Casual Loading and Casual Pay Rates 2026
Casual loading is an extra amount paid on top of the permanent hourly rate for a classification. It compensates casual employees for not receiving paid leave and the other entitlements that permanent staff build up.
A casual employee has no guaranteed hours and does not accrue paid annual leave or paid personal leave. To make up for that, awards add a casual loading to the ordinary hourly rate. The loading is a fixed percentage set by the award, so a casual doing the same work as a permanent colleague is paid a higher hourly figure for ordinary hours. The idea is that the extra in each pay packet stands in for the leave and the security a permanent employee builds up over time.
Rather than leave you to do the sum, AwardScale shows the published casual hourly rate for each classification for 2026, next to the permanent rate. That casual figure already has the loading built in, so it is the ordinary casual rate for the job, ready to read straight off.
Casual penalty rates work the same way. The published casual rate for a weekend, an evening or a public holiday already includes the casual loading, so the loading should not be added a second time on top. In other words, the casual weekend rate shown is the full resulting hourly for that time, not the permanent penalty rate with a loading still to come.
Exactly how the loading combines with penalties can differ between awards. Some awards compound the loading and the penalty, others add them, and a few set out the combined casual rate directly in a table. The casual figures here follow the method set out by the Fair Work Commission for each award, using the published minimums for 2026, so the resulting hourly matches the way the award is written.
One thing worth remembering is that a higher casual hourly rate is not extra pay for the same deal. It reflects a different arrangement, with the loading standing in for paid leave and notice. AwardScale simply shows the published casual and permanent rates side by side for 2026, so the difference between the two is clear.
See a casual rate
Common questions
What is casual loading for?
It stands in for the paid leave and other entitlements that casual employees do not receive, and is added to the ordinary hourly rate for the classification.
Do casual penalty rates already include the loading?
Yes. The published casual rate for a weekend, evening or public holiday already includes the casual loading, so it is not added again on top.
Why is casual pay higher than permanent pay?
For the same classification the casual ordinary rate is higher because it carries the loading, in place of paid leave and the other permanent entitlements.
Rates current as of 1 July 2026. Source: Fair Work Commission — Modern Awards Pay Database. Last checked .
General information only — not legal, industrial or financial advice. These are the published minimum rates for information. Your modern award or enterprise agreement prevails if there is any inconsistency. Check the official source above or the Fair Work Ombudsman for your situation.