Australian minimum wage and award rates rise – BeanScene

Many of Australia’s café workers will receive a pay bump thanks to the rolling over of the financial year, with the National Minimum Wage rising 3.5 per cent from 1 July.

The Fair Work Commission has approved the increase to the national minimum award to $948 per week, or $24.95 per hour. Minimum award wages will increase by the same percentage. The 3.5 per cent increase of the minimum wage is an additional $0.85 per hour.

For someone working a 38-hour week, this will result in an increase of $32.10 per week, or $1669.20 a year to an annual wage of $49,296.

The changes will apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July.

“A real wage increase provides further relief to our lowest paid workers who continue to face cost-of-living pressures. The panel’s decision will benefit up to 2.9 million Australian workers who have their pay set by an award,” Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth said at the time of the announcement of the wage rise.

The national superannuation guarantee rate has also increased to 12 per cent from 1 July. The new percentage will be applied to all salary and wages paid to eligible workers on or after the start of the new financial year.

The change means all employers will have to pay a minimum of 12 per cent to an employee’s superannuation fund. The maximum super contribution base has also decreased from $65,070 to $62,500 each quarter.