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Minimum wage for a 20 year old Australia: junior rate and salary index position
Find the minimum wage for a 20 year old in Australia. The junior national minimum wage is $25.83 per hour, below the adult rate. See where it sits on the salary index.
The junior national minimum wage for a 20-year-old is $25.83 per hour, annualising to about $51,000, which places it below the national line at an index of roughly 47.
Minimum wage for a 20 year old Australia: what you need to know
The minimum wage for a 20 year old in Australia is a junior rate set by the Fair Work Ombudsman under the National Minimum Wage Order. As of 1 July 2026, that rate is $25.83 per hour. This is the legal minimum for a 20-year-old employee who is not covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement. If you are 20 and working full-time (38 hours per week), your annual salary before tax and super would be about $51,000.
To understand where this pay sits in the broader Australian economy, we use the Salary Index. The index compares your gross yearly earnings to the national line of 100, which represents full-time adult ordinary-time earnings. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (May 2026), that national line is $108,352 per year. The adult national minimum wage ($26.44/hr) annualises to $52,255, giving it an index of 48.2. The 20-year-old junior rate, at roughly $51,000, works out to an index of about 47. That means a 20-year-old on the junior minimum earns just under half of the national average full-time earnings.
How the junior rate is calculated
The junior rates for workers under 21 are based on a percentage of the adult national minimum wage. The percentages are set each year in the National Minimum Wage Order. For a 20-year-old, the rate is $25.83, which is about 97.7% of the adult rate of $26.44. For younger ages, the percentages are lower: for example, a 19-year-old gets $21.81 per hour, and an 18-year-old gets $18.06 per hour. These rates apply to ordinary hours (usually 38 per week for full-time). If you work casual, you also get a casual loading of 25%, bringing the 20-year-old casual rate to $32.29 per hour.
It is important to note that modern awards can set different junior rates. For instance, the Retail Award might have its own percentages that are higher or lower than the national minimum. Always check the award that covers your job. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides pay guides for each award to help you find the correct rate.
Where the 20-year-old minimum sits on the index
The Salary Index is a simple tool: take your yearly gross pay, divide by the national line ($108,352), and multiply by 100. For the 20-year-old junior minimum, that gives an index of about 47. This is below the national line, meaning the pay is less than half of what the average full-time adult earns. To put it in perspective, the average index for all full-time workers is 100. Industries like mining (index 154.7) pay much more, while retail (75.9) and accommodation and food services (72.5) pay less. The junior minimum for a 20-year-old is even lower than those industry averages, reflecting that it is a starting point for young workers.
If you are 20 and working in a state like Western Australia (index 106.9) or the Australian Capital Territory (109.9), the overall cost of living and average wages are higher, but the national junior minimum still applies unless a state-specific minimum wage is higher. Most states adopt the national minimum, but you can check state guides for any differences.
What about tax and super?
Your take-home pay from the $25.83 per hour will be less after tax and the Medicare levy. For the 2026–27 financial year, a resident earning $51,000 per year falls into the 30% tax bracket (after the tax-free threshold of $18,200). The tax on $51,000 is roughly $7,500 plus the 2% Medicare levy, leaving about $42,000 net. Superannuation guarantee of 12% is paid on top by your employer, but that goes into your super fund, not your pocket. These figures are estimates and ignore HELP repayments or other adjustments.
Why this matters for your pay
Knowing the minimum wage for a 20 year old in Australia helps you understand if you are being paid correctly. If you are 20 and on the junior rate, you should check that your pay matches the award or the national minimum. If you are an employer, you must pay at least this rate. The Salary Index can help you compare any pay figure to the national line, giving context beyond just the dollar amount.
Summary
The minimum wage for a 20-year-old in Australia is $25.83 per hour, with an annualised index of about 47. This is below the national line and below the adult minimum. Always verify your award or agreement, as many industries pay more. Use the topics page to explore related pay rates and conditions.
Questions people ask
What is the minimum wage for a 20-year-old in Australia?
As of 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage for a 20-year-old is $25.83 per hour. This is the junior rate set under the National Minimum Wage Order. It applies to employees not covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement. For a full-time worker (38 hours per week), this annualises to roughly $51,000 before tax and super.
How does the 20-year-old minimum wage compare to the adult rate?
The adult national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, so the 20-year-old rate is about 97.7% of the adult rate. On the Salary Index (where 100 equals full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $108,352), the adult minimum sits at 48.2, while the 20-year-old junior rate is around 47. This means it is below the national line, reflecting the lower pay floor for younger workers.
Is the junior rate the same across all industries?
No. The $25.83 per hour is the national minimum for a 20-year-old, but many modern awards set their own junior rates, which can be higher or lower depending on the industry. For example, the Retail Award and Hospitality Award have specific junior percentages. Always check the relevant award or agreement, as the award rate may be the minimum you must be paid.