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

Overtime pay in Victoria follows the same federal Fair Work framework as the rest of Australia — but Victoria has its own public holiday calendar that directly affects what you are owed when you work on those days. Victoria's most distinctive public holidays are AFL Grand Final Friday (unique to Victoria), Labour Day on the second Monday in March (earlier than most states), and the Melbourne Cup Day regional holiday that applies to the Melbourne metropolitan area.

This guide covers overtime rates for Victorian workers, the full 2026 VIC public holiday calendar, and the state-specific nuances that affect your pay.

Quick answer: Under most federal modern awards, overtime in Victoria is paid at 150% for the first 2 hours on weekdays and Saturdays, 200% after that, 200% for all Sunday overtime, and 250% on public holidays. Victoria-specific public holidays include AFL Grand Final Friday (late September), Labour Day (second Monday in March), and Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday in November, Melbourne area).

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

How Overtime Works in Victoria

Almost all private sector workers in Victoria are covered by federal modern awards under the Fair Work Act 2009. Federal awards set the overtime rules — not separate Victorian legislation — so the overtime framework for most VIC workers is the same national standard that applies in NSW, QLD, and every other state.

What makes Victoria different is its public holiday calendar — particularly AFL Grand Final Friday, which is unique to Victoria and generates significant pay implications for workers required to work on that day.

If you are unsure which award applies to you, use the Fair Work Ombudsman's Find My Award tool. Victorian state public sector employees are covered by Victorian state awards and the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement — not federal modern awards. Their overtime rules are set by those instruments, not the federal award structure.

Standard Overtime Rates in Victoria (Federal Awards)

Under most federal modern awards, these are the overtime rates applicable to Victorian workers. Always verify against your specific award — rates vary by industry.

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 rates are standard under common awards including the Clerks Private Sector Award, Building and Construction Award, and General Retail Industry Award. Your specific award may differ — always verify at fairwork.gov.au.

Saturday Overtime Rates in Victoria

Saturday overtime in Victoria follows the same national award structure. Whether Saturday work is overtime depends entirely on your award and whether Saturday falls within your ordinary span of hours.

Saturday is outside ordinary hours (overtime from the first minute) for most clerical, professional, and construction workers. Under these awards: 150% for the first 2 hours, 200% after.

Saturday is within the ordinary span of hours for retail, hospitality, and healthcare workers. Under these awards, Saturday work within the spread attracts Saturday penalty rates (not overtime rates), and overtime only begins when daily or weekly maximums are exceeded.

Industry / Award	Saturday ordinary rate	Saturday overtime
Retail (General Retail Industry Award)	125% first 3 hrs, 150% after	150% first 2 hrs, 200% after
Hospitality (Hospitality Industry Award)	Within span of hours — penalty rates apply	150% first 2 hrs, 200% after
Clerical / admin (Clerks Private Sector Award)	Outside ordinary hours → overtime	150% first 2 hrs, 200% after
Construction (Building and Construction Award)	Outside ordinary hours → overtime	150% first 2 hrs, 200% after
Healthcare / nursing (Nurses Award)	Specific rates apply — check award MA000034	150–200% depending on hours

Sunday Overtime Rates in Victoria

Under most federal modern awards, all Sunday overtime is paid at 200% (double time) from the first minute. There is no step-up structure on Sunday — the double-time rate applies throughout.

If a shift starts Saturday night and crosses midnight into Sunday, the Sunday rate (200%) applies from midnight. The Saturday overtime rates do not continue into Sunday.

Public Holiday Pay in Victoria

Victoria's public holiday calendar is where the state differs most significantly from QLD and NSW. The 250% public holiday rate under most federal modern awards applies on gazetted Victorian public holidays — and Victoria has several that no other state observes.

