How much should I charge out for my staff?

Work out the real hourly cost of an employee under the building, electrical or plumbing award, then the rate you need to charge to cover it and make a profit.

State or territory

Who employs the worker?

A company (Pty Ltd)Sole trader, partnership or trust

Award and classification

Type of work (building award)

General building / civilResidential

Paid the electrician's licence allowance? (electrical award)

NoYes

Employment type

Full-timeCasual

Billable hours per weekof 38 hoursHours you can actually charge a client for, after travel, quoting, pick-ups and downtime.Vehicle, tools, phone and PPE per worker$per yearInclude a share of insurance, software and office costs.Workers compensation premium% of wagesUse the rate on your policy.Super guarantee%12% from 1 July 2026.Annual leaveweeksFull-time only. 17.5% leave loading is added.Personal (sick) leavedaysFull-time only. Allow for what's actually taken.Public holidaysdaysCheck your state's list for the year.Profit margin%Added on top of the full cost.

Results update as you type. Without JavaScript, press Calculate.

Result$67.34 per hour + GSTBreak-even cost is $56.12 per billable hour. Charging $67.34 ($74.08 incl. GST) covers these costs and gives a 20% margin.

Award minimum weekly rate$1,119.10

Industry allowance (general building/civil)$67.14

Minimum award rate for an employee (ordinary hourly)$31.22/hr

Paid hours per year1,976

Billable hours per year1,408

Wages (incl. leave and public holidays)$61,684

Annual leave loading (17.5%)$830

Super guarantee (12%)$7,502

Workers compensation (0%)$0

Vehicle, tools and overheads$9,000

Total cost of this worker$79,017

Cost per billable hour$56.12

Suggested charge-out (ex GST)$67.34

Building tool allowances aren't included yet: the 2026–27 amounts are still being confirmed.
Award rates are minimums for an employee. A sole trader working on their own ABN isn't paid under an award.
Payroll tax, overtime, RDOs, site allowances and redundancy fund contributions aren't included.

How we worked this out

Award rates are the Fair Work 2026-27 minimums (Annual Wage Review 2026, +4.75%), which are the same in every state except for WA's state system. The ordinary hourly rate is the weekly minimum plus the industry allowance and any all-purpose allowances, divided by 38; casuals get 25% on top. A full-time worker is paid for 52 weeks but only works the weeks left after annual leave, personal leave and public holidays, so their cost is spread over fewer billable hours. Super, leave loading and workers compensation are added, then your overheads and margin. All results are estimates, not advice.

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General information only, not tax advice. Source: Fair Work Commission award rates (Annual Wage Review 2026). Award rates are updated each year from 1 July. Last reviewed September 2026.