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Building and construction award rates: what a week actually costs
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What is an hour worth under MA000020?
All-purpose allowances are included in the base before penalties, the way the award requires.
Effective from 1 July 2026, first full pay period on or after that date
Award rates change on 1 July each year, from the annual minimum wage decision.
Allowance set
All-purpose allowances sit in the base before penalties are applied. Leaving them out of the base is the most common construction underpayment.
Award all-purpose hour
$33.41
Your EBA hour
$42.32
Hours in the week
42
Email me this rate card: CW3 rate card, as a PDF
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| Line | Award | Your EBA | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours38 hrs at 100% of the all-purpose rate | $1269.58 | $1608.30 | +$338.72 |
| Overtime, first tier4 hrs at 150% | $200.46 | $253.94 | +$53.48 |
| Travel and fares5 days at $19.90, days worked only | $99.50 | $99.50 | $0.00 |
| RDO accrual4.0 hrs accrued at 0.8 hrs per qualifying day | $133.64 | $169.30 | +$35.66 |
| Wages and allowances | $1703.18 | $2131.04 | +$427.86 |
| Super at 12%On ordinary time earnings. Overtime is not OTE, so it is excluded. | $168.39 | $213.31 | +$44.93 |
| Weekly employer cost | $1871.57 | $2344.35 | +$472.79 |
Here is the award floor for CW3 Level 3, tradesperson: $1871.57 for this week. Your EBA sits above it at $2344.35, $472.79 more. Only your agreement tells you by how much, clause by clause, and that gap is the part a generalist payroll system never sees.
What this data cannot tell you
- The data does not tell you which award covers the work, or which classification a person sits in.
- It does not tell you which allowances and entitlements are payable on your site.
- It does not know whether an enterprise agreement overrides any of it.
- Where the data and the award text conflict, the award prevails.
Fair Work Commission, Building and Construction General On-site Award MA000020. Figures held here are indicative and rounded. Pay runs should come from the current award text and your registered agreement.
Rate card
Get the CW3 rate card as a PDF
The figures above are yours, no details needed. This sends the one page card: classification, every input, the award figure, your EBA figure and the gap, ready to sit in front of a director.
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Rate questions
Why is the award rate higher than the base rate in the award table?
Because the industry and tool allowances are all-purpose: they form part of the rate that overtime and penalties are calculated on. Leaving them out of the base is the most common construction underpayment.
Is my EBA always better than the award?
Usually on base rates, but not always clause by clause. The better-off comparison happens per entitlement, which is why we build both and apply the more favourable rule.
How often do award rates change?
Annually, from the Fair Work Commission's minimum wage decision, effective the first full pay period on or after 1 July. Agreement rates step on their own anniversary dates.
What is the CW3 award rate?
CW3 is the trades classification under MA000020. Its award hour is the base rate plus the all-purpose allowances, so the figure that overtime is calculated on is higher than the base rate printed in the pay guide. Select CW3 above to see the built-up hour and a full week against it.
Is super paid on overtime?
No. Overtime is not ordinary time earnings, so the twelve per cent applies to ordinary hours, all-purpose allowances and RDO accrual, not to the overtime lines. Weekend and public holiday hours worked as overtime are treated the same way here.
Can I rely on these figures for a pay run?
No. They are indicative for comparison. Pay runs should come from the current award text and your registered agreement, which is exactly what our engine holds.
Rates indicative as at August 2026. Check the current award and your agreement before paying.