Victoria Public Holidays 2026

Date	Public Holiday	VIC-specific notes
1 January	New Year's Day
26 January	Australia Day
9 March	Labour Day	Second Monday in March — different from NSW (October), QLD (May), WA (March 1st Monday)
3 April	Good Friday
4 April	Easter Saturday	VIC observes Easter Saturday as a public holiday
5 April	Easter Sunday
6 April	Easter Monday
25 April	Anzac Day	Falls Saturday 2026 — substitute Monday 27 April in VIC
8 June	King's Birthday	Same as NSW
25 September	AFL Grand Final Friday	Victoria only — Friday before the AFL Grand Final
3 November	Melbourne Cup Day	Melbourne metropolitan area only — first Tuesday in November
25 December	Christmas Day
26 December	Boxing Day	Falls Saturday 2026
28 December	Additional public holiday for Boxing Day	Substitute Monday

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, 2026 public holidays. AFL Grand Final Friday date confirmed once the Grand Final is scheduled — typically late September. Always verify current dates.

The VIC-Specific Public Holidays You Must Know

AFL Grand Final Friday — Victoria Only

AFL Grand Final Friday is the single most distinctive public holiday in Australia — it exists only in Victoria. The date changes each year depending on when the AFL Grand Final is scheduled (always the Friday before the Saturday Grand Final). In 2026 it falls in late September.

Workers in Victoria required to work on AFL Grand Final Friday are entitled to the 250% public holiday rate under most federal awards. This applies state-wide — not just to Melbourne. Employers with staff across Victoria and NSW or QLD need to manage this carefully: Victorian workers are on public holiday rates while interstate colleagues work ordinary time.

One common employer error: treating AFL Grand Final Friday as a normal day for remote-working Victorian employees. If the employee is based in Victoria, the Victorian public holiday applies regardless of where they are physically working that day.

Labour Day — Second Monday in March

Victorian Labour Day falls on the second Monday in March — earlier than most states. In 2026 that is 9 March. This differs from:

WA Labour Day: first Monday in March (2 March 2026)
QLD Labour Day: first Monday in May
NSW Labour Day: first Monday in October

For employers with workers in both Victoria and WA, March brings two separate Labour Day obligations in the same month on different dates.

Easter Saturday — VIC Observes It

Victoria observes Easter Saturday as a public holiday. This is different from WA and QLD which do not. Victorian workers required to work Easter Saturday are entitled to the 250% public holiday rate. Workers in WA on Easter Saturday are on ordinary time (or overtime if thresholds are exceeded) — not public holiday rates.

Melbourne Cup Day — Melbourne Area Only

Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday in November) applies to employers in the Melbourne metropolitan area only. Workers in regional Victoria — Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton — generally do not observe Melbourne Cup Day as a public holiday unless their specific award or enterprise agreement provides for it or their employer has elected to observe it.

The definition of "Melbourne metropolitan area" for this purpose follows the Fair Work Ombudsman's guidance — broadly, the Melbourne Statistical Division as defined by the ABS. If your workplace is on the boundary, confirm with the FWO or your award.

Anzac Day 2026 — Substitute Monday in VIC

Anzac Day falls on Saturday 25 April 2026. Victoria provides an additional substitute public holiday on Monday 27 April 2026. Workers ordinarily rostered on Monday receive a paid day off. Workers required to work Monday 27 April are entitled to the public holiday rate under their award.

Is Overtime Calculated Daily or Weekly in Victoria?

The same federal award rules apply in Victoria as nationally. Whether overtime triggers daily or weekly depends entirely on your award — there is no Victorian-specific rule.

Weekly trigger (most common for clerical, retail, professional services): overtime after 38 hours in the week.

Daily trigger (construction, some manufacturing): overtime after 8 or 10 hours in a day.

Both triggers: some awards use whichever is reached first.

See the Overtime Pay in Australia: Complete Guide for detailed examples and award-specific guidance.

Do Casual Employees Get Overtime in Victoria?

Yes — casual employees in Victoria are entitled to overtime under most federal modern awards when they work beyond the daily or weekly maximum ordinary hours. The overtime multiplier is applied to the base rate (before casual loading), not the casual-inclusive rate.

For the full explanation of casual overtime rules and calculation method, see: Are Casuals Entitled to Overtime in Australia?

