Cemetery Industry 2025 Pay Rates (MA000070)

Plain-English Summary

Who does this award cover?

The Cemetery Industry covers employees in the cemetery and crematorium industry, including groundskeepers, grave diggers, crematorium operators, memorial sales staff, and cemetery office workers. If you work at a cemetery, crematorium, or memorial park, this award applies to you. It covers approximately 4,000 workers across Australia.

This award does NOT cover funeral home employees (Funeral Industry Award, MA000105), local government employees working in cemeteries (Local Government Industry Award, MA000112), or general gardening workers (Gardening and Landscaping Services Award, MA000101). See clause 4.1 for the full coverage terms.

How classification levels work

Classifications cover roles from general cemetery worker through to experienced operator, trades worker, and supervisor. Levels reflect the range of duties from grounds maintenance to cremation operations.

Key features of this award

Cemetery operations require work on weekends for funerals and interments. The award provides standard penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work.

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 MA000070 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 MA000070. 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 MA000070:

• Monday to Saturday – after 2 hours
• Monday to Saturday – first 2 hours
• Ordinary hours
• Public holiday
• Sunday

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 MA000070 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 MA000070 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 MA000070 pay guide
• Overtime rate: base rate x overtime percentage
• Clause reference: refer to overtime clause

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do cemetery workers get penalty rates for weekend funerals?

Yes, work on Saturdays and Sundays attracts penalty rates. Funerals and interments on weekends are paid at the appropriate weekend penalty rate.

2. Are crematorium operators covered?

Yes, crematorium operators and associated staff at crematoriums are covered by this award.

3. What about memorial consultants?

Memorial sales and advisory staff employed by cemeteries are covered by this award.

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 MA000070. You can also contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 for free advice.

Check Your Rate

Working in cemetery and crematorium and want to know your exact pay rate? Use our free calculator to check.

Check your pay rate now

Select your classification level, employment type, and the days you work.

Schema Markup Suggestions

FAQ Schema (FAQPage)

Apply FAQPage schema to the 5 FAQ questions and answers above.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Do cemetery workers get penalty rates for weekend funerals?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes, work on Saturdays and Sundays attracts penalty rates. Funerals and interments on weekends are paid at the appropriate weekend penalty rate."
      }
    }
  ]
}

Table Schema (Dataset)

• name: "Cemetery Industry MA000070 Pay Rates July 2025"
• description: "Classification levels and penalty rates for cemetery and crematorium employees under the Cemetery Industry"
• temporalCoverage: "2025-07-01/.."
• creator: Fair Work Commission
• license: CC BY 4.0

Breadcrumb Schema

Home > Awards > Cemetery Industry (MA000070)

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.