Jump to Share article Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Email Share link via email Jump to heading Did you know that the minimum wage usually increases every year? From 1 July 2025 the minimum wage increased by: • 3.5% to $948 per week for national system employees; and • 3.75% to $953 per week per week state system employees. Not sure what system you are in? Click here to see our resource “Q&A: State or national system for WA employees”. But what is the minimum wage, and what minimum pay applies to me? In both the state and national systems of employment law, there is a minimum pay rate that applies to all employees, called the minimum wage. Whether you are in the state or national system, your pay generally cannot go below the minimum wage. But if you work in a certain industry, there may be specific minimum pay rates and other entitlements set out in an award. Specific agreements also apply to some people who work for specific employers. Awards and agreements are industrial “instruments” or documents that set mandatory entitlements or conditions that employees are entitled to, including rates of pay. Rates and entitlements in awards and agreements are usually better than the minimum wage. It’s important that you understand what the minimum pay rate is that applies to your employment, so you can make sure you are being paid correctly. To find out the minimum pay rate that applies to you, you can: • call the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) if you are a national system employee; and • call Wageline (1300 655 266) if you are a state system employee. Does the minimum wage increase automatically? Should I ask my employer about it? It is your employer’s responsibility to pay you correctly every pay period, so you should not have to ask your employer to apply the increase – they should do this automatically. But you should still check your payslips to make sure you are paid correctly. If you think are not being paid correctly, you could ask your employer. You have the right to ask or complain about things at work, including about your pay or about minimum wage increases. Punishing someone for asking about their legal pay entitlements may be unlawful, for more information, click here to see our resource “Q&A: Protected Complaints and Actions for WA workers”. Can I be paid less than the minimum wage? Generally, no. The minimum wage is considered a “safety net” wage that can’t be undercut, even by agreement – this means that it is unlawful for an employer to pay less than the minimum wage that applies to an employee, even if the employee agrees to the lower rate. However, there are some exceptions: • workers with a disability or impairment may be paid less than the minimum wage under the Commonwealth Government Supported Wage System if their industrial or enterprise agreement allows it; and • apprentices, trainees and workers under the age of 21 may be able to be paid less than the minimum wage for workers that are 21 and over. What can I do if I am getting paid less than the minimum wage that applies to me? Generally, employees who have been underpaid can recover underpayments from the past 6 years. National system employees can call the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) and state system employees can call Wageline (1300 655 266) for information and help with pay issues. To read more about pay, contracts, and minimum entitlements, Circle Green’s resources are here. If you have a question about how you can make a legal claim if you have been underpaid, or if you think you are being underpaid and need legal advice, you can click here to request free legal assistance. Some background reading… Who sets the national system minimum wage? How is it decided each year? For national system employees, the minimum wage is updated as part of the “Annual Wage Review” each financial year. The review usually happens between March and June, and is conducted by an Expert Panel of the Fair Work Commission. During the review, and before making its decision, the Expert Panel: • considers submissions and comments from interested organisations and individuals, such as unions, employer associations, government, and other community organisations; and • may investigate, research, and report on specific matters to help with their decision-making. There are also specific objectives – i.e. “goals” – that the Expert Panel has to keep in mind, including: • The minimum wages objective – e.g. how is the national economy performing? Gender pay gaps? Living standards? • The modern awards objective – goals that are specific to awards. Once the review is finished, the Fair Work Commission announces its decision – for example, that the minimum wage will increase by 3.5% – and the changes usually start on 1 July that year. For state system employees, the minimum wage is updated as part of the “State Wage Case” each year by the Western Australian Industrial relations Commission. It follows a similar process to the Fair Work Commission’s review. Disclaimer: Please be aware that this blog post provides general information only. It is not legal advice. To see our workplace information resources click here. If you have a question about how the law applies to your specific situation, you can click here to request free legal assistance.
