Restaurant Award Pay Rates 2025–26
Last updated: March 2026 · Rates effective 1 July 2025 · MA000119
If you work in a restaurant or café in Australia, there’s a high chance your Sunday pay is wrong. The Restaurant Industry Award has one of the highest Sunday penalty rates of any award in the country — and it’s frequently either not applied at all, or applied using incorrect multipliers from the Hospitality Award.
If you work at a standalone restaurant, café, or bistro — this award applies to you.
Real example
Scenario: Casual waitstaff, Level 3, standalone restaurant. Working one Sunday per week.
What they were paid:
- $33.38/hr — same every day
What should have happened:
- Sunday casual Level 3 — $46.73/hr
Underpayment per Sunday shift: $13.35/hr difference.
Why it happens: Many employers pay a flat casual rate and never apply the Sunday multiplier. Most employees never check — and most never realise.
Who the Restaurant Award covers
The Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119) applies to standalone restaurants and cafés.
✓ Covered
- Standalone restaurants
- Standalone cafés
- Reception centres
- Nightclubs
- Catering as part of a restaurant business
✗ Not covered
- Restaurants or cafés inside hotels → Hospitality Award
- Contract catering → Hospitality Award
Not sure which award applies? See what happens when the wrong award is applied.
What are you entitled to under the Restaurant Award?
- Saturday rates: 1.25× ordinary rate (permanent)
- Sunday rates: 1.5× ordinary rate (permanent); casual rate is higher and level-dependent
- Public holiday rates: 2.25× ordinary rate (permanent), 2.5× casual base rate
- Late night (10pm–midnight): loading on top of applicable rate
- Early morning (midnight–6am): loading on top
- No evening loading before 10pm — unlike the Hospitality Award
- Casual loading: 25% — does not replace penalty rates, both apply
- Minimum casual engagement: 2 hours per shift
- Overtime: After 7.6 hours in a day or 38 hours in a week (permanent)
- Split shift allowance: per shift (permanent and part-time)
- Tool allowance: per day for cooks using own knives
For weekend and public holiday multipliers, see the full Restaurant Award penalty rates guide. For overtime thresholds and worked examples, see the Restaurant Award overtime guide.
Restaurant Casual Pay Rates 2025 — Classification Levels
Under the Restaurant Award, your pay rate depends on your classification level and the day you work. The table below shows the minimum casual rates for each level effective 1 July 2025.
| Level | Typical roles | Ordinary (casual) | Saturday | Sunday | Public Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | F&B attendant (basic) | $31.19 | $37.43 | $43.67 | $62.38 |
| Level 2 | F&B attendant (experienced) | $32.31 | $38.77 | $45.23 | $64.62 |
| Level 3 | Trained attendant, Cook Grade 2 | $33.38 | $40.06 | $46.73 | $66.76 |
| Level 4 | Trade qualified cook | $35.15 | $42.18 | $49.21 | $70.30 |
| Level 5 | Supervisor, advanced tradesperson | $37.35 | $44.82 | $52.29 | $74.70 |
| Level 1 | F&B attendant (basic) | $31.19 | $37.43 | $43.67 | $62.38 |
| Level 2 | F&B attendant (experienced) | $32.31 | $38.77 | $45.23 | $64.62 |
| Level 3 | Trained attendant, Cook Grade 2 | $33.38 | $40.06 | $46.73 | $66.76 |
| Level 4 | Trade qualified cook | $35.15 | $42.18 | $49.21 | $70.30 |
| Level 5 | Supervisor, advanced tradesperson | $37.35 | $44.82 | $52.29 | $74.70 |
| Level 6 | Specialist cook | $38.35 | $46.02 | $53.69 | $76.70 |
| Level 2 | F&B attendant (experienced) | $32.31 | $38.77 | $45.23 | $64.62 |
| Level 3 | Trained attendant, Cook Grade 2 | $33.38 | $40.06 | $46.73 | $66.76 |
| Level 4 | Trade qualified cook | $35.15 | $42.18 | $49.21 | $70.30 |
| Level 5 | Supervisor, advanced tradesperson | $37.35 | $44.82 | $52.29 | $74.70 |
Rates are casual rates based on the Fair Work Commission pay guide for MA000119 effective 1 July 2025. Actual rates may vary slightly by sub-classification.
