The Australian minimum wage from 1906
Updated time
Last updated
12 July 2019
The minimum wage since 1906 in $2012
This is the base level of the federal minimum wage system in Aus $2012.
Sources: Columns 2 and 3 are derived from an FWC table of Commonwealth Arbitration Court decisions, National Wage Case decisions, Nolan and Cohen’s Federal Industrial Law, Third Edition by C.P.Mills, Butterworths and later editions, as well as the Commonwealth Arbitration Reports themselves, by the Hon. Reg Hamilton. Column 3 is extracted from Labour Reports 1968, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979 (ABS Cat No 6101.0), 1978-1995 Victorian Year Book, ABS Cat No.1300.2, National Wage Case Decisions, Metal Industry Award Decisions, 1995-2012 AMWU Research Centre Spreadsheet, Metal Industry Award decisions, Report of the Review of Veterans’ Entitlements (Clarke, Riding, Rosalky 2003), Table A12.2, p.759. The information was compiled by J Rob Bray in ‘Reflections on the Evolution of the Minimum Wage in Australia: Options for the Future’, Research School of Economics, College of Business and Economics, the Australian National University, 2013, Appendix A, Series I and Series II.
| Year | Reference | Amount per week | $2012 Minimum Wage Series I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | (1906) 1 CAR at 27 | £8-£34 per month | |
| 1907 | (1907) 1 CAR 62 | 24s. per 100 sheep shorn | Nov - 279 |
| 1907 | (1907) 1 CAR 122 | £7/6s per day | Nov - 279 |
| 1907 | 2 CAR at 1 | £2.2.0 | |
| 1908 | 2 CAR at 55 | £2.2.0 (42s.) | |
| 1913 | 7 CAR at 58 | £2.10.0 (42s.) | Jun - 280 |
| 1914 | 8 CAR at 127 | 53s. per week | Jun - 271 |
| 1915 | Jun- 245 | ||
| 1916 | Jun - 274 | ||
| 1917 | Jun - 272 | ||
| 1918 | Jun - 255 | ||
| 1919 | 13 CAR at 839 | 11s. 6d. per day (69s.) | Jun - 235 |
| 1920 | Jun - 226 | ||
| 1921 | 15 CAR at 829 | £4.15s (95s.) | Jun - 309 |
| 1922 | 16 CAR at 13 | 85s. per week | |
| 1922 | 16 CAR at 262 | 77s. per week | Jun 302 |
| 1922 | 16 CAR at 829 | £4.10.0 (90s.) | |
| 1923 | From 1923 to 1953 most adjustments to the basic wage came from award clauses automatically applying quarterly variations in the Government index of retail prices to award rates, without a Court decision. In many years there are no Court decisions which reflect the latest level of the basic wage, unless a new award is made using the latest basic wage. There were however Court decisions in 1931, 1937, 1946, and 1950 which changed the basic wage separately to automatic indexation. |
Feb, May, Aug, Nov 296, 295, 309, 319 | |
| 1924 | 20 CAR 60 at 71 | No general case, but indexation. Award £4.5s.6d. (85s.6d.) 4th Q | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 311, 310, 309, 305 |
| 1925 | 23 CAR 85 at 89 | No general case, but indexation. Award £4.6s.6d. (86s.6d.) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 307, 311, 315,315 |
| 1926 | 24 CAR 652 at 655 | No general case, but indexation. Award £4.10s.6d. (90s.6d.) (Syd) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 315, 318, 326, 319 |
| 1927 | 26 CAR 577 | No general case, but indexation. Award £4.7s.6d. (87s.6d.) (Vic) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 318, 318, 315,320 |
| 1928 | 27 CAR 176 at 182 | No general case, but indexation. Award £4.9s.6d. (89s.6d.) (3rd Quarter) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 324, 320, 320, 315 |
| 1929 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 313, 324, 322, 326 | |
| 1930 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 329, 320, 320, 317 | |
