismantling

Work types

  • mechanical repair
  • panel beating
  • spray painting
  • auto electrical
  • tyre fitting and wheel alignment
  • towing
  • roadside assistance
  • car washing and detailing
  • vehicle sales
  • service reception
  • driveway attending
  • parts interpreting

Notes & exclusions. Sunday 200%, public holiday 250%. Shift loadings (clause 25.2): afternoon shift only 118%, night shift only 130%; rotating or alternating combinations pay 112.5% to 120%. An afternoon or night shift that does not continue for 5 or more successive days is paid 150%. Shift penalties do NOT apply to people employed principally to sell vehicles, or to casual driveway, console and roadhouse attendants. Excludes vehicle manufacturing (Manufacturing Award since 2020) and standalone car parking.

Classifications

Roles paid under this award.

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

  1. 01RS&R Level 1
  2. 02RS&R Level 2
  3. 03RS&R Level 3
  4. 04RS&R Level 4
  5. 05RS&R Level 5
  6. 06Tradesperson Level I
  7. 07Tradesperson Level II
  8. 08motor mechanic
  9. 09automotive electrician
  10. 10panel beater
  11. 11vehicle painter
  12. 12vehicle salesperson
Vehicle Repair & Retail Q & A

Vehicle Repair & Retail Award questions, answered.

Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000089. Verified against the modern award text.

Who does the Vehicle Repair & Retail Award cover?
Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 (MA000089) covers motor vehicle repair, vehicle servicing, vehicle retail and sales, service stations and fuel retail and related industries. Common roles include mechanical repair, panel beating, spray painting, auto electrical. Sunday 200%, public holiday 250%. Shift loadings (clause 25.2): afternoon shift only 118%, night shift only 130%; rotating or alternating combinations pay 112.5% to 120%. An afternoon or night shift that does not continue for 5 or more successive days is paid 150%. Shift penalties do NOT apply to people employed principally to sell vehicles, or to casual driveway, console and roadhouse attendants. Excludes vehicle manufacturing (Manufacturing Award since 2020) and standalone car parking.
What is the Saturday penalty rate under the Vehicle Repair & Retail Award?
Full-time and part-time employees are paid 150% of the base hourly rate (1.50x) for working on Saturday. Casuals receive 175% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading).
What is the Sunday rate under the Vehicle Repair & Retail 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 Vehicle Repair & Retail 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 Vehicle Repair & Retail 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 receives a 5th week of annual leave (clause 29.11). The 5-week entitlement comes from NES s.87(1)(b), which the Vehicle Repair & Retail Award classifies eligibility for. Calculate annual leave accrual →
How is annual leave loading calculated for shift workers under the Vehicle Repair & Retail 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 Vehicle Repair & Retail 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 Vehicle Repair & Retail Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
No. The Vehicle Repair & Retail 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.
Does the Vehicle Repair & Retail Award have evening or night-shift loadings?
Yes. Under this award, afternoon-shift work attracts 118% of the base hourly rate (1.18x); night-shift work 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 Vehicle Repair & Retail Award?
Pay rates by classification under MA000089 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 →
Vehicle Repair & Retail Methodology

Verified against the modern award text.

Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020 (MA000089) 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 sourceMA000089 (Fair Work Commission)
Federal floorFW Act 2009 (Cth)
RefreshQuarterly