Pay rates and salary

Minimum pay rates

Each industry has a minimum pay rate. You can find the right pay for your job by looking at the industry award (agreed pay and conditions) for your workplace.

• Finding the right pay search pay rates and awards (telephone 13 13 94).
• The national minimum wage applies where there is no award for your industry.
• Certain information should be on your payslip.

Salary and wages

For graduates

• The median starting salary for bachelor degree graduates aged less than 25 and in their first full time employment was $49,000 (Graduate Careers Australia Annual Report 2010).
• Search Grad Jobs and Dollars for graduate salaries from your area of study.

For professionals with experience

• My Career Salary Centre.
• The Great Australian Pay Check.

For private household jobs

There are no regulations for private household job pay rates. Representatives from tertiary education institutions in Victoria have agreed to recommend minimum hourly rates of pay to help you decide if a private householder is paying you fairly.

There are no regulations covering pay rates for private household jobs. Use the following steps to work out if the householder is paying you fairly:

1. find the closest related modern award provided by Fair Work Online
2. find the casual rate for adults (18+ years)
3. consider how much experience you need to do the job.

Negotiating your salary

You may need to know how to negotiate a salary when:

• the job has a salary range or no salary information at all
• if you feel that your salary is below the industry standard
• if you always perform beyond the requirements for the job
• you have worked for a company for a number of years and feel you need a pay rise.

Check these websites for advice on where to start:

• Quint Careers
• Salary Negotiations.

Superannuation

Superannuation (or 'super') is money taken from your salary and invested into a fund by your employer for when you retire or can no longer work.

Employers must pay super for you if you are 18 - 70 years or paid $450 or more (before tax) in one month. They must contribute 9% of your earnings for every 3 months. Check your pay slips to make sure that your employer is paying the right amount of super.

In most cases, you can choose your super fund. In other cases, your employer may choose your fund for you.

For more information on superannuation:

• Individuals Superannuation (Australian Taxation Office)
• Super entitlements (My Future)
• Super Fund Lookup (funds regulated by the Tax Office)
• Chant West Super Apple Check (compare funds).