| 1931 | 30 CAR at 2 | £3.1.1 (61s.1d.) (10% reduction) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov279, 280, 280, 274 |
| 1932 | 31 CAR 305 at 323 | No general case, but indexation. Award £3.3.0 (63 s.) (SA) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 274, 280, 280, 279 |
| 1933 | 32 CAR 90 at 102, 108 | £3.3.4 (63s.4d.) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 276, 290, 289, 287 |
| 1934 | 33 CAR 144 at 154 | £3.5.0 (65s.) | Feb, May, Jun, Sep, Dec 287, 290, 293, 292, 291 |
| 1935 | 34 CAR 209 at 221 | No general case, but indexation. Award 11s.4d. per day (68s.) (2nd Quarter) | Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec 290, 289, 288, 296 |
| 1936 | 36 CAR 736 at 751 | No general case, but indexation. Award £3.9s. (69s.) (3rd Quarter) | Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec 295, 294, 291, 288 |
| 1937 | 37 CAR at 583, 595 | £3.13.0 (73.s) | Mar, Jun, Jul 293, 291, 303 Sep, Oct, Dec 301, 309, 312 |
| 1938 | 40 CAR 71 at 72 | No general case, but indexation. Award (81s.) (Syd.) | Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec 314, 312, 310, 312 |
| 1939 | 41 CAR 516 | No general case, but indexation. Award £4.1s. (81s.) (Vic) | Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec 310, 312, 309, 306 |
| 1940 | 44 CAR 41 | General case, no change, indexation | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 310, 308, 312, 313 |
| 1941 | 44 CAR at 41 | £4.6.0 (86s.) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 316, 317, 313, 310 |
| 1942 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 306, 307, 311, 314 | |
| 1943 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov314, 311, 314, 312 | |
| 1944 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov309, 310, 311, 311 | |
| 1945 | Judges in Industry, Mark Perlman, Melbourne University Press, p.192 | No general case. 93s. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 311, 311, 311, 309 |
| 1946 | 57 CAR at 603 | £5.0 (100s.) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov, Dec 308, 310, 311, 308, 327 |
| 1947 | Standard Hours and the Basic Wage, R.J.Cameron, (unpublished manuscript), p.108 | No general case, but indexation. 142s. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 330, 327, 327, 325 |
| 1948 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 320, 323, 321, 320 | |
| 1949 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 324, 320, 323, 319 | |
| 1950 | 68 CAR at 696 | £8.2.0 (162s.) | Feb, May, Aug, Nov, Dec 324, 325, 319, 324, 356 |
| 1951 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 372, 369, 375, 376 | |
| 1952 | No general case, but indexation. | Feb, May, Aug, Nov 368, 368, 372, 372 | |
| 1953 | 77 CAR at 477 | £11.16.0 (236s.) | Feb, May, Aug 369, 370, 370 |
| 1954 | No general case, no indexation | ||
| 1955 | No general case, no indexation | ||
| 1956 | 84 CAR 157 at 165, 168 | £12.6.0 (246s.) | Jun - 355 |
| 1957 | 87 CAR 437 at 443 | £12.16.0 (256s.) | May - 361 |
| 1958 | 89 CAR 284 at 299 | £13.1.0 (261s.) | May - 362 |
| 1959 | 91 CAR 680 at 692 | £13.16.0 (276s.) | Jun - 377 |
| 1960 | 94 CAR 313 at 321 | £13.16.0 (276s.) | |
| 1960 | 96 CAR at 572 | £13.16.0 (276s.) | |
| 1961 | 97 CAR 376 at 409, 411 | £14.8.0 (288s.) | Jul - 366 |
| 1962 | No Case | £14.8.0 (288s.) | |
| 1963 | No Case | £14.8.0 (288s.) | |
| 1964 | 106 CAR 629 at 650 | £15.8.0 (308s.) | Jun - 386 |
| 1965 | 110 CAR at 93 | £15.8.0 (308s.) | |
| 1966 | 115 CAR 93 at 123 | £16.8.0 (328s.) | Jul - 423 |
| 1967 | 118 CAR 655 at 661 | $1.00 | |
| 1967 | 118 CAR at 219 | Nil | Jul 424 |
