Overtime Pay in the NT: Rates, Rules & Your Rights (2026)

Overtime pay in the Northern Territory runs on the same national Fair Work system as most of the country — the NT never had its own industrial relations commission the way WA does. What makes the Territory distinctive is its labour market: the tightest in Australia, with an estimated 5,000-worker shortfall across mining and construction, a large fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workforce in gas and minerals, and public holidays that don't exist anywhere else — including two that only run for part of the day.

This guide covers standard federal overtime rates in the NT, the mining and FIFO arrangements that cover a large share of the Territory's workforce, and the NT's unique public holiday calendar.

Quick answer: Under most federal modern awards, overtime in the NT is paid at 150% for the first 2 hours on weekdays and Saturday, 200% after that, 200% for all Sunday overtime, and 250% for public holiday work. Picnic Day (first Monday in August) and May Day (first Monday in May) are NT-only public holidays. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are unique part-day holidays in the NT, running from 7pm to midnight only.

Use the Dolaro Overtime Pay Calculator to calculate your exact gross pay including overtime at any rate.

How Overtime Works in the NT

Like the ACT, the Northern Territory has no separate territory industrial relations commission — every private employer sits under the national Fair Work system. This makes the NT's legal framework the same as NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, and simpler than Western Australia's parallel state system.

Standard federal overtime rates:

When overtime is worked	Rate	What you earn on $35/hr base
Monday–Saturday, first 2 hours of overtime	150% (time and a half)	$52.50/hr
Monday–Saturday, after 2 hours of overtime	200% (double time)	$70.00/hr
All overtime on Sunday	200% (double time)	$70.00/hr
All overtime on a public holiday	250% (double time and a half)	$87.50/hr

These are the same national rates that apply under common awards like the Clerks Private Sector Award and the Building and Construction Award anywhere in Australia. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool for your specific award.

NT Public Sector Employees: A Separate Award

Territory government employees — those working for NT Health, NT schools, and other NT Government agencies — are covered by the Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) Enterprise Award 2016 (MA000151), made specifically under the Fair Work Act for NTPS employment, plus enterprise agreements sitting on top of it (the current NTPS agreement runs 2025–2029). This is a modern award tailored to the Territory public service, not a separate state-style IR system — it's the same federal legal framework, just with an award written for this specific workforce.

If you're not sure whether you're covered by the NTPS award or a standard modern award, check your employment contract or ask your HR team — private sector and not-for-profit employees in the NT are covered by ordinary modern awards exactly as they would be in any other state.

Mining, Gas and FIFO Overtime in the NT

The NT has one of the largest FIFO workforces in the country relative to its population, concentrated in gas and minerals extraction, with the Territory's labour market currently the tightest in Australia — government estimates put the combined mining and construction worker shortfall at around 5,000 people.

Award rates in mining: Under the Mining Industry Award (MA000011), 2026–27 adult minimum rates range from $26.44/hr (Introductory level) to $36.53/hr (Level 7), before casual loading, shift loadings, and the underground allowance for employees working below ground. Source: Fair Work Commission, Mining Industry Award pay guide.

Enterprise agreements dominate large operations. As in WA, most major NT resources employers — LNG operators, larger mining companies, and their major contractors — run enterprise agreements rather than the base award. These typically annualise overtime and penalty rates into a single composite wage covering an agreed FIFO roster (commonly patterns like 2 weeks on / 1 week off, or 4 on / 1 off), rather than paying separate overtime loadings for each extended shift. Overtime under an enterprise agreement generally applies only to hours worked beyond the agreed roster — not to every hour over 38 in a week.

Where no enterprise agreement applies, the base Mining Industry Award overtime clause governs, including specific provisions for continuous shift work that differ from the standard Monday–Saturday 150%/200% structure.

Always check your specific enterprise agreement or award — composite FIFO rates vary significantly between operators.

NT Public Holidays 2026

The Northern Territory has three public holidays with no equivalent (or a different structure) anywhere else in Australia — including two that run for only part of the day.

Date	Public Holiday	NT-specific notes
1 January	New Year's Day
26 January	Australia Day
3 April	Good Friday
4 April	Easter Saturday	NT observes Easter Saturday, unlike WA
5 April	Easter Sunday
6 April	Easter Monday
25 April	Anzac Day	Falls Saturday 2026
4 May	May Day	First Monday in May — the NT's equivalent of Labour Day, celebrated in May rather than March or October
8 June	King's Birthday	Same June date as NSW, VIC, SA, TAS and ACT
3 August	Picnic Day	First Monday in August — NT only, with no equivalent anywhere else in Australia
24 December (7pm–midnight)	Christmas Eve (part-day)	Public holiday entitlements apply only from 7pm to midnight
25 December	Christmas Day
26 December	Boxing Day	Falls Saturday 2026
28 December	Additional public holiday for Boxing Day	Substitute Monday
31 December (7pm–midnight)	New Year's Eve (part-day)	Public holiday entitlements apply only from 7pm to midnight

Source: NT Government, public and regional holidays. The NT also observes regional Show Days that vary by locality — check your local council for the exact date. Always verify current dates before relying on this table.

