National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026
$26.44 per hour or $1004.90 per week for employees not covered by an award or registered agreement.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Minimum wages (retrieved 6 October 2026)
Employer guide
Employer HR resources for hiring in Australia
These guides cover the tasks an Australian employer meets when hiring: what a recruitment agency charges, how to find the right award, what goes in a contract, probation, notice, onboarding, super and work rights checks. Each page cites the official source and the date we read it.
By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 6 October 2026.
1,200+
Successful Placements
92%
Placement Success Rate
10+
Years of Recruitment Experience
80+
Employer Partners
12% of annual salary
Charged only when a placement succeeds. No placement, no fee.
90-day placement guarantee
See our terms.
Official data
Key facts from official sources
Super guarantee
Employers must pay super of 12% of an eligible employee's qualifying earnings, and from 1 July 2026 must pay it each payday.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Tax and superannuation (retrieved 6 October 2026)
Record-keeping
Employers must keep time and wages records for 7 years.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Record-keeping (retrieved 6 October 2026)
About these guides
Who are these guides for?
They are for owners, managers and HR staff who hire people in Australia, from a first employee to a team of fifty. Each guide answers one practical question and ends with a checklist, a table or a set of questions you can use straight away. We wrote them to be read in a few minutes, and we link each rule to the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Australian Taxation Office or Home Affairs so you can check the detail yourself.
How do we keep them accurate?
Every rate, date and rule on these pages was read on an official page on the date shown at the bottom of each guide. We quote no market averages and no figure we cannot cite. Where the law changes often, such as the National Minimum Wage, award rates or the super guarantee, the page says so and tells you to check the official page for the latest position. If a figure cannot be verified, we leave it out rather than guess.
What do the guides not do?
They are general information, not legal, tax or migration advice. They do not replace the award, your enterprise agreement or your lawyer, and they do not describe every exception. Where a page mentions visas or work rights, it carries the sentence that this is general information and not migration advice, and points you to a registered migration agent. CrossNation is a recruitment agency and does not sponsor workers or lodge visa applications.
What is in the library?
The pricing guides explain how recruitment agency fees work and how to hire staff step by step. The pay guides cover the minimum wage, modern awards, super and pay slips. The people guides cover position descriptions, employment contracts, probation, notice and termination letters, onboarding, interview questions and reference checks. The compliance guides cover work rights checks and the working with children and NDIS screening schemes that apply in each state and territory.
Where does CrossNation fit in?
If you would rather have someone search for you, send a brief through the employer enquiry form. CrossNation recruits across Australia in all major sectors and roles, and the fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds. Placements carry a 90-day placement guarantee. If you are looking for work rather than staff, the job seeker guides are at the link below.
All employer guides
- Recruitment agency feesHow recruitment agency fees work in Australia, what to ask before you sign, and how CrossNation charges: 12% of annual salary, only on success.
- How to hire staff in AustraliaA step-by-step employer guide to hiring staff in Australia: role, pay, advertising, work rights checks, contracts and onboarding, with official sources.
- Minimum wage in AustraliaThe National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour. See who it covers, how awards differ and where to find the right rate for a new hire.
- Modern awards explainedWhat a modern award is, how it differs from a contract or enterprise agreement, how to find yours and what minimums look like in care and hospitality.
- Position description templateA position description template for Australian employers: what to include, how it ties to award pay and job ads, and what to leave out.
- Employment contracts in AustraliaWhat an Australian employment contract must and must not contain, how full-time, part-time, casual and fixed-term contracts differ.
- Probation periods in AustraliaHow probation periods work in Australia: usual length, employee entitlements, notice if probation fails and the unfair dismissal period.
- Notice periods and termination lettersMinimum notice periods under the National Employment Standards, what a termination letter should say, final pay and when notice is not required.
- Onboarding checklist for a new employeeAn onboarding checklist for Australian employers: statements to give, tax file number and super forms, pay slips, records and work rights.
- Work rights checks for employersHow Australian employers check that a person can work here: citizenship, permanent residency and visa conditions, VEVO, and what evidence is not enough.
- Superannuation guarantee basicsThe 12% super guarantee, who is eligible, Payday Super from 1 July 2026, the 7 business day rule, stapled funds and the super guarantee charge.
- Interview questions and reference checksInterview questions by role for aged care, nursing, hospitality and trades, what not to ask under Fair Work rules, and how to run reference checks.
- Working with children and NDIS checks by stateWhich screening checks apply by state and territory for child-related and NDIS work, who runs them, and what employers must verify before a worker starts.
Tell us the role, location and start date
The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are these guides legal advice?
No. They are general information from public official sources. For a specific situation, seek independent legal advice or contact the Fair Work Ombudsman.
How often are they updated?
Each guide shows the date the official pages were read. Rates and rules that change each year are flagged on the page.
Where can I check what I must pay?
Use the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool and the Find my award tool, then see our minimum wage and modern awards guides.
Do you cover hiring overseas workers?
Yes, in a separate set of guides on sponsorship-ready overseas hiring. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
Can CrossNation help me hire?
Yes. Send a brief through the employer enquiry form. The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.
Is there a guide for a particular state?
Our state and territory pages cover regional facts and screening schemes. The HR guides apply to employers in the national system across Australia.