Construction Payslip Generator Australia (2026 Award Rates)

Most on-site construction workers in Australia are covered by the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020), which is a Modern Award under the Fair Work Act 2009. This award sets minimum rates of pay, allowances, overtime, and penalty rates for tradies, labourers, and apprentices working on building and construction sites. Some workers are covered by enterprise agreements or CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union) collective agreements, which typically set rates above the Award minimum.

Under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020, all applicable allowances must appear as separate line items on the payslip. Common construction allowances include: site allowance (varies by project value), travel allowance or fares allowance, tool allowance (for tradies supplying their own tools), meal allowance (when overtime exceeds 1.5 hours), and wet weather allowance. The dollar amount for each allowance must be shown separately — you cannot lump allowances into the base rate.

Under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020, overtime for full-time construction employees is: time and a half (150%) for the first 2 hours of overtime on a weekday; double time (200%) for all overtime thereafter. On Saturdays, the first 2 hours are at 150% and the rest at 200%. On Sundays, all time is at 200%. On public holidays, the rate is typically double time and a half (250%). All overtime and penalty rates must appear as separate line items on the payslip.

The site allowance (also called the "industry allowance" or "project allowance") is a flat allowance paid to construction workers for the general nature of working on a building site — including disability, climatic conditions, and the transient nature of the work. Under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020, the base industry allowance is $5.25 per hour (indicative rate — verify at fairwork.gov.au). For major projects under enterprise agreements, the site allowance may be significantly higher and is negotiated separately.

The travel (fares) allowance under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 compensates workers for travelling to a job site. The allowance is based on the distance from the worker's home to the worksite. For workers travelling more than 50 km, specific daily travel allowances apply. For workers who must be away from home overnight, a living away from home allowance (LAFHA) may also apply. These are typically tax-exempt up to ATO limits. Both must be shown separately on the payslip.

Most construction workers in Australia are members of Cbus Super (Construction and Building Unions Superannuation fund), which is the industry super fund for the construction sector. The mandatory super guarantee rate is 12% from 1 July 2025. Both the dollar contribution amount and the fund name (e.g. "Cbus Super") must appear on every payslip. Some enterprise agreements specify Cbus as the default fund, and employees may only change funds if permitted under the relevant agreement.

CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union) enterprise agreements — negotiated for specific projects or employers — typically pay rates well above the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 minimum. On major infrastructure and civil projects, CFMEU EBA rates can be 20–50% above Award minimums, and additional allowances (e.g. productivity bonuses, height allowances, confined space allowances) may apply. Payslips under a CFMEU EBA must clearly show all applicable rates and allowances. Always check your specific enterprise agreement for the correct rates.

Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (s536) and Fair Work Regulations 2009 (Reg 3.46), a compliant construction payslip must include: employer name and ABN, employee full name, date of payment, pay period start and end dates, gross pay, net pay, PAYG tax withheld, superannuation contributions with fund name, hourly rate of pay, classification level (e.g. CW3 Carpenter), and all allowances (site, travel, tool, meal) as separate line items. Overtime, penalty rates, and any deductions must also appear separately.

Apprentice construction workers are paid a percentage of the relevant tradesperson rate, based on their year of apprenticeship. Under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020, apprentices in Year 1 receive approximately 50% of the tradesperson rate, rising to 87.5% in Year 4. Apprentices are also entitled to tool allowances and travel allowances but the site allowance may be reduced. Payslips for apprentices must clearly show the applicable apprentice year, the percentage rate applied, and all allowances as separate line items.

Yes. OfficeDraft supports casual, full-time, part-time, and apprentice construction workers across all Australian states. Casual construction workers under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 receive a 25% casual loading on top of the ordinary rate. This loading must appear as a separate line item on the payslip. The tool is fully customisable so you can add all relevant allowances and penalty rates.