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

Overtime pay in Western Australia is more complex than any other state. WA is the only state that never handed its industrial relations powers to the Commonwealth — which means a significant portion of the WA workforce operates under a completely separate state IR system with its own awards, minimum conditions, and overtime rules. On top of that, WA's dominant mining and resources sector brings FIFO rosters, project agreements, and enterprise arrangements that sit outside the standard overtime framework most Australians are familiar with.

This guide covers both systems — the federal Fair Work system and the WA state system — and the specific public holiday calendar that determines when the 250% public holiday rate applies in WA.

Quick answer: Under most federal modern awards, overtime in WA is paid at 150% for the first 2 hours, 200% after that, 200% for all Sunday overtime, and 250% on public holidays. WA-specific public holidays include Labour Day (first Monday in March), Western Australia Day (first Monday in June), and a King's Birthday in late September — all different from every other state.

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

WA's Dual Industrial Relations System — The Critical Distinction

Western Australia is unique in Australia. When the other states handed their industrial relations powers to the Commonwealth in 2009, WA did not. As a result, WA has two completely separate IR systems operating side by side:

The national Fair Work system — covers corporations (Pty Ltd, Ltd), federal public servants, and certain other employers. Overtime rules come from federal modern awards administered by the Fair Work Commission.

The WA state system — covers sole traders, partnerships, unincorporated associations, and the WA state public sector. Overtime rules come from WA state awards administered by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC) under the Industrial Relations Act 1979 (WA).

This is not a minor distinction. A significant proportion of WA small businesses — trade operators, family partnerships, small construction firms, farming operations — are in the WA state system, not the federal system. Their employees have different minimum wages, different overtime rules, and different entitlements to those covered by federal awards, even if they work in the same industry.

How to find which system covers you:

If your employer is a company (Pty Ltd or Ltd): almost certainly the federal system → Fair Work Act + federal modern awards
If your employer is a sole trader, partnership, or unincorporated body: most likely the WA state system → IR Act 1979 (WA) + WA state awards
If you work for the WA state government or a WA government agency: WA state system
If you are a federal public servant: federal system

For a definitive check, the WA Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) provides a Which System tool at commerce.wa.gov.au/labour-relations. The Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) can also advise for federal system queries; the WAIRC (08 9420 4444) handles WA state system matters.

Standard Overtime Rates in WA — Federal System

For employees covered by federal modern awards (most corporate employers), overtime rates in WA are the same national rates that apply in every other state:

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, the Building and Construction Award, and the Hospitality Industry Award. Always verify against your specific award — rates vary by industry.

WA State System Overtime Rates

Employees in the WA state system have overtime entitlements set by their specific WA state award. WA state awards broadly follow a similar structure to federal awards but are set independently by the WAIRC and may differ in specific rates, daily vs weekly triggers, and conditions.

Under most WA state awards, the general overtime structure is:

Weekday and Saturday overtime: 150% for the first 2 hours, 200% thereafter
Sunday overtime: 200% from the first hour
Public holiday work: 250% (or payment of the ordinary rate plus a day off in lieu, depending on the award)

The WA state minimum wage is set annually by the WAIRC — it is currently above the national minimum wage, making WA state system employees among the best-protected low-wage workers in Australia. For 2026, check the current WA state minimum wage at the WAIRC website (wairc.wa.gov.au).

Saturday Overtime in WA

Saturday overtime in WA follows the same logic as the rest of Australia — whether Saturday work is overtime depends on whether it falls within or outside your ordinary spread of hours under your award.

Federal system employees in WA:

For workers whose award excludes Saturday from ordinary hours (clerical, professional services, many trades): Saturday from the first minute is overtime at 150% for 2 hours, then 200%.
For workers in retail, hospitality, and healthcare where Saturday is within the ordinary span: Saturday ordinary hours attract the Saturday penalty rate in the award; overtime begins when the daily or weekly maximum is exceeded.

