Animal Care and Veterinary Services 2025 Pay Rates (MA000118)

Plain-English Summary

Who does this award cover?

The Animal Care and Veterinary Services covers employees in animal care and veterinary services, including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, animal attendants, kennel hands, and animal care industry inspectors. If you work at a vet clinic, animal shelter, boarding kennel, or animal welfare organisation, this award applies to you. It covers approximately 40,000 workers across Australia.

This award does NOT cover pet shop retail workers (General Retail Industry Award, MA000004), agricultural workers handling livestock (Pastoral Award, MA000035), or racing industry animal care workers (Horse and Greyhound Training Award, MA000008). See clause 4.1 for the full coverage terms.

How classification levels work

The award has three main classification streams: veterinary surgeons, practice managers/veterinary nurses/attendants, and animal care industry inspectors. Each stream has its own classification levels and, for inspectors, specific shiftwork provisions.

Key features of this award

Veterinary clinics often operate weekends and provide after-hours emergency services. The award includes morning and afternoon shift penalties for weekday work, and specific Saturday afternoon penalty rates. Animal care inspectors have their own shift penalty structure.

Classification Levels and Base Rates

All rates effective 1 July 2025. Source: Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2024-25.

Refer to the Fair Work Commission pay guide for MA000118 for current dollar amounts for each classification level. Hourly rate = weekly rate / 38. Casual rate = hourly rate x 1.25.

Penalty Rates

Penalty rate multipliers from the Fair Work Commission penalty rate schedule for MA000118. All penalties are calculated on the base hourly rate.

The award specifies penalty rates ranging from 100% to 275% depending on when and how you work.

Full-Time and Part-Time Employees

Casual Employees

Penalty rate categories in this award

The following penalty rate descriptions apply under MA000118:

• Casual hourly rate
• Minimum hourly rate
• Monday to Friday - Morning shift and afternoon shift
• Monday to Friday - Night shift
• Monday to Saturday - After 3 hours
• Monday to Saturday - First 3 hours
• Public holiday
• Public holidays
• Saturday
• Saturday after 1.00 pm - After 3 hours
• Saturday after 1.00 pm - First 3 hours
• Sunday
• Sunday - all day

Casual penalty rates include the 25% casual loading. Refer to the specific award clauses for exact percentages applicable to each classification level and employment type.

Worked Examples

Example 1: Casual worker on a Sunday

A casual employee working a 3 hours-hour minimum shift on a Sunday.

• Base hourly rate: refer to your classification level in the MA000118 pay guide
• Sunday casual rate: base rate x Sunday casual penalty percentage
• Minimum payment: Sunday casual rate x 3 hours hours
• Clause reference: refer to casual penalty rates clause

Example 2: Full-time worker on a public holiday

A full-time employee working an 8-hour public holiday shift.

• Base hourly rate: refer to your classification level in the MA000118 pay guide
• Public holiday rate: base rate x public holiday percentage (up to 275%)
• Total: public holiday rate x 8 hours
• Clause reference: refer to public holiday clause

Example 3: Part-time worker with overtime

A part-time employee who works 2 hours beyond their rostered hours on a weekday.

• Base hourly rate: refer to your classification level in the MA000118 pay guide
• Overtime rate: base rate x overtime percentage
• Clause reference: refer to overtime clause

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do vet nurses get penalty rates for Saturday afternoon work?

Yes, work on Saturday after 1pm attracts overtime rates, with different rates for the first 3 hours and subsequent hours.

2. Are animal shelter workers covered?

Yes, animal attendants and welfare officers at animal shelters are covered, typically under the practice managers/veterinary nurses/attendants classification stream.

3. What about emergency vet clinics?

Employees at emergency veterinary clinics are covered. After-hours and weekend work attracts the relevant penalty rates.

4. What is the minimum shift length under this award?

The minimum engagement for casual and part-time employees is 3 hours per shift. Even if you are sent home early, you must be paid for the minimum shift length.

5. How do I check my exact pay rate?

Use our free calculator or refer to the Fair Work Commission pay guide for MA000118. You can also contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 for free advice.

Check Your Rate

Working in veterinary and animal care and want to know your exact pay rate? Use our free calculator to check.

Check your pay rate now

Select your classification stream (vet surgeon, vet nurse, or inspector), level, shiftwork status, employment type, and the days and times you work.

Schema Markup Suggestions

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Table Schema (Dataset)

• name: "Animal Care and Veterinary Services MA000118 Pay Rates July 2025"
• description: "Classification levels and penalty rates for veterinarians, vet nurses, and animal care workers under the Animal Care and Veterinary Services"
• temporalCoverage: "2025-07-01/.."
• creator: Fair Work Commission
• license: CC BY 4.0

Breadcrumb Schema

Home > Awards > Animal Care and Veterinary Services (MA000118)

Rates current as of 1 July 2025. Source: Fair Work Commission, CC BY 4.0. This information is general in nature and is not legal advice. Always verify rates against the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) at calculate.fairwork.gov.au.