Building and Construction General On-site Award 2025 Pay Rates (MA000020)

Plain-English Summary

Who does this award cover?

The Building and Construction General On-site Award covers employees who perform building and construction work on-site across Australia. If you are a labourer, carpenter, bricklayer, plasterer, painter, plumber, electrician (construction), tiler, concreter, scaffolder, or any other on-site construction worker, this award applies to you. It covers an estimated 450,000 workers across residential, commercial, and civil construction.

This award applies to on-site work only. If you work in an off-site workshop, factory, or yard, you may be covered by the Joinery and Building Trades Award (MA000029) or another manufacturing award. It does not cover architects, engineers, or other professional employees (covered by the Professional Employees Award). See clause 4.1 for full coverage terms, including the definition of "on-site" in clause 4.9.

How classification levels work

The award uses a two-stream classification structure: Construction Worker (CW) levels and Engineering Construction Worker (ECW) levels. CW levels 1 through 9 cover general building and construction. Level 1 has four sub-levels (a through d) for new entrants and labourers. CW 3 covers semi-skilled tradespeople and experienced labourers. CW 5 covers fully qualified tradespeople. CW 8 and 9 cover advanced and specialist tradespeople. Your employer must classify you based on your skills, qualifications, and the work you actually do (clause 14 and Schedule A).

RDOs and the 36-hour week

Construction workers typically work a 36-hour week rather than 38 hours because of the Rostered Day Off (RDO) system (clause 33). Under this system, you work 8 ordinary hours per day, Monday to Friday, but accrue time towards a rostered day off -- usually one day every 4 weeks. Your weekly rate is still based on 38 hours (it includes the RDO accrual), but your daily ordinary hours are 8 hours, not 7.6. This is a common point of confusion.

Classification Levels and Base Rates

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

Hourly rate = weekly rate / 38 (clause 33.1). Casual rate = hourly rate x 1.25 (clause 11.1).

Penalty Rates

All penalties are calculated on the base hourly rate (clause 36 and clause 37).

Full-Time and Part-Time Employees

Casual Employees

Casual penalty rates include the 25% casual loading. Sunday casual = base x 2.25 (not base x 1.25 x 2.00). See clause 36.3.

Worked Examples

Example 1: Casual labourer working a Saturday

Marco is a casual CW 1(b) labourer who works 6 hours on a Saturday.

• Base rate: $25.96/hr
• Saturday casual rate (first 2 hours): 175% = $25.96 x 1.75 = $45.43/hr
• Saturday casual rate (next 4 hours): 225% = $25.96 x 2.25 = $58.41/hr
• Total: (2 x $45.43) + (4 x $58.41) = $90.86 + $233.64 = $324.50 gross
• Clause reference: clause 36.3

Example 2: Full-time carpenter with overtime

Tina is a permanent CW 5 carpenter who works her normal 8-hour day Monday, then her boss asks her to stay an extra 3 hours.

• Base rate: $29.89/hr
• Ordinary hours (8 hours): $29.89/hr x 8 = $239.12
• Overtime first 2 hours: 150% = $29.89 x 1.50 = $44.84/hr x 2 = $89.68
• Overtime 3rd hour: 200% = $29.89 x 2.00 = $59.78/hr x 1 = $59.78
• Total for 11-hour day: $388.58 gross
• Clause reference: clause 37.1(a)

Example 3: Tradesperson working a public holiday

Dave is a full-time CW 5 plumber who works an 8-hour public holiday shift.

• Base rate: $29.89/hr
• Public holiday rate: 250% = $29.89 x 2.50 = $74.73/hr
• Total for 8 hours: $597.84 gross
• Plus: Dave is entitled to a substitute day off (clause 39)
• Clause reference: clause 36.1(c)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do Rostered Days Off (RDOs) work in construction?

Under the RDO system, you work 8 hours per day Monday to Friday, but your weekly pay is based on 38 hours -- not 40. The extra 0.4 hours per day (2 hours per week) accrues towards a paid day off, usually taken one day per 4-week cycle (clause 33.1). Your RDO is a paid day at ordinary rates. If your employer asks you to work on your RDO, you are entitled to overtime rates. The RDO calendar is typically set by industry agreement at the start of each year.

2. Do I get wet weather pay if a site shuts down because of rain?

Yes. If you attend the site and cannot work because of wet weather, you are entitled to be paid for the time you are on-site waiting (clause 24.1). You must remain on-site and available to work if conditions improve. The employer can ask you to do alternative work under cover during wet weather. If you are sent home, you are paid for the time you were present. The specific entitlements depend on whether your employer uses the "Inclement Weather" provisions in clauses 23 and 24.

3. What allowances does the construction award include?

The construction award includes several common allowances: industry allowance (clause 21.1), tool allowance for tradespeople (clause 21.2), travel and fares allowance for travelling between your home and the site (clause 25), height allowance for work above 15 metres (clause 21.5), and confined space allowance (clause 21.6). These can add $30 to $80 per week to your base pay depending on your trade and conditions. The industry allowance alone is worth roughly $25 per week.

4. What is the minimum engagement for casual construction workers?

A casual employee must be engaged and paid for a minimum of 4 hours per engagement (clause 11.2). This is longer than most other awards (Retail is 3 hours, Hospitality is 2 hours). At CW 1(a) casual rate ($31.83/hr), the minimum payment for any casual engagement is $127.32 gross.

5. I am an apprentice. Does this award cover me?

Yes. Apprentices are covered by this award and have their own pay rates based on a percentage of the CW 5 tradesperson rate (clause 15 and Schedule C). First-year apprentices typically receive around 55% of the CW 5 rate, increasing annually until completion. Once you complete your apprenticeship and hold a trade certificate, you move to the CW 5 rate. You are also entitled to paid study leave and the same allowances as other employees.

Check Your Rate

Working on a building site and not sure if your pay stacks up? Use our free calculator to check your exact rate.

Check your pay rate now

Select your classification level (labourer, tradesperson, foreperson), enter your employment type and the days you work, and get a breakdown showing your rate for each part of your week -- including Saturday step-ups, overtime tiers, and the RDO accrual.

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Home > Awards > Building and Construction General On-site Award (MA000020)

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.