WA state system employees:

Saturday overtime provisions are set by the specific WA state award. Most WA state awards have a Saturday overtime structure of 150% for 2 hours then 200%, consistent with the federal norm. Some WA state awards specify different structures — always check the relevant award.

Sunday Overtime in WA

Under most federal modern awards applicable in WA, all Sunday overtime is paid at 200% from the first hour. No step-up applies — the double-time rate runs throughout Sunday.

For WA state system employees, Sunday overtime is also generally 200% under most state awards, but verify against your specific instrument.

Midnight shift-crossover rule: If a shift starts Saturday night and crosses midnight into Sunday, the Sunday rate (200%) applies from midnight on both systems. The Saturday rates do not continue into Sunday.

Public Holiday Pay in WA

Western Australia has the most distinctive public holiday calendar of any Australian state. WA's Labour Day, Western Australia Day, and King's Birthday all fall on different dates from every other state — and WA provides a substitute public holiday for Anzac Day when it falls on a weekend (unlike QLD, which does not).

WA Public Holidays 2026

Date	Public Holiday	WA-specific notes
1 January	New Year's Day
26 January	Australia Day
2 March	Labour Day	First Monday in March — different from every other state
3 April	Good Friday
5 April	Easter Sunday	WA does not observe Easter Saturday as a public holiday
6 April	Easter Monday
25 April	Anzac Day	Falls Saturday 2026
27 April	Additional public holiday for Anzac Day	WA provides substitute Monday — unlike QLD
1 June	Western Australia Day	WA only — no equivalent in other states
28 September	King's Birthday	Late September in WA — different from every other state
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. Always verify — WA can add or vary public holidays, and some regional areas have additional gazetted holidays.

The WA-Specific Public Holidays You Must Know

Labour Day — first Monday in March

WA Labour Day falls in March, earlier than any other state. NSW and ACT Labour Day is in October. QLD is in May. VIC is in March but on the second Monday — the same month as WA but a different date. The first Monday in March 2026 is 2 March. Workers in WA are entitled to 250% public holiday pay under most awards for any Labour Day work.

Western Australia Day — first Monday in June

This is a WA-only public holiday with no equivalent in any other state. In 2026 it falls on 1 June. The public holiday rate (250% under most federal awards) applies to all hours worked on this day. For employers with cross-state operations, WA employees working on WA Day are entitled to the public holiday rate while their colleagues in other states work ordinary time.

King's Birthday — late September

WA's King's Birthday falls in late September — specifically the last Monday in September for most of WA (28 September 2026). This is months apart from every other state: NSW/VIC/SA/TAS/QLD observe King's Birthday in June; ACT observes it in June; only WA and QLD differ significantly, with QLD celebrating in October. The WA September date means the payroll complexity for cross-state businesses is particularly acute: WA workers get a public holiday in September while their eastern state colleagues work ordinarily.

Some regional areas of WA observe the King's Birthday on a different date — always confirm with the WA government for regional variations.

Easter Saturday — not a public holiday in WA

WA is one of the few states that does not observe Easter Saturday as a public holiday. NSW, VIC, SA, ACT, and NT all have Easter Saturday as a gazetted holiday. WA does not. Workers rostered on Easter Saturday in WA are on ordinary time (or overtime if hours thresholds are exceeded) — not on the 250% public holiday rate.

Anzac Day 2026 — WA provides a substitute Monday

Unlike QLD, WA provides an additional public holiday on Monday 27 April when Anzac Day falls on Saturday 25 April 2026. Workers who would ordinarily work Monday receive a paid day off. Workers rostered to work on Monday 27 April 2026 are entitled to the public holiday rate.

Mining, Resources, and FIFO Overtime in WA

WA's dominant resources sector — iron ore, gold, lithium, LNG — employs a large workforce on FIFO (fly-in fly-out) rosters with arrangements that interact with overtime rules in ways that most standard overtime guides do not cover.

