The national line and the junior rate
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average sits at $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That is the line on this site. The national minimum wage for adults, set by Fair Work from 1 July 2026, is $26.44 an hour, or $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week. But for a 14-year-old worker, the picture is different.
There is no single "minimum wage for 14 year old" published by Fair Work or the ABS. Instead, junior rates are set by awards, enterprise agreements, or state laws. The national minimum wage applies only to adult employees (generally 21 and over). For juniors, most modern awards specify a percentage of the adult rate that increases with age.
How awards shape the rate
Under the General Retail Industry Award, for example, a 14-year-old receives 45% of the adult rate. That works out to roughly $11.90 per hour. The Fast Food Industry Award sets 45% at age 14 for level 1 employees. The Hospitality Industry (General) Award uses a sliding scale starting at 40% for a 14-year-old. These percentages are not uniform; each award has its own table.
Because the rate is tied to an award, the same 14-year-old doing different jobs could earn different amounts. The occupation medians page shows typical pay for various roles, but junior rates are not captured in those medians because they are not full-time adult earnings.
State differences
State laws also play a role. In some states, such as Queensland and New South Wales, there are specific minimum wages for juniors not covered by a federal award. These state rates can differ from the award percentages. For instance, the Queensland minimum wage for a 14-year-old (where no award applies) is a percentage of the state adult minimum. This means the same job in different states could pay differently. The states and territories page lists full-time adult averages by state, but junior rates are not included there.
Why the figure moves off the national line
The national full-time average of $108,352 is based on adult ordinary-time earnings. A 14-year-old working casual or part-time hours at a junior rate will earn a fraction of that. Even if they worked 38 hours a week year-round, the maximum they could earn under a typical junior rate (say 45% of $26.44) is about $23,500 a year. That is less than half the adult minimum wage and well below the national average.
But the distance from the line is not just about age. The award itself, the state, and the type of work all affect the actual pay. For example, a 14-year-old in Western Australia (where the full-time adult average is $115,825) might earn a different junior rate than one in Tasmania ($96,008) because state industrial relations systems differ. The industry medians page shows how pay varies by sector, but again, junior rates are not separately reported.
Practical considerations
Employers must check the correct award and apply the right junior percentage. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides pay calculators, but this site does not offer that tool. The guides section has more on how to interpret pay data, but for specific junior rates, refer to the relevant award or state authority.
Summary
The minimum wage for a 14 year old is not a single number. It depends on the award, the state, and the hours worked. The national adult minimum wage and the full-time average are useful benchmarks, but they do not apply directly to junior workers. To see where a 14-year-old's pay sits against the national line, you would need to know the specific award rate and hours. The how the figures are set page explains the sources behind the averages and medians used on this site.
For most 14-year-olds, the hourly rate will be between $10 and $13, far below the adult minimum and the national average. That is by design: junior rates are meant to reflect lower experience and productivity. But the gap also highlights how the national line is an adult, full-time measure. Anyone comparing a junior's pay to that line should adjust for age, hours, and award coverage.