General Retail award
Retail Employee Level 2 pay rate
Retail Employee Level 2 is a classification under the General Retail Industry Award. When a matching live row is available, AwardGuard shows its adult base minimum and operative date from the Fair Work Commission Pay Database. Duties and classification definitions must still be checked against the award. AwardGuard does not classify employees.
Award: General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004) · Clause 17.1 · Content reviewed 2026-07-17
Current adult base minimum, hourly
$28.45/hr
Operative from 2026-07-01
| Period | Hourly minimum |
|---|---|
| 2024-07-01 | $26.24 |
| 2025-07-01 | $27.16 |
| 2026-07-01 | $28.45 |
Source: Fair Work Commission — Modern Awards Pay Database, effective 2026-07-01, published 2026.
What does this rate include?
Includes
- The adult base minimum hourly rate published for this classification in the Fair Work Commission Modern Awards Pay Database
- The operative (effective) date when the live rate row provides one
- Recent prior adult base rates for the same classification when history is returned by the source
Does not include
- Casual loading, overtime, penalty rates, and allowances (unless you apply them separately in a Pro check)
- Apprentice rates (not covered by AwardGuard)
- Junior age-band rates as authoritative figures (Pro may show a broad estimate only — always verify against the pay guide)
- A determination of which classification correctly applies to a named employee
Classification context
Retail Employee Level 2 sits within the General Retail Industry Award classification structure. Employers commonly check this label when comparing rostered retail roles to the published adult base minimum. Use Fair Work classification guidance and the award instrument to decide whether this label fits the duties — AwardGuard does not classify employees.
For official classification guidance see the Fair Work Ombudsman — Award classifications and the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004).
Worked hypothetical example
- An employer pays an adult employee $X per hour for duties they believe match “Retail Employee Level 2”.
- They look up the published adult base minimum shown on this page and note the operative date.
- If $X is below that minimum for ordinary hours covered by the base rate, the comparison flags a shortfall to investigate — it is not a finding of underpayment by itself.
- They then check loadings, penalties, allowances, and whether a different classification or instrument applies, using Fair Work materials or advice.
Common mistakes
- Treating the page rate as proof of the correct classification for a specific person
- Comparing a casual all-in rate to the adult base minimum without accounting for casual loading
- Ignoring the operative date when rates change on 1 July after an Annual Wage Review
- Assuming AwardGuard replaces the Fair Work Ombudsman Pay and Conditions Tool or pay guides
Related classifications
Free account required · No card · Rates sourced from the Fair Work Commission Pay Database when available
Source: Fair Work Commission Modern Awards Pay Database. Adult base rate only. General information only — not legal or workplace-relations advice. The applicable modern award always prevails. AwardGuard is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Fair Work Commission, Fair Work Ombudsman, NDIA or NDIS.