Red flags your pay may be wrong
If any of these apply, there’s a good chance you’re being underpaid:
• Same rate on Sundays as Tuesdays
• No separate penalty rate lines on payslip
• No change in pay after getting trade qualification
• Casual loading explained as "covering weekends"
• Flat rate quoted regardless of day
Common underpayments under the Restaurant Award
These are the exact patterns we see when people have been underpaid:
Wrong award applied
Hospitality Award rates used instead of Restaurant Award rates. The two awards have different penalty multipliers and different classification structures.
Flat casual rate every day
A flat casual rate that doesn't change on weekends or public holidays almost always means penalty rates are being absorbed illegally.
Level set too low and never reviewed
Your employer must classify you based on your actual duties. If you've gained qualifications or taken on more responsibility, your level should have increased.
Split shift allowance never paid
If your working day is broken into two or more separate periods with an unpaid gap, you're owed the split shift allowance on top of your hourly rate.
Most people experiencing one of these issues are underpaid by hundreds — sometimes thousands — of dollars per year.
Not sure if your Restaurant Award pay is right?
Enter your shifts and find out in 2 minutes. Free, instant, based on official Fair Work rates.
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Pay rates by role
See pay rates specific to your job:
Think something's wrong with your pay?
Start with the issue that sounds most like your situation:
- Am I being underpaid? — the signs and what to do
- Wrong award applied? — Hospitality vs Restaurant Award
- Not getting overtime? — the 7.6-hour daily trigger
- Junior pay rates — under-21 rates and penalties
- Pay feels too low? — diagnostic checklist
- Flat rate — is it legal? — the pass/fail test
Common scenarios
Answers to specific situations restaurant and café workers ask about:
Frequently asked questions
Does the Restaurant Award apply to cafés?
Yes — the Restaurant Industry Award covers standalone cafés. If the café is part of a hotel or accommodation venue, the Hospitality Award applies instead. For standalone cafés operating independently, the Restaurant Award is the correct award.
My Sunday rate looks the same as a Tuesday — is that ever legal?
Rarely. Under the Restaurant Award, Sunday attracts a significant penalty rate for both permanent and casual employees. If you’re being paid the same rate on a Sunday as a Tuesday, it’s almost certainly an underpayment — unless your employer can prove a flat rate that demonstrably exceeds every award entitlement in every scenario.
I have a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery — what level am I?
Level 4 minimum. A Certificate III in Commercial Cookery is a trade qualification, and the Restaurant Award requires that trade-qualified cooks be classified at Level 4 or above. If you’re still being paid at Level 2 or 3, you’re being underpaid.
Does casual loading replace my penalty rates?
No — and this is one of the most common misunderstandings. Casual loading (25%) compensates for not receiving paid leave. Penalty rates are separate and apply on top. A casual working a Sunday receives their base rate, plus the 25% loading, plus the Sunday penalty rate. If you’re only getting the loading, you’re being underpaid.
How far back can I claim underpayment?
Six years. Under the Fair Work Act, you can claim underpayments going back up to 6 years from the date you lodge. That means even small weekly underpayments can add up to very large amounts over time. Don’t wait — the longer you leave it, the more you may lose as older shifts fall outside the window.
Don’t guess — small underpayments add up fast.
Enter your shifts below and see exactly what you should have been paid — including overtime, penalty rates, and allowances. It takes 2 minutes — and you’ll know for certain.
Check my pay nowBased on official pay rates from the Fair Work Commission (MA000119).
Rates sourced from the Fair Work Commission pay guide for MA000119, effective 1 July 2025. General information only — not legal advice. Verify rates at fairwork.gov.au.