Saturday Penalty Rates (What You Should Get Paid)
Saturday Penalty Rates in Australia
Saturday work usually attracts a lower penalty rate than Sunday, but it still increases your hourly earnings significantly.
Common Saturday Penalty Rates
Typical loadings:
25%
30%
50%
Some industries: normal rate until a specific time, then penalty applies
Retail and hospitality commonly sit between 25–50%.
How to Calculate Saturday Pay
Base Rate × (1 + Saturday Loading)
Example:
Base rate: $27/hr
Saturday loading: 25%
27 × 1.25 = $33.75/hr
Real Saturday Shift Example
$30/hr base
50% Saturday loading
50% → 30 × 1.5 = $45/hr
If you work 6 hours:
6 × 45 = $270
Industries with Strong Saturday Loadings
Retail
Hospitality
Security
Cleaning
Disability support
Aged care
Fast food
Some awards apply Saturday penalties only after a threshold (e.g., after midday).
Related Tools
Overtime Calculator
