What is the minimum wage for a 16-year-old in Australia?

There is no single minimum wage for 16-year-olds. The national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour (from 1 July 2026) applies to adult employees. Junior employees under 21 are entitled to a percentage of the adult rate under their award or agreement. The exact percentage depends on the industry, the award, and the employee's age. Fair Work's Pay and Conditions Tool provides the correct rate for each specific award.

How does junior pay compare to the adult minimum wage?

Junior rates are typically lower than the adult minimum wage. For example, under the General Retail Industry Award, a 16-year-old may receive 50–60% of the adult rate. This means their hourly pay could be around $13–$16, well below the adult minimum of $26.44. The exact percentage varies by award and age. The adult minimum wage itself is about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week, which is roughly half the national full-time average of $108,352.

What would the take-home pay be for a 16-year-old on junior rates?

Take-home pay depends on the junior rate, hours worked, and tax. For a 16-year-old earning, say, $15 per hour for 20 hours a week, weekly gross pay would be $300. After tax (using 2026–27 rates, tax-free threshold up to $18,200), no tax is withheld if annual income is below $18,200. Medicare levy may apply if income exceeds $24,276. So take-home could be close to gross. Compare this to the adult minimum wage take-home: $1,004.90 per week gross, after tax and Medicare about $830–$850 depending on other factors.

Minimum Wage Australia 16 Year Old: How Junior Pay Compares to the National Average

Minimum Wage Australia 16 Year Old: A Resident Take-Home Sketch

When you search for "minimum wage australia 16 year old", you are likely asking how much a teenager can expect to earn and how that compares to the typical Australian salary. The answer is not a single number because junior rates are set by awards, not by a national minimum. This article uses the national full-time average as a reference point to show where junior pay sits.

The National Minimum Wage for Adults

From 1 July 2026, Fair Work set the national minimum wage at $26.44 per hour. For a full-time adult working 38 hours a week, that works out to $1,004.90 per week or about $52,255 per year. This is the legal floor for adult employees not covered by an award or agreement. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time.

Junior Rates: No Single Figure

For employees under 21, the minimum wage is a percentage of the adult rate under the relevant award. The percentage increases with age. For a 16-year-old, typical award rates range from 45% to 60% of the adult rate, depending on the industry. For example, under the General Retail Industry Award, a 16-year-old receives 50% of the adult rate. That would be about $13.22 per hour. Under the Hospitality Industry General Award, the rate for a 16-year-old is 60% of the adult rate, or about $15.86 per hour. These are illustrative; the exact rate depends on the specific award and classification. Fair Work provides a Pay and Conditions Tool to check the correct rate.

How Junior Pay Sits Against the National Full-Time Average

The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). This is the line on this site. A 16-year-old working part-time at a junior rate of, say, $15 per hour for 20 hours a week earns $300 per week. That is roughly 14% of the full-time average. Even a 16-year-old working full-time (38 hours) at the highest common junior rate of 60% would earn about $602 per week, or 29% of the average. The gap is large because the average includes experienced adults in higher-paid roles.

Take-Home Pay Sketch for a Resident

Using the 2026–27 resident tax rates, a 16-year-old earning $300 per week ($15,600 per year) pays no tax because the tax-free threshold is $18,200. The Medicare levy of 2% applies only if income exceeds $24,276, so no Medicare levy either. Take-home pay is the full $300 per week. Compare that to an adult on the national minimum wage working full-time: $1,004.90 per week gross. After tax (using the 30% bracket for income between $45,000 and $135,000) and Medicare levy, take-home is about $830–$850 per week. The adult minimum wage earner takes home about 2.8 times what a 16-year-old on a typical junior part-time rate takes home.

State Full-Time Averages

Full-time average earnings vary by state. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest at about $119,090, while Tasmania has the lowest at about $96,008. A 16-year-old's junior pay will be even further below these state averages. For context, the all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). A 16-year-old earning $15,600 is well below that median.

Medians and the Minimum Wage

The full-time median salary is about $90,532 per year. The adult minimum wage of $52,255 is about 58% of that median. Junior rates are even lower. The gap between junior pay and the average or median highlights the importance of career progression and skill development.

Where to Find More Information

Place a salary on the line to see how any wage compares to the national average.
States and territories show how averages differ across Australia.
Job medians and Industry medians provide more context for specific roles.
Guides explain how awards and agreements affect pay.
How the figures are set details the sources: ABS Average Weekly Earnings, ABS Employee Earnings, and Fair Work decisions.
About this site explains the methodology.

Key Takeaways

There is no single minimum wage for a 16-year-old; junior rates are set by awards.
The adult national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, or about $52,255 per year.
The national full-time average is $108,352 per year, more than double the adult minimum.
A 16-year-old on a typical junior part-time rate earns a small fraction of the average.
Take-home pay for a low-income 16-year-old is often tax-free due to the tax-free threshold.

Understanding where junior pay sits against the national average helps set realistic expectations for young workers and their families. Use the tools on this site to compare any salary.