Fair Work Commission 2026 Annual Wage Review

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) Annual Wage Review[1] was announced today. This year’s review was impacted by capacity constraints in the latter half of 2025 and the Middle East conflict, both of which have added uncertainty to the trajectory of the economy. [2]

The National Minimum Wage Order made the following orders[3]:

• A national minimum wage of $1004.90 per week or $26.44 per hour;
• Two special national minimum wages for award free employees with a disability;
• Wage provisions for award free junior employees based on the percentages for juniors in the Miscellaneous Award 2020 applied to the national minimum wage;
• Apprentice wage provisions and the National Training Wage Schedule in the Miscellaneous Award 2020 for award-free employees to whom training arrangements apply, incorporated by reference;
• A casual loading of 25 per cent for award-free employees.

Modern award minimum wage rates will be increased by 4.75%, provided that[4]:

• The lowest rate in any modern award to ongoing employment must be $1004.90 or $26.44 per hour; and
• An entry rate that is applicable to no more than the first 6 months of employment must be at least $978.10 per week or $25.74 per hour.

These effects will operate from 1 July 2026 and take effect in relation to a particular employee from the start of the employee’s first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.

Footnotes

[1] Annual Wage Review 2026 (C2026/1) (AWR)

[2] AWR at [6].

[3] AWR at [142].

[4] AWR at [144].

Contributors

Baljit Nagra, Lawyer