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Victoria Minimum Wage: What Is the Pay Floor in Victoria?

In Victoria, the minimum wage is the national minimum wage set by the Fair Work Commission, currently $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for adults.

Victoria Minimum Wage: The National Floor Applies

Victoria does not have its own state minimum wage. Instead, the national minimum wage set by the Fair Work Commission applies to most employees in Victoria. From 1 July 2026, the adult national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual rate $33.05 per hour. Employers must also pay superannuation guarantee of 12% on top of ordinary time earnings.

Legal Minimum vs Award Rates vs Negotiated Salaries

The legal minimum is the floor. However, many employees are covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement that sets a higher rate. For example, the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 may have higher minimum rates for certain classifications. If you are award-free and agreement-free, the national minimum wage applies. Always check your award or agreement first. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides resources to help you find your correct pay rate.

Junior and Supported Wage Rates

Not all employees receive the adult minimum. Award-free juniors (under 21) have percentage-based rates: for example, 16-year-olds receive 47.3% of the adult rate ($12.51 per hour). Apprentices and trainees have their own rates under the Miscellaneous Award. Supported wage rates apply for employees with disability. These are all legal minimums, but they are lower than the adult rate.

How the Minimum Wage Compares to Average Earnings

The ABS May 2026 survey shows average full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 per week. The national minimum wage of $1,004.90 is about 48% of that figure. However, many workers earn more due to awards, agreements, or market conditions. The minimum wage is a safety net, not a typical wage.

Superannuation: An Employer Payment on Top

When discussing pay, remember superannuation is an additional cost for employers. The super guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings, paid into a super fund. So the total cost to an employer for an adult minimum wage employee is $26.44 per hour plus $3.17 super = $29.61 per hour. This is not deducted from the employee's pay; it is paid separately.

Tax and Take-Home Pay

Tax is withheld by your employer based on the tax tables. For a full-time adult on the minimum wage, gross weekly pay is $1,004.90. After tax and the Medicare levy (2% once annualised ordinary gross reaches $30,000), take-home pay will be lower. Use the ATO's tax calculator for a personalised estimate. The low income tax offset may reduce tax, but this model does not include it.

Internal Links

For more details on which minimum wage applies to you, see Which minimum wage applies. For a full list of rates, see Rate tables.

For the published floors, see the rate tables and how the figures work.

Questions people ask next

What is the minimum wage in Victoria?

Victoria does not have a separate state minimum wage. The national minimum wage applies, set by the Fair Work Commission. From 1 July 2026, the adult rate is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual rate $33.05 per hour. Superannuation guarantee of 12% is paid on top by the employer.

Does Victoria have a different minimum wage to other states?

No. Most employees in Victoria are covered by the national workplace relations system, so the same national minimum wage applies. Some state public sector and local government employees may be covered by state awards, but those awards typically set rates at or above the national minimum. The Fair Work Ombudsman enforces the national minimum wage across Australia.

How does the minimum wage compare to average earnings in Victoria?

The national minimum wage for an adult is $1,004.90 per week. According to the ABS (May 2026), average full-time adult ordinary-time earnings are $2,083.70 per week, and average total earnings for all employees are $1,579.20 per week. The minimum wage is therefore about 48% of average full-time earnings. Many workers are covered by awards or agreements that pay above the minimum.

Related guides

  1. Minimum Wage Victoria: Which Pay Floor Applies and How It Compares

    The national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) applies to most award-free and agreement-free employees in Victoria, with higher rates under awards or agreements.

  2. What is the minimum wage in Victoria? National floor and how it compares

    As of 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage in Victoria is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for adult employees, with superannuation of 12% on top.

  3. What is minimum wage in Victoria? The national floor and what it means for you

    The national minimum wage in Victoria is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) for adult employees not covered by an award or agreement, with super of 12% on top.

  4. Minimum wage Victoria 15 year old: legal floor and how to check your rate

    The legal minimum for an award-free 15-year-old in Victoria is $9.73 per hour (ordinary) or $12.16 per hour casual, with 12% super on top.