Understanding the minimum wage for a 15-year-old: gross pay vs take-home pay

What is the minimum wage for a 15-year-old?

If you're 15 and starting your first job, you might wonder what you're legally entitled to be paid. The answer isn't a single number. The national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour (or $1,004.90 per week) applies to adult employees not covered by an award or registered agreement. But for a 15-year-old, your minimum wage is set by the award that covers your industry or occupation. Most awards include junior pay rates, which are a percentage of the adult rate and increase with age. For example, a 15-year-old might be paid 45% to 50% of the adult rate, but this varies. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that awards cover many industries, so it's important to get it right. Use their Pay and Conditions Tool to find the exact rate for your job. Fair Work Ombudsman also notes that the National Minimum Wage Order 2026 sets the adult rate, but junior rates are different.

Gross pay vs take-home pay: the mix-up

A common confusion is between the salary advertised (gross pay) and what actually lands in your bank account (take-home pay). When you see a job ad quoting a wage, that's before tax and the Medicare levy are deducted. Your take-home pay is the amount after these deductions. For a 15-year-old earning a junior rate, the difference can be significant, especially if you earn below the tax-free threshold of $18,200. In that case, you may pay no income tax, but you still need to consider the Medicare levy.

How tax and Medicare affect your take-home

For the 2026–27 tax year, resident tax rates are:

• Up to $18,200: nil
• $18,201 to $45,000: 15c for each $1 over $18,200
• $45,001 to $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c per $1 over $45,000
• and so on.

You also get the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) which can reduce your tax to zero if your taxable income is below $37,500. The Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income, but there are low-income exemptions. For singles, the latest published thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your income is below $28,011, you pay no Medicare levy. Between $28,011 and $35,013, you pay 10c per dollar over the lower threshold. Above $35,013, you pay the full 2%.

For a 15-year-old working part-time, your annual earnings might be well below $28,011, so you may not pay any Medicare levy. But if you earn more, the levy applies.

Fortnightly pay and superannuation

Many employers pay fortnightly. Your gross fortnightly pay is your weekly rate times two. Then tax is withheld based on the tax tables. Superannuation is not deducted from your pay if the salary is quoted as "plus super". For employees under 18, super guarantee contributions are only required if you work more than 30 hours per week. So a 15-year-old working fewer hours may not receive super. Always check your payslip.

The difference between salary package and take-home

Some job ads quote a "salary package" which includes superannuation. Super is not take-home pay; it goes into your super fund. For a 15-year-old, super may not apply, but if it does, remember that the package amount is higher than what you receive in hand. Always ask whether the wage is "plus super" or "including super".

Using our tools

To see how much you'll actually take home, use our Take-home pay calculator. It applies the correct tax rates and Medicare levy for 2026–27. You can also compare your wage to the Minimum wage benchmarks.

Example for comparison

For illustration, an adult on the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour working 38 hours a week earns $1,004.90 gross per week. After tax and Medicare, their take-home is about $850 per week (depending on LITO). A 15-year-old earning a junior percentage would have a lower gross, and therefore lower tax and possibly no Medicare levy. The exact take-home depends on your award rate and hours.

Key takeaways

• The minimum wage for a 15-year-old is not a fixed number; check your award.
• Gross pay is before deductions; take-home is after tax and Medicare.
• Medicare levy exemptions apply if you earn below $28,011.
• Super is not part of take-home pay.
• Use our Take-home pay tool to get a personalised estimate.