Bricklayer salary: what you take home after tax and Medicare in 2026–27
The minimum award rate for a bricklayer under the Building and Construction General On-site Award is $29.45 per hour ($1,119.10 per week), but the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for residential work shows $31.63 per hour ($1,202.08 per week). Actual pay varies by employer and experience.
How to work out your bricklayer take-home pay
If you're a bricklayer in Australia, your pay is covered by the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020. The award sets minimum hourly and weekly rates, but your actual take-home pay depends on your classification, the type of work (residential or commercial), and any allowances or overtime you earn.
What the award says
The sets a minimum weekly rate of $1,119.10 for a Level 3 bricklayer (CW/ECW 3), which works out to $29.45 per hour. However, the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guide for residential construction shows a higher rate: $1,202.08 per week, or $31.63 per hour. This difference comes from industry allowances that are built into the pay guide but not into the award's minimum classification rate.
For comparison, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week). A bricklayer's minimum is well above that.
Estimating your after-tax income
To see what lands in your bank account, start with your gross annual salary. For a full-time bricklayer working 38 hours a week, 52 weeks a year:
- Award minimum: $29.45 × 38 × 52 = $58,193
- Residential pay guide: $31.63 × 38 × 52 = $62,508
Now apply the 2026–27 tax rates for a resident:
| Taxable income | Tax on this income |
|---|---|
| $0 – $18,200 | Nil |
| $18,201 – $45,000 | 15c for each $1 over $18,200 |
| $45,001 – $135,000 | $4,020 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000 |
| $135,001 – $190,000 | $31,020 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000 |
| Over $190,000 | $51,370 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000 |
You may also be eligible for the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO). At $58,193, LITO is $325 minus 1.5c per dollar over $45,000, which works out to about $127. At $62,508, LITO is about $62.
Medicare levy: The full 2% applies because your income is above the single upper threshold of $35,013. (The latest published thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013.) So you'll pay 2% of your taxable income.
Example calculations
Award minimum ($58,193):
- Tax: $4,020 + 0.30 × ($58,193 – $45,000) = $4,020 + $3,958 = $7,978
- Less LITO: $127 → net tax $7,851
- Medicare: $58,193 × 0.02 = $1,164
- Take-home: $58,193 – $7,851 – $1,164 = $49,178 (about $1,891 per fortnight)
Residential rate ($62,508):
- Tax: $4,020 + 0.30 × ($62,508 – $45,000) = $4,020 + $5,252 = $9,272
- Less LITO: $62 → net tax $9,210
- Medicare: $62,508 × 0.02 = $1,250
- Take-home: $62,508 – $9,210 – $1,250 = $52,048 (about $2,002 per fortnight)
These are estimates. They exclude HELP/HECS repayments, the Medicare levy surcharge, salary sacrifice, and payroll tax rounding. Use the Take-home pay guide for a more personalised calculation.
What about super?
Your employer must pay 12% super on top of your ordinary earnings from 1 July 2026. That means for every dollar you earn, an extra 12 cents goes into your super fund. This is not deducted from your take-home pay – it's additional. The maximum earnings base for super contributions is $270,830 per year.
Factors that change your take-home
- Overtime: The award pays time-and-a-half for the first 2 hours Monday to Friday, and double time after that. Saturday rates are higher. Overtime boosts gross pay but also increases tax.
- Allowances: Tool allowance for bricklayers is $29.26 per week. This is added to your ordinary hourly rate and is taxable.
- Rostered days off: The award allows a 38-hour week averaged over a 4-week cycle, so you may have a regular RDO. Your weekly pay stays the same.
- Part-time or casual: Part-time employees get pro-rata entitlements. Casual employees receive a 25% loading on top of the minimum rate.
Where to get more help
- Tax and Medicare – detailed breakdown of offsets and levies
- Super – how compulsory contributions work
- Clearance tool – check your estimated take-home pay
Remember: the bricklayer salary you see in job ads is often quoted as a base rate plus super. Always confirm whether the figure is inclusive or exclusive of super and allowances. Your actual take-home will vary based on your hours, overtime, and personal tax situation.
Questions
What is the minimum wage for a bricklayer in Australia?
Under the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020, a bricklayer at Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of $29.45 per hour ($1,119.10 per week) as of 1 July 2026. However, the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guide for residential work lists a higher rate of $31.63 per hour ($1,202.08 per week) because it includes industry allowances. The national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, so bricklayers are paid above that floor.
How much tax and Medicare will I pay on a bricklayer salary?
For a full-time bricklayer earning the award minimum of $1,119.10 per week ($58,193 annually), your 2026–27 tax would be roughly $7,829 plus 2% Medicare levy ($1,164), leaving about $49,200 take-home. If you earn the residential rate of $1,202.08 per week ($62,508 annually), tax is about $9,074 plus Medicare $1,250, take-home around $52,184. These are estimates only; your exact amount depends on your total taxable income, LITO eligibility, and any deductions.
Does the bricklayer salary include superannuation?
No, the award rates shown are base pay before super. From 1 July 2026, employers must pay an additional 12% superannuation on top of your ordinary earnings, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. So if your salary is quoted as $31.63 per hour, your employer will also contribute $3.80 per hour into your super fund. Always check whether a job advertisement says 'plus super' or 'including super'.