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Fair Work Commission pay increase – minimum wage and gender equality

20 June, 2025

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has announced a 3.5 per cent increase to the National Minimum Wage and modern award minimum wage rates, effective from 1 July 2025. The decision follows the 2024/2025 Annual Wage Review which found the minimum wage has not kept up with inflation. 

This decision will affect millions of workers across Australia and business owners are encouraged to review their pay structures. More information and a copy of the decision can be found on the FWC website.  

In a separate but related determination, the FWC also published a decision as part of its Gender-based Undervaluation Priority Award Review. This review assessed whether current minimum rates of pay in certain female-dominated industries had been affected by historical gender-based undervaluation. 

The FWC concluded that several classifications within awards should be adjusted. These include: 

  • pharmacists covered by the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 
  • health professionals, pathology collectors and dental assistants covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 
  • social and community services employees, crisis accommodation employees and home care employees in disability care covered by the Social, Community Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 
  • dental assistants and dental/oral therapists covered by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Award 2020 
  • children’s services employees covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010. 

The report determined that pharmacists covered by the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 will experience a total increase in minimum wage rates of 14.1 per cent, to be implemented in three phases from 30 June 2025, 30 June 2026 and 30 June 2027 respectively.  

The next stage of the process will involve determining the appropriate increases to apply to the other affected classifications to rectify the gender-based undervaluation found to have occurred.  

Business owners are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Commission’s decisions and consider any implications for staffing costs and compliance obligations from 1 July onwards. Employers should seek advice if they are unsure of their obligations. More detailed information is available on the FWC website.