What should your job pay?

If you want to know the minimum salary a particular job should pay, including apprenticeships and traineeships, then visit the Fair Work Online website, www.fairwork.gov.au,

No only does the Workplace Authority site offer information on your employer’s obligations to you but it also includes Pay Scale Summaries, which are the tables of awards [pay brackets].

First step is to go to Pay Scale Summaries page or going to the Workplace Authority website and clicking on the purple box on the home page titled Find Pay Scale Summaries.

Once on that page, scroll down and click on the 2008 list and then use the A-Z choices. Remember, it is the award not the role that you will need to search so you will need to surf around a bit if you don’t know what award you fall under.

Instead of “C” for chef, you would need to look under “P” for Pastry Cooks Award or “R” for Restaurant, Tearoom and Caterers Award if you are in WA or the Restaurant Employees Award in NSW and so on. It isn’t hard it just takes a bit of trial and error unless you know your award.

Any questions for the Fair Pay Commission about not getting paid the award, call the Workplace Info line on 1300 363 264.

You can also find information on state-based awards by going onto the websites of the relevant organisations in your state or territory. Below are a few examples:

In Queensland contact Wageline by visiting the website or calling 1300 369 945.

In NSW visit the Office of Industrial Relations website or call 131 628.

In Victoria visit Victoria Online Employment & Workplace and then Conditions & Entitlements.

Also, visit the CareerOne Salary Centre for links to salary surveys.