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The national minimum wage in Australia increased to $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026 (up from $24.95/hr), following a 6% increase awarded by the Fair Work Commission. For a standard 38-hour full-time week, this equals $1,004.90/week. Casual employees receive a 25% casual loading on top of the base rate, making the casual minimum $33.05/hour. This is one of the highest minimum wages in the world and applies to all workers including international students on Student Visas.

Casual workers in Australia are entitled to at least 25% casual loading on top of the minimum hourly rate. From 1 July 2026, the casual minimum wage is $33.05/hour ($26.44 × 1.25). In practice, many award rates for hospitality, retail, and other casual student jobs are higher than the minimum. Sunday and public holiday penalty rates can push hourly rates to $47–$66/hour under relevant modern awards. Always check your specific award through the Fair Work Commission website.

Australia's tax-free threshold is $18,200 per year. If you earn less than this annually, no income tax is owed. This equates to approximately $350/week or $700/fortnight. At the casual minimum wage ($33.05/hr), you'd stay under the threshold working about 10.5 hours per week throughout the full year. If you exceed $18,200 annually, you pay 16% tax on income between $18,201–$45,000. Always lodge a tax return to claim refunds if you earned below the threshold but had PAYG tax withheld.

Yes, if your total annual income exceeds $18,200 you owe income tax. However, casual work has tax withheld by employers at source (PAYG — Pay As You Go), and the amount withheld is often more than necessary if you work varied hours. Filing a tax return (due by 31 October each year) typically results in a refund for students who worked part of the year. International students are taxed as non-residents if they stay fewer than 6 months — non-residents have no tax-free threshold and pay 32.5% from the first dollar.

Casual employees in Australia generally do not receive paid annual leave or paid sick leave. The 25% casual loading is intended to compensate for this. However, from March 2023, long-term casual employees (12+ months with a regular pattern of work) gained the right to request conversion to permanent part-time status. Students on short-term casual arrangements typically remain casual. You still accrue unpaid carer's leave entitlements, and some modern awards include additional casual entitlements.