The Storage Services and Wholesale Award sets the minimum pay for most warehouse, storage and wholesale work in Australia, so it is the starting point for any labour hire quote that covers storeworkers. It applies to a labour hire provider too. Clause 4.4 covers an employer that supplies labour on an on-hire basis in the storage and wholesale industry, for on-hire employees in the classifications the award lists, while they work for a business in that industry.
This guide sets out the casual rates that apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, shows what a shift, weekend or overtime hour pays, and then builds one worked Victorian example from the pay rate up to a cost per hour. For the general method of budgeting a blue collar hour, see our labour cost per hour guide.
Who the award covers and where the grades start
The award covers the receiving, handling, storing, freezing, refrigerating, bottling, packing, preparation for sale, sorting, loading, dispatch, delivery or wholesale sale of goods, along with connected and ancillary activities (clause 4.2). It does not cover an employee where the employer is covered by another modern award with classifications for those functions, or by the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 (clause 4.3). A facility run as part of a road transport business may sit under that award instead, and our guide to the Road Transport and Distribution Award shows how its rates differ.
Schedule A sets four storeworker grades. Grade 1 is the point of entry for a new employee and covers tasks such as storing and packing, receiving goods, periodic stock-checks and use of non-licensed material handling equipment. Grade 2 adds the licensed operation of materials handling equipment. Grade 3 covers all materials handling equipment under licence, store layout and supervision of up to 10 employees, and grade 4 is responsible for a warehouse or a large section and leads more than 10 storeworkers. Grade 1 has three pay steps: on commencement, after 3 months and after 12 months. The wholesale employee levels carry the same casual rates in the pay guide.
Casual storeworker rates from 1 July 2026
Fair Work's pay guide for the award, published on 24 June 2026, lists these casual hourly rates for weekday ordinary hours:
- Storeworker grade 1, on commencement: $33.85
- Storeworker grade 1, after 3 months: $34.26
- Storeworker grade 1, after 12 months: $34.65
- Storeworker grade 2: $34.96
- Storeworker grade 3: $35.96
- Storeworker grade 4: $37.01
Each figure is the fulltime rate plus a 25% casual loading. Grade 1 on commencement is $27.08 fulltime, and $27.08 plus $6.77 is $33.85. Clause 11.2 says a casual is paid the minimum hourly rate and a loading of 25% of it for each ordinary hour, and clause 11.1 guarantees at least four hours' engagement every start. Rates change every July, so treat every figure in this guide as dated 1 July 2026 and check the Fair Work pay guide before you rely on it.
Weekday spans and shift loadings
Ordinary hours for day workers run between 7.00 am and 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday (clause 13.1). Work that falls outside that pattern is priced through shift loadings, and clause 20.1 defines each shift by when it starts or finishes:
- Early morning shift: commences between 2.00 am and 7.00 am and is paid at 112.5%. The casual grade 1 rate on commencement is $37.24.
- Afternoon shift: finishes after 6.00 pm and at or before midnight and is paid at 115%. The casual rate is $37.91.
- Night shift: finishes after midnight and at or before 8.30 am and is paid at 130%. The casual rate is $41.97.
The pay guide rates already include the loading. A grade 1 casual on afternoon shift is 115% of $27.08, which is $31.14, plus the flat $6.77 loading, which gives $37.91. Because the loading is a flat add-on, a shift loading lifts a casual's rate by the shift percentage alone. On the award's wording the loading applies to the shift, so a rostered shift that finishes after 6.00 pm is paid the afternoon rate for the whole shift, not only for the hours after 6.00 pm.
Saturday, Sunday, public holiday and overtime rates for casuals
The award pays Saturday ordinary time at 150%, Sunday at 200% and public holidays at 250% of the minimum hourly rate (clause 22). Overtime for fulltime and part-time employees is 150% for the first two hours and 200% after that (clause 21.1(b)). For casuals, clause 21.1(d) pays 175% for the first two hours and 225% after, and the note under the clause explains that these rates were calculated by adding the 25% loading to the fulltime overtime rates. For a grade 1 casual on commencement, the pay guide gives:
- Saturday ordinary hours, by agreement: $47.39
- Sunday ordinary hours: $60.93
- Public holiday ordinary hours: $74.47
- Overtime, Monday to Saturday: $47.39 for the first 2 hours and $60.93 after 2 hours
- Less than a 10 hour break between shifts: $60.93
Public holiday work carries a minimum payment of four hours at the public holiday rate (clause 22.3(b)). For the rostering side of those days, see our guide to seasonal public holiday pay rates.
