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Award Wage Increase Calculator 2026

Work out what the 1 July award and minimum wage rises add to your annual wage bill, super and on-costs included.

Your numbers

2026: 4.75% award minimums, 5.97% NMW
Added annual wage cost
 
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Where Compono fits

Knowing the cost is the easy part. The harder question is which of these roles are worth investing in, and which people will still be here in twelve months. Compono adds the people-insight layer that payroll and rostering tools skip, so you can see who fits, who is likely to stay, and where a pay rise actually protects retention. Built on decades of psychometric research and trusted by government departments and mid-market employers across ANZ, rated 4.8 out of 5 on Capterra.

See how it works

How it's calculated

Added wage cost is your award wage bill multiplied by the increase you apply (pre-filled at 4.75% for award minimums and 5.97% for the NMW). We then add flow-on superannuation at 12% and on-costs on the increase, so the figure reflects the true cost to employ, not just the headline pay rise. Benchmarks come from the Fair Work Annual Wage Review 2026, which set the NMW at about $26.44 an hour (about $1,004.90 a week), effective 1 July 2026 (Fair Work Commission; ABC and SMH, 2 June 2026). For context, the 2025 review was 3.5%.

Common questions

When does the 2026 award wage increase take effect?

The new rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. The National Minimum Wage rose 5.97% and award minimums rose 4.75%.

Does the calculator include superannuation?

Yes. It adds flow-on super at the 12% rate on top of the wage increase, plus on-costs, so you see the full cost to employ rather than the pay figure alone.

What is the difference between the National Minimum Wage and award minimums?

The National Minimum Wage is the floor for employees not covered by an award or agreement. Award minimums are set per modern award and usually sit above the NMW. The 2026 review lifted them by different percentages, so we let you apply each one.

How accurate are the default percentages?

The defaults reflect the Fair Work Annual Wage Review 2026 figures (5.97% NMW, 4.75% award), effective 1 July 2026. You can override them if your enterprise agreement sets a different rate.

Figures are estimates using published benchmarks. Sources shown above; rates reviewed annually.