Meat Industry Award: Pay Rates & Employee Entitlements

From 14 October 2025, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) made changes to the Meat Industry Award 2020, including clearer classification definitions and quicker progression from Meat Industry Level 1. And, from 1 July 2025, the FWC increased modern award wages in Australia by 3.5%.

In this guide, we explain who the Meat Industry Award covers, how to classify employees under the Award, and what pay, leave, and penalty rules apply, so you can avoid underpayment or other Fair Work issues.

Meat Industry Award: A Quick Summary for Busy Managers 

Pressed for time? This section covers the essentials:

• The Meat Industry Award [MA000059] sets minimum employment standards and pay rates for employees in the meat industry, which means those working in meat processing, meat manufacturing, and meat retail establishments. 
• To stay compliant, managers must consider:
  • Award coverage: Whether the employee is covered by the Meat Industry Award as opposed to, say, the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award or the Retail Industry Award.
  • Employee type: Whether the employee works full-time, part-time, or casual hours, or is a daily hire employee (including part-time daily hire) in a meat processing establishment. 
  • Employee classification: These range from Level 1 (entry-level meat industry employees) to Level 8 (general butchers in charge of meat retail establishments).
  • Hours and timing of work: Whether the employee works on weekends vs. standard workdays, or works overtime.
• Watch out for the following: 
  • From 14 October 2025, entry-level employees no longer need to remain at Level 1 for 3 months; progression to higher pay levels now depends on demonstrating competence or being certified by the employer.
  • Be sure to correctly calculate and pay overtime and penalty rates for hours worked outside ordinary hours, particularly in retail butcher shops, abattoirs, and meat processing facilities that operate extended or non-standard hours.

Coming up: Award dates and deadlines you need to know

Award Basics

Also known as the Meat Award, the Meat Industry Award is a modern national workplace award in Australia. It’s made by the FWC under the Commonwealth Fair Work Act 2009, one of the country’s major employment laws.

The Award sets out the minimum employment conditions for employers and employees in the meat industry in Australia, including pay rates, working hours, and leave entitlements. It’s designed to ensure employees in the meat industry receive fair treatment and correct entitlements under Fair Work rules.

Employees covered by the Award receive minimum employment conditions under both the National Employment Standards (NES) and the Award. The NES provides 11 basic entitlements, including annual leave and notice periods.

Who’s covered under the Meat Industry Award?

The Meat Industry Award covers most businesses involved in:

• Manufacturing fresh meat.
• Processing fresh meat.
• Selling fresh meat or meat products as part of a standalone retail butcher shop.
• Handling or processing any meat by-products, including skin, hides, and rendering. 
• Distributing, transporting, and storing meat.

Employees covered by the Meat Industry Award include:

• Butchers (including apprentices), meat shop staff, and retail assistants working in butcher shops or meat processing businesses.
• Workers who prepare or process meat, such as boners, slicers, saw operators, packers, and other meat processing workers.
• Abattoir and meat handling workers, including skin classers, trimmers, and people working in cold storage or meat distribution.
• Workers who make smallgoods like sausages, ham, bacon, and similar products.
• Factory workers and machine operators involved in producing processed meat.

Who isn’t covered under the Meat Industry Award?

The Meat Industry Award doesn’t apply to:

• Manufacturing, slaughtering, processing, or selling poultry, game, or game birds (such as chicken retail stores).
• Distributing, transporting, and storing meat when not part of manufacturing, processing, or selling it.
• Meat inspectors.
• Employees focused on machine maintenance tasks.

The Meat Industry Award also doesn’t apply to employers and employees when they’re covered by other awards, such as:

• Retail Industry Award
• Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award
• Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award
• Nurses Award

Coverage self-check: Does the Meat Industry Award apply?

Consider whether the following statements apply to your business and the role you’re checking:

• I operate a meat industry business (e.g., an abattoir, meat processing plant, boning room, or retail butchery business) and employ staff to work in meat production, handling, or sales.
• The employee performs meat production tasks, including slaughtering, dressing, boning, trimming, slicing, packing, making smallgoods, and handling or loading meat products.
• The employee isn’t covered by a more specific award (e.g., the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award or Retail Industry Award).
• The employee isn’t a managerial or professional employee genuinely covered by a different higher-level classification under another modern award.
• There’s no enterprise agreement (EA) covering the employee. If there is, the EA generally sets pay and conditions, subject to the FWC’s Better Off Overall Test (BOOT) and interaction with the underlying award.