From pay rate to cost per hour: a Victorian worked example
A charge rate is not the pay rate. Take a Storeworker grade 1 casual on commencement and a provider that pays Victorian payroll tax at the standard 4.85% on every dollar of wages. This is an illustration, not a quote. Each hour builds like this:
- Weekday ordinary hour: pay $33.85, super $4.06, payroll tax $1.84, running total $39.75
- Saturday: pay $47.39, super $5.69, payroll tax $2.57, running total $55.65
- Sunday: pay $60.93, super $7.31, payroll tax $3.31, running total $71.55
- Public holiday: pay $74.47, super $8.94, payroll tax $4.05, running total $87.46
- Overtime, first 2 hours: pay $47.39, no super, payroll tax $2.30, running total $49.69
Super is 12% of ordinary time earnings, and the ATO counts casual loading and shift or public holiday penalties as part of them while leaving overtime out, which is why the overtime line carries no super. Our guide to superannuation on overtime explains the rule. Payroll tax is charged on the pay and the super together, and our payroll tax guide covers the rates in other states.
These totals stop short of three lines: the WorkCover premium, which follows the industry classification of your site, the provider's insurance and overheads, and the provider's fee. Those lines are why two quotes for the same grade can differ, which our post on why labour hire agencies quote different rates for the same role works through.
What to check on a storeworker quote
- Classification and step. Confirm the grade and whether the worker is on commencement, after 3 months or after 12 months.
- Weekend and overtime method. Casual rates under this award use a flat 25% add-on, so a quote that multiplies the weekday rate by 1.25 for penalty hours will not match the pay guide.
- Hours and pay guide date. Check the assumed hours against the 7.00 am to 5.30 pm day span and the shift definitions above, and ask which pay guide the quote was built from.
- Separate lines. A provider that shows the fulltime rate, the casual loading and the resulting pay rate on separate lines makes every check above easy.
Related Resources
- Storage Services and Wholesale Award text
- Fair Work pay guide for the award
- labour cost per hour for blue collar roles
- why quotes differ for the same role
- public holiday pay rates and rostering
- how the 25% casual loading is applied
- warehousing and logistics labour hire
Common Questions About the Storage Services and Wholesale Award
1. Does the Storage Services and Wholesale Award apply to labour hire workers?
It can. Clause 4.4 covers an employer that supplies labour on an on-hire basis in the storage and wholesale industry, in respect of on-hire employees in classifications the award covers, while they work for a business in that industry. The award's exclusions still apply, so ask the provider which award it has applied and why.
2. What is the casual loading under the Storage Services and Wholesale Award?
It is 25% of the minimum hourly rate for each ordinary hour worked (clause 11.2). For penalty and overtime hours the 25% is added as a flat amount to the fulltime penalty rate, which is why a casual Saturday hour is 175% of the fulltime rate.
3. Are forklift operators paid more than general storeworkers?
The award lists the licensed operation of materials handling equipment as an indicative grade 2 task, while grade 1 covers non-licensed equipment. On 1 July 2026 casual grade 2 is $34.96 an hour against $33.85 for grade 1 on commencement. The classification depends on the duties, so confirm it with the provider.
4. What hours count as ordinary hours for a day worker?
Ordinary hours are up to 38 a week averaged over four weeks, worked between 7.00 am and 5.30 pm Monday to Friday, with up to 10 ordinary hours in a day by agreement (clause 13.1). Time outside that is shift work or overtime.
5. How often do the rates change?
Award rates are reviewed each year and the new rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. Check the current Fair Work pay guide for the award before you budget.
Price the Roster Before You Price the Grade
The grade sets the base, but the roster decides most of the cost: how many hours fall on weekends, how many shifts finish after 6.00 pm and how much overtime the plan creates. Write the roster first, ask for rates column by column and compare quotes on the same assumptions. Chandler Personnel provides Melbourne labour hire and permanent recruitment, and you can send the shift pattern and classification you expect through the request staff form.