Picnic Day — first Monday in August

Picnic Day has no equivalent in any other Australian jurisdiction. Falling on 3 August 2026, it's a standard full-day public holiday — workers required to work Picnic Day are entitled to the full public holiday rate under their award, typically 250%.

May Day — first Monday in May

While most of Australia marks a "Labour Day" holiday (in March or October depending on the state), the NT calls its equivalent May Day, held on the first Monday in May — 4 May 2026. It carries the same 250% public holiday entitlement as any other gazetted public holiday.

Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve — the only part-day public holidays in Australia

The NT is the only jurisdiction where a public holiday runs for only part of a day. From 7pm to midnight on both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, ordinary hours worked attract public holiday penalty rates — but hours worked before 7pm on those dates are ordinary working time, not public holiday time. For shift workers whose rostered hours straddle 7pm, only the portion after 7pm attracts the public holiday rate; the portion before it is paid at the normal applicable rate (ordinary time, or overtime/penalty rates if those independently apply).

How to Calculate Your Overtime Pay in the NT

Worked example — Picnic Day (federal award):

Base hourly rate: $33.50/hr Hours worked: 8 hours on Picnic Day (3 August 2026) Award: Clerks Private Sector Award (250% public holiday rate)

8 hours × $33.50 × 2.5 = $670.00
Compared to a normal Monday: 8 × $33.50 = $268.00
Additional pay for working Picnic Day: $402.00

Worked example — part-day Christmas Eve (federal award):

Base hourly rate: $33.50/hr Shift: 3pm–11pm on 24 December 2026 (8 hours total) Award: Hospitality Industry Award

3pm–7pm (4 hours): ordinary rate — 4 × $33.50 = $134.00
7pm–11pm (4 hours, public holiday portion): 4 × $33.50 × 2.5 = $335.00
Total shift pay: $469.00 — compared to $268.00 on a fully ordinary day

Use the Overtime Pay Calculator to run any scenario instantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overtime rate in the NT?

Under most federal modern awards, overtime in the NT is 150% for the first 2 hours on weekdays and Saturday, 200% after that, 200% for all Sunday overtime, and 250% on public holidays — the same national rates that apply everywhere outside WA's state system.

When is Picnic Day in 2026?

Picnic Day falls on Monday 3 August 2026 — the first Monday in August. It's an NT-only public holiday with no equivalent anywhere else in Australia. Workers required to work Picnic Day are entitled to the full public holiday rate under their award.

When is May Day in the NT?

May Day is the NT's equivalent of Labour Day, held on the first Monday in May — 4 May 2026. It carries the same 250% public holiday entitlement as any other gazetted public holiday in the Territory.

How do part-day public holidays work in the NT?

Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are public holidays in the NT only from 7pm to midnight — the only part-day public holidays in Australia. Hours worked before 7pm on those dates are paid at your normal applicable rate; only hours from 7pm onward attract the public holiday penalty rate.

Does the NT have its own industrial relations system like WA?

No. The NT sits entirely within the national Fair Work system, the same as NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT. NT Government employees are covered by the Northern Territory Public Sector Enterprise Award 2016 (MA000151) — a modern award written for that workforce, not a separate state-style commission.

How does overtime work for FIFO and mining employees in the NT?

Most large NT resources employers run enterprise agreements that annualise overtime and penalty rates into a composite wage covering the agreed FIFO roster. Overtime under these agreements typically applies only to hours worked beyond the agreed roster, not every hour over 38 in a week. Where no enterprise agreement exists, the Mining Industry Award (MA000011) governs, with 2026–27 adult minimum rates from $26.44/hr to $36.53/hr before loadings.

Is super paid on overtime in the NT?

No — not under the default rules. The Superannuation Guarantee is calculated on Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE), which excludes overtime under ATO rules. This applies uniformly across the NT, including for NTPS and mining enterprise agreement employees, unless your specific agreement provides otherwise.

This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Overtime entitlements depend on your specific award or enterprise agreement. For general Fair Work queries, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94). NT Government employees should check the current NTPS enterprise agreement alongside the NTPS award.