If these statements apply, the employee is likely covered by the Meat Industry Award.

Determining Meat Industry Award [MA000059] Requirements

The Meat Industry Award rules on pay, hours, breaks, overtime, and other employee entitlements vary, depending on employment type and classification.

Employment types

The Award groups employees into 4 categories:

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Casual
• Daily hire, including part-time daily hire (applicable only to meat processing establishments like abattoirs)

Full-time employees

Under the Award, full-time employees (including full-time shiftworkers) are either employed to work:

• 38 ordinary hours per week 
• An average of 38 ordinary hours per week over 4 weeks (152 hours in a 28-day period) 

In either case, any hours they work beyond these ordinary hours will attract overtime rates.

Part-time employees

Part-time employees have reasonably predictable hours, work less than the average of 38 ordinary hours per week, and receive the same entitlements as full-time employees, but on a pro rata basis. Under the Award, this also includes part-time shiftworkers.

Casual employees

Casual employees work irregular hours and are paid a higher hourly rate. This includes a 25% casual loading, which makes up for not receiving some entitlements that permanent staff get.

Casual employees must be paid for a minimum of 4 hours for each shift they work, and if working more than 38 hours in a week, those extra hours are paid at overtime rates.

Under the Award, casual shiftworkers are treated as casual employees.

Daily hire employees

Daily-hire employees are engaged on a day-to-day basis rather than through a weekly or ongoing arrangement. They’re commonly used in meat processing work, where workforce numbers vary with daily throughput. 

Daily-hire employees can be:

• Full-time daily hires: No fewer than 7.6 hours per day.
• Part-time daily hires: No fewer than 4 hours per day.

Also, daily hires are paid: 

• An extra 20% of the minimum weekly rate.
• An additional 10% on top of the daily rate.

In addition, daily-hire employees have shorter notice requirements for termination, typically one full working day.

Meat Industry Award classifications

Employees in the meat industry are classified into Levels 1–8 based on the stream they fit into (meat processing, meat manufacturing, or meat retail), their skills, qualifications, experience, and the tasks they may perform.

As an example, Levels 1–3 are set out as follows:

For details on Meat Industry Levels 4–8, refer to the Award.

From 14 October 2025, employees no longer need to stay at Level 1 for a minimum of 3 months. They can now move either to Level 2 or (if employed in the meat processing stream) directly to Level 3 once: 

• They demonstrate they can do productive work without help or training.
• Their employer certifies that they have higher-level skills. 

However, a 6-month limit for staying at Level 1 is still in place under the Award. 

Meat Industry Award Pay Guide and Entitlements Overview 

The Meat Industry Award sets minimum pay rates and is reviewed annually by the FWC. As of 1 July 2025, pay rates rose by 3.5%. Let’s look at the minimum base rates, penalty rates, and overtime rates, as well as some of the other entitlements in this Award.

Minimum base rates

Let’s look at the minimum base rates for Meat Industry Levels 1–3:

For Levels 4–8 and for details on pay rates for junior employees and apprentices, refer to the Award.

Penalty rates 

Penalty rates are payable to full-time, part-time, and casual employees when they work particular times or days, as follows:

For details on public holiday penalty rates, refer to the NES and the Award.

Overtime rules and rates

Any time employees work outside their ordinary working hours, or during their rostered shiftwork hours (if they’re a shiftworker), is considered overtime, and paid as follows:

• For the first 3 hours: At 150% of the employee’s minimum hourly rate.
• After the first 3 hours: At 200% of the employee’s minimum hourly rate.

In meat processing establishments, any overtime worked on Sundays must be paid at 200% of the employee’s minimum hourly rate. The minimum payment for such overtime is 4 hours.