Enterprise Agreements in Mining

Most large mining operations in WA — BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Woodside, and their major contractors — operate under enterprise agreements registered under the federal Fair Work Act rather than modern awards. These enterprise agreements typically:

Annualise all penalty rates and overtime into a higher all-inclusive wage or composite rate — meaning employees receive a flat rate for all hours worked including overtime, weekends, and public holidays, rather than separate penalty loadings for each
Specify FIFO roster terms directly (e.g., 8 days on / 6 days off, or 4 weeks on / 2 weeks off), with the agreement specifying what rate applies throughout the roster cycle
May provide rates significantly above the relevant modern award, in which case the enterprise agreement governs entirely

If you work under an enterprise agreement in mining, your overtime entitlements are determined by that agreement — not the general federal award overtime structure. The overtime clause in your enterprise agreement specifies when overtime applies, what rate is used, and whether public holidays attract additional loading on top of the composite rate.

To find your enterprise agreement, ask your employer or search the Fair Work Commission's registered agreements database at fwc.gov.au.

Modern Award Coverage in Mining — When Awards Apply

Where no enterprise agreement is in place, WA mining employees in corporate employers (Pty Ltd) are covered by relevant federal modern awards. The most common in WA's resources sector include:

Mining Industry Award (MA000011) — covers operational roles in metalliferous mining
Black Coal Mining Industry Award (MA000001) — applies to coal operations
Pastoral Award (MA000058) — applies to some remote station-based roles
Building and Construction Award (MA000020) — covers construction contractors on resource projects

Each award has its own overtime structure. The Mining Industry Award, for example, specifies overtime rates and includes specific provisions for continuous shift workers and weekend work that differ from the standard Monday–Saturday 150%/200% structure.

FIFO and the "Day On, Day Off" Question

A common question for FIFO workers: does every "day on" roster count as overtime if it exceeds 38 hours per week?

Under most enterprise agreements, the answer is no — the agreement sets the roster as the agreed ordinary hours framework, and the composite rate compensates for the extended hours. Overtime under the enterprise agreement applies only when the employee works beyond the agreed roster (called off-roster call-ins or unplanned extensions).

Under a modern award, the answer is more complex and depends on whether the roster constitutes averaged ordinary hours under the award. Most mining awards permit averaging arrangements where ordinary hours are averaged over the roster cycle, so a 12-days-on / 9-days-off roster at 12 hours per day averages out to approximately 38 ordinary hours per week — with no overtime applying within the agreed roster.

Always confirm with your enterprise agreement or award.

Is Overtime Calculated Daily or Weekly in WA?

For federal system employees, this depends on the award:

Weekly trigger: Most service and clerical awards — overtime after 38 hours in the week
Daily trigger: Most construction and trades awards — overtime after 8 or 10 hours in the day, regardless of weekly total
Both triggers: Some awards use whichever is reached first

For WA state system employees, the state award sets its own daily or weekly trigger. Most WA state awards use a similar structure to federal awards but verify against your specific instrument.

Do Casual Employees Get Overtime in WA?

Yes — under most federal modern awards in WA, casual employees can be entitled to overtime pay. The overtime rate typically applies to the base rate (before the 25% casual loading), with the two figures calculated separately. Some awards calculate overtime on the full casual rate inclusive of loading — check your specific award.

WA state system casual employees have their overtime entitlements set by their specific state award. The WA state system has its own casual loading arrangements and overtime structures that may differ from federal award provisions.

WA Public Holidays and the State System

An important nuance for WA state system employees: the gazetted WA public holidays are the same regardless of which IR system covers you. Both federal and state system employees in WA are entitled to the WA public holiday calendar. The rate paid for public holiday work may differ between a federal award and a WA state award, but the days themselves are consistent.

How to Calculate Your Overtime Pay in WA

Worked example — Western Australia Day (federal award):

Base hourly rate: $33.00/hr
Hours worked: 8 hours on WA Day (1 June 2026)
Award: Clerks Private Sector Award (250% public holiday rate)

8 hours × $33.00 × 2.5 = $660.00
Compared to a normal Monday: 8 × $33.00 = $264.00
Additional pay for working WA Day: $396.00

Worked example — Saturday overtime (federal award):

Base hourly rate: $33.00/hr
Overtime worked: 5 hours on Saturday
Award: Building and Construction Award

First 2 hours: $33.00 × 1.5 = $49.50/hr × 2 = $99.00
Next 3 hours: $33.00 × 2.0 = $66.00/hr × 3 = $198.00
Total Saturday overtime: $297.00

Use the Overtime Pay Calculator to run any scenario instantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overtime rate in WA on Saturday?