| 1967 | 121 CAR 454 at 463 | various | |
| 1968 | 124 CAR 463 at 467, 468 | $1.35 | Oct - 423 |
| 1969 | 129 CAR 617 at 619 | 3% | Dec - 445 |
| 1970 | 135 CAR 244 at 247 | 6% | |
| 1971 | Jan - 466 | ||
| 5 May 1972 | 143 CAR at 290 | $2.00 | May - 473 |
| 15 December 1972 | 147 CAR at 172 | Nil | |
| 8 May 1973 | 149 CAR at 75 | 2% | May - 529 |
| 2 May 1974 | 157 CAR 293 at 304 | 2% plus $2.50 | May - 527 |
| Year/Month | Reference | Amount | Series I | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | April | 167 CAR 18, Print C2200 | 3.6% | |
| 1975 | Sept | 171 CAR 79, Print C2700 | 3.5% | 520, 527, 523 |
| 1975 | Nov | 172 CAR 279, Print C4736 | Increase Refused | |
| 1976 | Feb | 175 CAR 343, Print C4405 | 6.4% | 527 |
| 1976 | May | 177 CAR 335, Print C5500 | 3.0% up to $125.00 $3.80 thereafter |
542,559 |
| 1976 | Aug | 179 CAR 59, Print D0550 | $2.50 up to $166.00 1.5% thereafter |
559 |
| 1976 | Nov | 182 CAR 225, Print D1460 | 2.2% | 557 |
| 1977 | Mar | 186 CAR 557, Print D2720 | $5.70 | 544 |
| 1977 | May | 188 CAR 591, Print D3315 and D3315A | 1.9% up to $200.00 $3.80 thereafter |
554 |
| 1977 | Aug | 192 CAR 847, Print D4320 | 2.0% | 553 |
| 1977 | Nov | 198 CAR 520, Print D5501 | 1.5% | 537 |
| 1978 | Feb | 201 CAR 447, Print D6070 | 1.5% up to $170.00 $2.60 thereafter |
546 |
| 1978 | Mar | 205 CAR 399, Print D7262 | 1.3% | 534 |
End Series I
| Year/Month | Reference Incl print no. |
Amount | $2012 Minimum Wage Series II |
Min Wage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Sep | 211 CAR 268, Print D8400 | Wage Fixing Principles Case | 579 | ||
| 1978 | Sep | 215 CAR 84, Print D8920 | 4.0% | 589 | ||
| 1979 | June | 223 CAR 729 | E0267 & E0267A | 3.2% | 582590 | |
| 1980 | Jan | 232 CAR 12 | E1681 | 4.5% | 599 | |
| 1980 | Mar | 235 CAR 246 | E2370 | Decision No. 2 | ||
| 1980 | July | 241 CAR 258 | E3410 | 4.2% | 593 | |
| 1981 | Jan | 250 CAR 79 | E5000 | 3.7% | 592 | |
| 1981 | Apr | 254 CAR 341 | E6000B | Wage Fixing Principles Case | ||
| 1981 | May | 255 CAR 652 | E6300 | 3.6% | 599 | |
| 1981 | July | 260 CAR 4 | E7300 | Indexation System Abandoned | 632 | |
| 1982 | May | 274 CAR 473 | E9700 | Increase Refused | 650 | |
| 1982 | Dec | 287 CAR 82 | F1600 | Wage Pause | ||
| 1983 | Sep | 291 CAR 3 | F2900 | 4.3% | 599 | |
| 1983/4 | No increase, CPI -0.2%, No National Wage Hearing | |||||
| 1984 | April | 293 CAR 40 | F5000 | 4.1% | 612 | |
| 1985 | April | 297 CAR 7 | F8100 | 2.6% | 602 | |
| 1985 | Nov | 299 CAR 163 | G0700 | 3.8% | 596 | |
| 1986 | June | 301 CAR 611 | G3600 | 2.3% | 575 | |
| 1986 | Dec | 15 IR 395 | G6400 | Increase refused | ||
| 1987 | Mar | 17 IR 65 | G6800 | $10.00 + 4.00%[1] | 556 | |
| 1987 | Dec | 20 IR 371 | H0100 | Increase refused | 561 | |
| 1988 | Feb | 22 IR 461 | H0900 | $6.00 | 564 | |
| 1988 | Aug | 25 IR 170 | H4000 | 3.0% + 10.0% [2] | 550 | |
| 1989 | Feb | 27 IR 196 | H8200 | - | 554 | |
| 1989 | Aug | 30 IR 81 | H9100 | 3.0% + 3.0%[3] | 559 | |
| 1990 | MarApril | 545551 | ||||
| 1991 | Jan | 535 | ||||
| 1991 | April | 36 IR 120 | J7400 | 2.5% | 550 | See award |
| 1991 | Oct | 39 IR 127 | K0030 | - | 551 | |
| 1993 | Oct | 50 IR 285 | K9700 | - | ||
| 1993 | Nov | 51 IR 54 | K9940 | $8.00 | 547 | See award |
| 1994 | Aug | 55 IR 144 | L4700 | Review of Wage Fixing Principles |
|
|
| 1994 | Sep | 56 IR 114 | L5300 | $8.00 | 537 | See award |
| 1995 | Mar | 537 | ||||
| 1995 | Oct | 61 IR 236 | M5600 | $8.00 | 536 | See award |
| 1997 | April | 71 IR 1 | P1997 | $10.00 | 538 | $359.40 |
[1] The 4% increase accessible under the 2nd tier.