Breaks

The Meat Industry Award sets out these break types:

Allowances

Under the Award, allowances fall into 2 types: 

• Wage-related allowances (additional pay for certain responsibilities or working conditions).
• Expense-related allowances (reimbursements for particular work-related costs).

For further details of each allowance, check the Award.

Leave entitlements

Most leave comes from the NES, which applies no matter which award an employee is covered by. The Meat Industry Award then adds further rules, particularly regarding annual leave.

Annual leave

Here are the fundamentals you should know about annual leave under the Award:

• Full-time and part-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave each year (part-time on a pro rata basis). Employees who regularly work Sundays and public holidays on a continuous shift roster get 5 weeks.
• Annual leave is paid with a 17.5% leave loading, or the applicable shift allowance if that pays more. If an employee takes just 1 day off, the leave loading can be paid later once they’ve taken at least 5 days of leave in a row, if both sides agree.
• Leave loading doesn’t apply when annual leave is paid out on termination if the payout is for less than 1 year of leave.
• Employers can reasonably require employees to take annual leave (e.g., during a shutdown), provided it complies with the NES.
• Employees can take leave as it builds up. Taking leave in advance, splitting leave, or cashing out up to 2 weeks per year is only allowed by agreement and if minimum leave balances are kept.

Other NES leave

Other types of leave covered by both the NES and the Award include:

• Personal/carer’s leave
• Compassionate leave
• Parental leave and related entitlements
• Community service leave
• Family and domestic violence leave

How To Determine Meat Industry Award Coverage 

It’s important to ensure your employees are actually covered by the Award, as it sets out the minimum pay and conditions you must follow and helps prevent underpaying staff or backpaying later. 

Meat Industry Award [MA000059]: A practical, real-world example

To see how the rules apply in real life, take the following scenario:

Jacob is a 34-year-old full-time abattoir worker who:

• Has worked in the meat industry for 5 years. 
• Works Monday to Friday, rostered from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm, with a 30-minute unpaid meal break on each workday.
• Works an extra 2 hours every Wednesday, finishing at 4:30 pm.
• Moves cattle and sheep quietly and safely up the race to the knocking box and helps position them for stunning.
• Receives, identifies, separates, cleans, and trims offal at the eviscerating table in the abattoir.
• Operates with limited supervision and uses independent judgement in handling livestock safely and processing offal.
• Is appointed by his employer to do first aid duties if needed.

How the Award applies:

• Coverage: Jacob is covered under the Meat Industry Award as an abattoir worker.
• Classification and base rate: Jacob’s duties as an abattoir worker align with Meat Industry Level 3, with a minimum weekly rate of $965.10.
• Ordinary hours: Jacob’s rostered hours of 6:30 am to 2:30 pm from Monday to Friday fall within the Award’s ordinary working hours (between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm on Monday to Friday).
• Penalty rates: Jacob isn’t entitled to any penalty rates, as his usual working hours don’t include Saturday or Sunday.
• Allowances: As Jacob has been appointed to do first aid duties if needed, he’s entitled to a first aid allowance of $3.99 per day. He’s also entitled to a meal allowance of $18.38 every Wednesday when he works 2 hours of overtime.
• Overtime: For the 2 extra hours Jacob works every Wednesday, he’s entitled to 150% of the Meat Industry Level 3 minimum hourly rate for those hours.
• Breaks: Because Jacob works longer than 5 hours per day, he’s entitled to an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes each workday.

Common scenarios and compliance tips

Let’s look at some common scenarios and the key checks to perform in each.

1. An abattoir hires a “skilled worker” claiming to be at Meat Industry Level 3, but they’re actually performing mostly basic meat processing duties

Key checks:

• Confirm the worker’s role is actually covered by the Meat Industry Award.
• Test whether the worker’s duties match the claimed level of Meat Industry Level 3 or are really more entry-level (Level 1) in nature.
• Classify the worker at the correct level based on the work they actually perform, not their job title.
• Apply the correct minimum pay rate, allowances (e.g., cold temperature or leading hand allowances), and ordinary hours rules.

