Can I rely on the Adecco salary guide to set my pay?

The Adecco salary guide is a survey of advertised salaries and market trends, not a legal document. Your minimum pay is set by the Fair Work Act, a modern award, or an enterprise agreement. Always check the award or agreement that covers your job before using a market guide.

Does the national minimum wage apply to juniors and apprentices?

No. Award‑free juniors (under 21) have special national minimum wages based on age – for example, a 16‑year‑old gets $12.51 per hour (47.3% of the adult rate). Apprentices and trainees follow rates in the Miscellaneous Award. A modern award may also have junior or apprentice rates that are lower than the adult minimum.

Is superannuation included in the rates shown in the Adecco salary guide?

Usually not. The Adecco guide typically quotes base salary before super. Under Australian law, employers must pay super guarantee of 12% on top of ordinary time earnings. When comparing a salary from the guide to the legal minimum, remember that the minimum wage is before super, and super is an additional employer cost.

How the Adecco Salary Guide Compares to Australia's Minimum Wage Floor

The Adecco salary guide provides market salary benchmarks, but the legal minimum wage floor is $26.44 per hour for adult award‑free employees from 1 July 2026.

Understanding the Adecco Salary Guide and Legal Minimums

If you are looking at the Adecco salary guide to benchmark your pay, it helps to know how its figures relate to Australia’s legal wage floor. The Adecco guide is a market survey that collects advertised salaries and employer‑reported ranges. It can give you an idea of what employers are offering for a particular role, but it is not a legal requirement. Your actual minimum pay depends on the Fair Work system – the National Minimum Wage, a modern award, or an enterprise agreement.

What the Adecco Salary Guide Offers

The Adecco salary guide covers hundreds of roles across industries such as administration, finance, IT, engineering, and healthcare. It reports typical base salaries (excluding super) and often breaks them down by experience level. Because it is a survey, the figures are averages or medians from a sample. They may not reflect the minimum you are entitled to, especially if you are covered by an award that sets higher penalty rates or allowances.

The National Minimum Wage as a Floor

From 1 July 2026, the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a 38‑hour week, as set by the Fair Work Commission. This applies to adult employees who are not covered by an award or registered agreement. If the Adecco salary guide shows a rate below this for an adult full‑time role, that rate would be illegal unless a junior, apprentice, or supported wage applies. For casual employees, a 25% loading brings the minimum to $33.05 per hour.

Award Rates and Enterprise Agreements

Most employees are covered by a modern award. Awards often have higher minimum rates than the National Minimum Wage, plus penalty rates for weekends, nights, and overtime. For example, the Health Services Award and the SCHADS Award have recently increased their minimum rates. The Adecco salary guide may quote a salary that is above the award, but you should always check the award’s pay guide using the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool. If your employer has an enterprise agreement, that agreement sets the minimum – and it must pass the better‑off‑overall test compared to the award.

Superannuation: An Extra 12% on Top

When you see a salary in the Adecco guide, remember that Australian employers must pay superannuation guarantee of 12% on top of ordinary time earnings. The legal minimum wage of $26.44 per hour does not include super; the employer pays that separately. So if the guide says $70,000 per year, the total employer cost is about $78,400 including super. Always compare base salaries on a like‑for‑like basis.

How to Check Your Rate

To see whether a rate from the Adecco salary guide is above or below your legal minimum, follow these steps:

Identify the correct modern award for your industry and occupation. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Which minimum wage applies tool.
Find your classification level in the award. The Rate tables on this site show the current minimum hourly and weekly rates for many awards.
Add any penalty rates or allowances you are entitled to.
Compare the total to the Adecco figure. If the Adecco figure is lower, you may be underpaid.

Remember that the Adecco guide is a market reference, not a legal standard. Your employer must pay at least the award or agreement rate, regardless of what the guide says. For award‑free employees, the National Minimum Wage is the floor, but juniors, apprentices, and trainees have lower special rates.

For more detail on how the figures are calculated, see our How the figures work page. If you need to understand the different types of pay floors, visit Guides.

A Practical Check

Suppose the Adecco salary guide lists a graduate administration role at $55,000 per year. That works out to about $27.86 per hour (based on 38 hours, 52 weeks). This is above the National Minimum Wage of $26.44, so it would be legal for an award‑free adult. But if the role is covered by the Clerks – Private Sector Award, the minimum for a Level 1 employee is higher, and you would need to check the award rate. Always use the award, not the guide, to determine your minimum.

If the guide shows a rate below $26.44 for an adult, it is likely an error or a part‑time or casual rate without loading. Casual employees must get at least $33.05 per hour under the national minimum.

Final Word

The Adecco salary guide is a useful tool for salary negotiations and market awareness, but it does not replace the legal protections of the Fair Work system. Use it as a starting point, then verify your entitlements with official sources. Your employer must pay at least the minimum set by law, and super is on top of that.