[2] These increases were to be spaced 6 months apart, and were accessible subject to a commitment to negotiations under structural efficiency principle.
[3] These increases were to be spaced 6 months apart, and were accessible subject to the conclusion of an agreement under the structural efficiency principle.
| Year | ReferenceInc. Print No | Amount | Series II | Minimum Wage | ||
| 1998 | April | 79 IR 37 | Q1998 | $14.00 up to $550 pw$12.00 above $550 up to $700 pw$10 above $700 pw | 560 | $373.40 |
| 1999 | April | 87 IR 190 | R1999 | $12.00 up to & incl. $510 pw$10.00 above $510 pw | 571 | $385.40 |
| 2000 | May | 95 IR 64 | S5000 | $15.00 | 577 | $400.40 |
| 2001 | May | 104 IR 314 | PR002001 | $13.00 up to & incl. $490 pw$15.00 above $490 up to $590 pw$17.00 above $590 pw | 562 | $413.40 |
| 2002 | May | 112 IR 411 | PR002002 | $18.00 | 570 | $431.40 |
| 2003 | May | 121 IR 367 | PR002003 | $17.00 up to & incl. $731.80 pw$15.00 above $731.80 pw | 572 | $448.40 |
| 2004 | May | 129 IR 389 | PR002004 | $19.00 pw | 585 | $467.40 |
| 2005 | June | 142 IR 1 | $17.00 pw | 589 | $484.40 | |
Australian Fair Pay Commission General wage setting decisions
| Year | Month | IR ref | Amount | Series II | Minimum Wage |
| 2006 | October | 157 IR 124 | $27.36 pw up to $700 pw $22.04 pw above $700 pw Further $17 pw where no 2005 SNR incr. received before 27 March 2006 but had 2004 SNR or other SN adj. in prior 12 months |
593 | $511.86 pw |
| 2007 | July | 164 IR 1 | $10.26 pw up to $700 pw $5.32 pw above $700 pw |
594 | $522.12 pw |
| 2008 | July | 172 IR 119 | $21.66 pw | 589 | $543.78 pw |
| 2009 | July | 183 IR 1 | No Change | 587 | $543.78 pw |
Fair Work Commission Minimum Wage Panel
| Year | Month | IR Ref |
Print No & MNC | Amount – Awards & other instruments | Series II | Minimum wage |
| 2010 | June | 193 IR 380 | PR062010 [2010] FWAFB 4000 |
$26.00 pw (69c ph) increase, based on 38 hour week Modern Awards and Transitional instruments (including Div 2B enterprise awards, but bot including Div 2B State Awards) |
597 | $569.90 pw $15.00 ph Casual loading for award-free employees: 21% Increase does not apply to award/agreement free juniors and trainees |
| 2011 | June | 203 IR 119 | PR002011 [2011] FWAFB 3400 |
3.4% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents | 596 | $589.30 pw $15.51 ph ($19.40 pw (51c ph) increase, based on 38 hour week) Casual loading for award-free employees: 22% |
| 2012 | June |
222 IR 369 |
PR002012 [2012] FWAFB 5000 |
2.9% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents | 606 | $606.40 pw $15.96 ph ($17.10 pw (45c ph) increase, based on 38 hour week) Casual loading for award-free employees: 23% |
| 2013 | June |
235 IR 332 |
PR002013 [2013] FWCFB 4000 |
2.6% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents | $622.20 pw $16.37 ph ($15.80 pw (41c ph) increase, based on 38 hour week) Casual loading : 24% |
|
| 2014 | June |
245 IR 1 |
PR002014 [2014] FWCFB 3500 |
3% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents. |
$640.90 pw |
|
| 2015 | June |
252 IR 119 |
PR002015 [2015] FWCFB 3500 |
2.5% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents | $656.90 pw $17.29 ph (42 cents per hour increase) Based on 38 hour week Casual loading: 25% |
|
| 2016 | June |
258 IR 201 |
PR002016 [2016] FWCFB3500 |
2.4% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents |
$672.70 pw |
|
| 2017 | June |
267 IR 241 |
PR002017 [2017] FWCFB 3500 |
3.3% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents |
$694.90 pw |
|
| 2018 | June |
279 IR 215 |
PR002018 [2018] FWCFB 3500 |
3.5% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents |
$719.20 pw |
|
| 2019 | June | PR002019 [2019] FWCFB 3500 |
3.0% increase – weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents |
$740.80 pw |