2. A retail butcher shop employs a mix of part-time butchers and casual counter assistants

Key checks:

• Confirm each employee’s correct employment type (part-time vs. casual).
• Ensure casual employees receive a 25% casual loading.
• Apply different penalty rates for Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays as required.
• Check the minimum engagement period (4 hours) for casual counter assistants and the agreed part-time hours for part-time butchers.

3. A meat processing facility pays “flat hourly rates” to slaughter-floor and boning room workers to cover everything

Key checks:

• Confirm the workers are properly covered by the Meat Industry Award.
• Ensure the flat rates don’t undercut the Award’s minimum, penalty, or overtime rates.
• Check whether workers are being paid overtime, weekend penalties, or shift penalties (for shiftworkers) when required under the Award.
• Regularly conduct “better off overall” tests against current Award entitlements to check that employees aren’t worse off than the Award’s requirements.

Common employer mistakes to avoid

To ensure compliance and fair practice, avoid these common errors:

• Ignoring the 4-hour minimum engagement period for casuals who work fewer than 4 hours in a daily engagement or shift, and paying them only for the hours worked.
• Not paying applicable allowances, such as leading hand allowances for meat processing or butchery employees who supervise or coordinate others.
• Failing to apply the correct overtime or penalty rates, particularly for retail butcher shops, abattoirs, and meat processing facilities operating extended or non-standard hours.
• Not updating pay structures, “flat rates,” or salary arrangements, and failing to ensure workers remain better off overall when penalties, allowances, or Award rates increase.

Glossary

Afternoon shift 

An afternoon shift under the Award means any shift starting at or after 2:00 pm and ending at or before midnight.

BOOT

The BOOT is the Better Off Overall Test. It’s a legal test used by the FWC to make sure employees covered by a proposed EA in Australia are better off than under the relevant modern award (such as the Meat Industry Award).

Crib time

Crib time is a paid meal break at work. It applies when employees need to remain on site and may be required to return to work during their meal break.

Night shift 

A night shift under the Award means any shift ending after midnight but at or before 9:00 am that same morning.

Resources and Links

• Meat Award [MA000059]: A Fair Work Ombudsman document summarising who is and isn’t covered under the Australian Meat Industry Award.
• Meat Industry Award 2020: The full Fair Work Ombudsman document detailing all pay rates, conditions, and classifications under the Meat Industry Award.
• Meat Industry Award 2010: The original Meat Industry Award from the FWC in 2010, which was updated and renamed as the Meat Industry Award 2020.
• Downloadable Pay Guide: Downloadable Meat Industry Award pay guide from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
• Meat Industry Award Determination: Determination by the Fair Work Commission updating the Meat Industry Award 2010 and renaming it as the Meat Industry Award 2020.
• Fair Work Ombudsman: Pay and Conditions: Find pay guides, calculators, and employer obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009.
• Fair Work Information Statement: Key information every new employee must receive when starting a job.
• Fair Work Pay Calculator: Estimate pay, penalty, and overtime rates.
• Modern Awards Pay Database: Check up-to-date award rates for all classifications.

FAQs

What is the Meat Industry Award?

The Meat Industry Award 2020 is a modern Australian workplace award. It contains rules setting out the minimum employment conditions for employers and their employees in the Australian meat industry, including details on pay rates, working hours, leave entitlements, and other conditions.

Does the meat industry award cover employers and employees?

Yes, the Meat Industry Award covers both employers and employees working in the Australian meat industry, including meat processing, meat manufacturing, and meat retail.

What does the Meat Award cover?

The Meat Award or Meat Industry Award covers employers and employees in businesses such as abattoirs, meat processing plants, boning rooms, smallgoods manufacturing operations, meat wholesalers, and retail butcher shops. The work the Award covers includes slaughtering, processing, preparing, manufacturing, handling, and selling fresh meat and meat products. 

Disclaimer

The information provided here is a summary only and does not constitute legal advice. While we have made every effort to ensure the information provided is up to date and reliable, we cannot guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or applicability to your specific situation. Laws change frequently, and outcomes may vary depending on your business circumstances. We recommend consulting a qualified employment lawyer before making decisions related to workforce management. Please note that we cannot be held liable for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented on this website.