TOIL in Victoria

Time off in lieu (TOIL) operates the same way in Victoria as nationally under federal awards. It must be agreed in writing before the overtime is worked, taken at the overtime rate (2 hours at 1.5× = 3 hours TOIL), and within the period specified in the award. Not all federal awards permit TOIL — check your award's overtime clause.

Superannuation and Overtime in Victoria

Superannuation is not paid on overtime in Victoria or anywhere else in Australia under the default Superannuation Guarantee rules. Overtime is excluded from Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE) under ATO Superannuation Guarantee Ruling SGR 2009/2. Your employer's 12% SG obligation applies to ordinary wages only.

For the full detail: Is Super Paid on Overtime in Australia?

How to Calculate Your Overtime Pay in Victoria

Worked example — AFL Grand Final Friday:

Base hourly rate: $34.00/hr Hours worked: 8 hours on AFL Grand Final Friday Award: Clerks Private Sector Award (250% public holiday rate)

8 hours × $34.00 × 2.5 = $680.00
Normal Friday: 8 × $34.00 = $272.00
Additional pay for working AFL Grand Final Friday: $408.00

Worked example — Saturday overtime in Victoria:

Base hourly rate: $34.00/hr Overtime worked: 4 hours on Saturday (outside ordinary span) Award: Clerks Private Sector Award

First 2 hours: $34.00 × 1.5 = $51.00/hr × 2 = $102.00
Next 2 hours: $34.00 × 2.0 = $68.00/hr × 2 = $136.00
Total Saturday overtime: $238.00

Use the Overtime Pay Calculator to run any scenario instantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overtime rate in Victoria?

Under most federal modern awards, overtime in Victoria is paid at 150% (time and a half) for the first 2 hours on weekdays and Saturdays, then 200% (double time) after that. All Sunday overtime is 200% from the first hour. Public holiday work is 250% (double time and a half). Your specific award may have different rates — verify at fairwork.gov.au.

Do workers in Victoria get paid extra on AFL Grand Final Friday?

Yes — AFL Grand Final Friday is a gazetted public holiday in Victoria. Workers required to work on AFL Grand Final Friday are entitled to the public holiday penalty rate under their award — typically 250% under most federal modern awards. Workers who are rostered off receive their ordinary pay for the day without it counting as annual leave.

When is Labour Day in Victoria?

Victorian Labour Day falls on the second Monday in March. In 2026 that is 9 March. This differs from WA (first Monday in March), QLD (first Monday in May), and NSW (first Monday in October).

Does Melbourne Cup Day apply to all Victorian workers?

No. Melbourne Cup Day applies to workers in the Melbourne metropolitan area only. Workers in regional Victoria — Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, and other regional centres — generally do not have Melbourne Cup Day as a public holiday unless their award, enterprise agreement, or employer specifically provides for it.

Does Victoria observe Easter Saturday as a public holiday?

Yes. Victoria observes Easter Saturday as a public holiday. Workers required to work Easter Saturday in Victoria are entitled to the 250% public holiday rate under most federal awards. This is different from WA and QLD which do not observe Easter Saturday as a gazetted holiday.

Is overtime calculated differently in Victoria than other states?

No — Victorian private sector workers are covered by federal modern awards under the Fair Work Act, the same as NSW, QLD, and other states. Overtime rates are set by the award, not the state. What differs in Victoria is the public holiday calendar — AFL Grand Final Friday, March Labour Day, Easter Saturday, and Melbourne Cup Day are all Victorian-specific holidays that affect when the 250% public holiday rate applies.

Is super paid on overtime in Victoria?

No. Superannuation is not paid on overtime in Victoria or any other state under the default Superannuation Guarantee rules. Overtime is excluded from Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE). Your employer's 12% SG obligation is based on ordinary wages only. See: Is Super Paid on Overtime?

Do casuals get overtime in Victoria?

Yes — casual employees in Victoria are entitled to overtime under most federal modern awards when they exceed the daily or weekly ordinary hours thresholds. The overtime rate multiplier applies to the base rate (before casual loading). See: Are Casuals Entitled to Overtime in Australia?

This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Overtime entitlements depend on your specific award, enterprise agreement, or employment contract. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified workplace relations adviser.