On-site Award (MA000020)
Building and Construction General On-site Award MA000020 sets minimum wages and conditions for AU building industry. CW1-CW8 classes, apprentice rates, allowances.
Ask Chalkline about this →The Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020) (commonly called the On-site Award) is the Fair Work Commission modern award setting the minimum wages and conditions for the Australian building and construction industry. It defines the CW1 to CW8 classifications, apprentice wage percentages, allowances, overtime rules, leave loading, and superannuation for workers in the on-site construction sector. The award is administered by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) and applies to most employees of residential and commercial builders (excluding workers covered by enterprise agreements or specific other awards). Verified per Fair Work Ombudsman Pay Guide (2026-05-23).
What MA000020 covers:
| Element | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Workers | Carpenters, brickies, concretors, labourers, painters, plasterers, plumbers (on residential), roofers, tilers, riggers, scaffolders, and most on-site trades |
| Workplaces | Residential, commercial, civil construction sites |
| Job types | Permanent, casual, fixed-term, apprentices |
| Geographic | Australia-wide (with state allowances/special provisions) |
CW1 to CW8 classifications:
The award structures wages around a Civil Worker (CW) classification system:
| Class | Description | Typical worker |
|---|---|---|
| CW1 | Entry-level, no formal trade qualifications | Labourer, trade assistant |
| CW2 | Trade-qualified or specialised semi-skilled | Stage 1 progression |
| CW3 | Trade-qualified tradesperson | Standard chippy, sparky (post-apprenticeship) |
| CW4 | Tradesperson with additional skills or supervision | Leading hand, foreman trainee |
| CW5 | Site/sub-foreman | Sub-foreman |
| CW6 | Foreman | Site foreman |
| CW7 | Senior trade or specialised | Senior site supervisor |
| CW8 | Trade supervisor or supervisor of multiple trades | Site manager |
(Exact descriptions and rates are in MA000020 Schedule A.)
Apprentice wages under MA000020 Clause 19.7:
| Apprentice year | % of CW3 trade rate |
|---|---|
| Year 1, Year 12 completed | 55% |
| Year 1, no Year 12 | 50% |
| Year 2, Year 12 completed | 65% |
| Year 2, no Year 12 | 60% |
| Year 3 | 75% |
| Year 4 | 90% |
Adult apprentices (21+) receive the greater of their year-percentage rate and the adult national minimum wage.
Allowances (common):
| Allowance | What it pays |
|---|---|
| Tool allowance | Weekly amount for tradespeople bringing tools |
| Site allowance | Extra for working on specific sites (industrial, mining) |
| First aid allowance | For workers designated as first aiders |
| Travel allowance | For travel to remote sites |
| Living-away-from-home allowance | For temporary relocation |
| Inclement weather | Where weather stops work |
| High places | Working at height beyond standard |
| Welding fume / asbestos | Hazardous task allowances |
Overtime:
| Trigger | Rate |
|---|---|
| First 2 hours over the 38-hour week | 1.5x |
| Beyond 2 hours over | 2x |
| Public holidays | 2.5x typical |
| Weekend work | 1.5x Saturday, 2x Sunday typical |
Leave loading:
17.5% leave loading applies under MA000020 Clause 20 on annual leave pay. This is the additional payment workers receive when taking annual leave, recognising that overtime opportunities are forgone during the leave.
Superannuation:
Standard Superannuation Guarantee at 12% (from 1 July 2025) applies to all eligible employees. Payday Super (from 1 July 2026) requires contributions to reach the fund within 7 business days of payday.
Reading the pay guide:
- Open the current FWO Pay Guide for MA000020 (updated 1 July each year after the FWC annual wage review).
- Identify the worker’s classification (CW1-CW8 or apprentice percentage).
- Find the weekly or hourly rate.
- Add applicable allowances for the work being done.
- Calculate overtime (where applicable).
- Apply 17.5% leave loading on annual leave portion.
- Apply 12% super on ordinary time earnings.
Compliance tools:
| Tool | Source |
|---|---|
| Pay Guide | Fair Work Ombudsman website (printable PDF) |
| PACT calculator | FWO online wage calculator |
| Pay slip checker | FWO online tool |
| Award summary | FWO MA000020 page (~10-page summary) |
Common defects under MA000020:
| Defect | Risk |
|---|---|
| Paying CW1 to a qualified tradie | Underpayment claim; back-pay 6 years under Fair Work Act |
| Wrong apprentice year | Underpayment + regulator audit |
| Missing allowances | Cumulative underpayment over years |
| Skipping leave loading | Liability per leave taken |
| Sham contracting (treating worker as contractor when employee) | Sham contracting offence under Fair Work Act |
| Late super | SGC under Payday Super; not tax-deductible |
| Wrong overtime rate | Recalculation; FWC orders back-pay |
State-by-state special provisions:
Some MA000020 provisions vary by state due to state-specific overrides. Examples:
- Public holidays vary by state.
- Site allowances may differ by region.
- Long service leave is state-based (not in the award) but accrues alongside.
Award vs Enterprise Agreement:
A builder can have an Enterprise Agreement (EA) that replaces or modifies MA000020 for their workforce, provided the EA passes the FWC “better off overall test” (BOOT). Most small-to-medium builders rely on the award directly; larger builders often have EAs.
Builder takeaway:
- The On-site Award is the wage floor for your workforce. Get the current pay guide and apply it correctly.
- Apprentice rates step up on each anniversary: manually advance in payroll software.
- Pay above-award is your choice; pay below-award is illegal and back-claimable.
- Engage an HR/payroll consultant if you’re scaling beyond ~5 employees and the award detail starts mattering.
Also known as: MA000020; Construction Award; On-site Award; Building Award; CW Award (colloquial); FWC building-and-construction award.
Category: Contracts & commercial.
Related
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-23. Verified: 2026-05-23. Quarterly review for currency.