Under most federal modern awards applicable in WA, Saturday overtime is 150% for the first 2 hours and 200% after that — when Saturday is outside the ordinary span of hours under your award. Some awards (retail, hospitality) include Saturday within ordinary hours, so Saturday penalty rates apply to ordinary Saturday work and overtime only kicks in when daily or weekly limits are exceeded. WA state system employees should check their specific state award.

What is the Sunday overtime rate in WA?

Under most federal modern awards, all Sunday overtime in WA is paid at 200% (double time) from the first hour. WA state system employees should check their specific state award, though 200% Sunday overtime is also standard under most WA state awards.

When is Labour Day in WA?

WA Labour Day falls on the first Monday in March — earlier than any other state. In 2026, that is 2 March. Workers in WA are entitled to 250% public holiday pay (under most federal awards) for any work performed on Labour Day. This is completely separate from NSW Labour Day (October), QLD Labour Day (May), or VIC Labour Day (second Monday in March).

What is WA Day and when is it in 2026?

Western Australia Day (WA Day) falls on the first Monday in June and is a WA-only public holiday with no equivalent in other states. In 2026, WA Day is 1 June. Workers required to work on WA Day are entitled to the full public holiday penalty rate under their award — 250% under most federal modern awards.

When is King's Birthday in WA?

WA's King's Birthday falls on the last Monday in September — in 2026, that is 28 September. This is different from every eastern state, where King's Birthday is in June. Some regional WA areas may observe the date differently — check with the WA government for regional variations.

Does WA observe Easter Saturday as a public holiday?

No. WA does not observe Easter Saturday as a public holiday. This is different from NSW, VIC, SA, ACT, and NT. Workers rostered on Easter Saturday in WA are on ordinary time or overtime (if thresholds exceeded) — not on the 250% public holiday rate.

Does WA have a substitute public holiday for Anzac Day in 2026?

Yes. When Anzac Day falls on Saturday (as it does in 2026), WA provides an additional substitute public holiday on Monday 27 April 2026. Workers who would ordinarily work Monday receive a paid day off. Workers rostered to work Monday 27 April are entitled to the public holiday rate under their award.

How does overtime work for FIFO workers in WA?

Most FIFO workers in WA's mining sector work under enterprise agreements that annualise penalty rates and overtime into a composite wage rate. Overtime within the agreed roster typically does not attract additional loadings — the composite rate already compensates for extended and weekend hours. Overtime under enterprise agreements usually only applies for work performed beyond the agreed roster (unplanned call-ins, roster extensions). If you are covered by a modern award rather than an enterprise agreement, your award's overtime clause governs. Check your enterprise agreement or award directly.

What is the WA state industrial relations system?

WA is the only state that did not hand its industrial relations powers to the Commonwealth in 2009. As a result, WA has two parallel IR systems: the federal Fair Work system (covering corporations and federal employees) and the WA state system (covering sole traders, partnerships, unincorporated employers, and the WA state public sector). Employees in the WA state system have their overtime entitlements set by WA state awards administered by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC), not federal modern awards. Contact the WAIRC on 08 9420 4444 for state system queries.

Is super paid on overtime in WA?

No — not under the default rules, regardless of which IR system covers you. The Superannuation Guarantee is calculated on Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE), which excludes overtime pay under ATO rules. This applies to both federal and WA state system employees. WA's mining workforce — where overtime and above-award wages are common — often has super calculated only on the base ordinary wage, not total remuneration including overtime. Check your employment contract or enterprise agreement for any variation to this default.

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. For federal system queries, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94). For WA state system queries, contact the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (08 9420 4444) or the WA Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS).