Food and beverage plants run on shifts, and under the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award the roster pattern changes the hourly rate as much as the classification does. From 1 July 2026 a casual Level 1 process worker is paid $32.18 on a weekday day shift, $37.01 on a settled afternoon shift and $48.27 for the first three hours of a short-run afternoon shift. All three figures come from Fair Work's pay guide, and the gaps between them come from award clauses that many quotes never mention.
Clause 4.4 covers an employer that supplies labour on an on-hire basis in the food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing industry, for on-hire employees in the classifications the award lists. This guide covers the levels, the casual rates, the shift rules and a worked cost per hour. For the induction and hygiene side of a food crew, see our guide to food production casual staff.
Where the award applies and where it does not
Clause 4.2 defines food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing as the preparing, cooking, baking, blending, brewing, processing and manufacturing of food, beverage and tobacco products, including ancillary work such as receiving ingredients, packaging, palletising and despatch. Clause 4.3 then excludes employers and employees covered by several other awards, including the Meat Industry Award 2020, the Poultry Processing Award 2020, the Seafood Processing Award 2020, the Wine Industry Award 2020, the Horticulture Award 2020 and the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020.
A site that processes meat, poultry, seafood or wine, or that works on a farm, will usually sit under a different award with different rates. Ask the provider which award it has applied to your site and which clause it relies on.
Levels 1 to 6 and how a casual moves up
Schedule A sets six levels, each defined by experience and training:
- Level 1: less than 3 months in the industry or enterprise, general manual duties under direct supervision, and up to 38 hours of induction.
- Level 2: has completed a structured induction of up to 3 months, or has equivalent experience, and is training toward Level 3.
- Level 3: has completed an AQF Certificate I in Food Processing or has equivalent experience, and works under general supervision.
- Levels 4 and 5: the equivalent of a Certificate II and a Certificate III in Food Processing, with more judgment and quality responsibility.
- Level 6: further competency units above Level 5 and technical guidance for a work team.
The award sets the service needed to advance from Level 1 to Level 2 at 4 weeks for a seasonal employee and 152 hours for a casual (clause A.2.1(a)). That matters for pricing. A quote that holds a casual at Level 1 across a twelve week placement needs an explanation, because the worker will usually pass 152 hours well before the placement ends.
Casual rates by level from 1 July 2026
Fair Work's pay guide for the award, published on 15 July 2026, lists these casual hourly rates for weekday day work, with the fulltime rate they come from:
- Level 1: $32.18 casual, from a $25.74 fulltime rate
- Level 2: $33.05 casual, from $26.44
- Level 3: $33.85 casual, from $27.08
- Level 4: $34.96 casual, from $27.97
- Level 5: $36.81 casual, from $29.45
- Level 6: $37.98 casual, from $30.38
Shift loadings and why the roster pattern sets the rate
Clause 24 defines the shifts. An afternoon shift finishes after 6.00 pm and at or before midnight. An early morning shift starts between 3.00 am (2.00 am for baking production employees) and 6.00 am. A night shift finishes after midnight and at or before 8.00 am, or starts between midnight and 3.00 am. A permanent night shift is a run of night work only, or night work that continues for longer than four consecutive weeks. A non-continuous afternoon or night shift is one that does not run for at least five successive shifts. Clause 24.3 and the pay guide then give a casual Level 1 these rates:
- Early morning shift (112.5%): $36.20
- Afternoon or night shift, five or more successive shifts (115%): $37.01
- Permanent night shift (130%): $41.83
- Afternoon or night shift, fewer than five successive shifts: $48.27 for the first 3 hours and $64.36 after
- Saturday, Sunday and public holiday for a day worker: $48.27, $64.36 and $80.45
The five-shift line is where rosters cost money. A short run of afternoon or night shifts, fewer than five in a row, is paid at 150% of the casual ordinary hourly rate for the first three hours and 200% after. A crew booked for four afternoon shifts a week can therefore cost more per hour than the same crew booked for five, and a quote should say which pattern it has priced.
Why the casual loading scales under this award
Clause 10.1 pays a casual the ordinary hourly rate plus a 25% loading, and clause 10.2 makes the loading part of the all-purpose rate. Clause 10.4 then says that where the award states a penalty rate, overtime rate or shift loading as a percentage of the ordinary hourly rate, a casual's entitlement is calculated on the casual ordinary hourly rate instead. For Level 1 the casual ordinary rate is $25.74 times 1.25, which is $32.18, and Saturday at 150% of that is $48.27.
Under the Storage Services and Wholesale Award the loading is added once, as a flat amount, so a $20.00 fulltime hour pays $35.00 on Saturday. Under this award the same hour pays $37.50. Our guide to the casual loading rate sets the different methods side by side.
A worked cost per hour for a Level 1 casual in Victoria
Take a Level 1 casual and a provider that pays Victorian payroll tax at the standard 4.85% on pay and super together. This is an illustration, not a quote:
- Weekday day shift: pay $32.18, super $3.86, payroll tax $1.75, running total $37.79
- Early morning shift: pay $36.20, super $4.34, payroll tax $1.97, running total $42.51
- Afternoon shift, five or more successive: pay $37.01, super $4.44, payroll tax $2.01, running total $43.46
- Permanent night shift: pay $41.83, super $5.02, payroll tax $2.27, running total $49.12
- Afternoon shift, first 3 hours of a short run: pay $48.27, super $5.79, payroll tax $2.62, running total $56.68
Shift penalties count as ordinary time earnings for super, so super applies on every line. WorkCover, the provider's insurance and its fee are added to these lines, and the WorkCover line follows your plant's industry classification, which our WorkCover industry codes guide explains.
Questions to put to a provider before a food crew starts
- Which award and which level has been priced for each worker, and why?
- Which roster pattern is assumed, and are the afternoon or night shifts five or more in a row?
- When does a casual move from Level 1 to Level 2, and does the quote change at the 152 hour mark?
- Does the permanent night rate apply once a night run passes four weeks?
- Which pay guide date was the quote built from?
Related Resources
- Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award text
- Fair Work pay guide for the award
- food production casual staff
- seasonal staffing cost strategy
- how the 25% casual loading is applied
- true cost of labour hire under an EBA
- manufacturing and production labour hire
Common Questions About the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award
1. Does the award cover labour hire workers in a food factory?
It can. Clause 4.4 covers an employer that supplies labour on an on-hire basis in the food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing industry, for on-hire employees in the classifications the award lists, subject to the exclusions in clause 4.3.
2. How much is the casual loading under this award?
It is 25% of the ordinary hourly rate for ordinary time worked, and it forms part of the casual's all-purpose rate (clauses 10.1 and 10.2). Penalty, overtime and shift percentages are then calculated on the casual ordinary hourly rate.
3. When does a casual move from Level 1 to Level 2?
Schedule A sets the service needed at 152 hours for a casual and 4 weeks for a seasonal employee, for an employee without recognised experience or training that would qualify them for Level 2 sooner.
4. What is the difference between an afternoon shift and a permanent night shift?
An afternoon shift finishes after 6.00 pm and at or before midnight. A permanent night shift is night work only, or night work that continues for more than four consecutive weeks, and it is paid at 130% rather than 115%.
5. Do shift loadings attract superannuation?
Yes. The ATO lists casual loading and shift penalties, including public holiday penalties, as ordinary time earnings, so super is payable on them. Overtime is treated differently, as our guide to superannuation on overtime explains.
The Roster Pattern Sets the Shift Rate
In a food plant the classification fixes the base, but the shift pattern moves the rate by 12.5% to 100% for every hour, and a short run of afternoon or night shifts costs more than a settled one. Settle the roster pattern with the provider first, ask for the rate by shift type and check the level at the 152 hour mark. Chandler Personnel provides Melbourne labour hire and permanent recruitment, and you can send your shift pattern through the request staff form.
