Pest Control Industry Award

If your business in Australia provides pest control, prevention, eradication or fumigation services and you employ technicians or associated staff who are not otherwise award-free, the Pest Control Industry Award 2020 (MA000097) generally applies. It covers residential, commercial and industrial pest work, including termite and fumigation services. General cleaning, agricultural spraying and construction work may fall under other awards, so confirm coverage for your operation and roles against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Match the technician to the level that reflects the work they actually do, using the classification definitions in the award, which describe the skills, licences, qualifications and responsibilities for each grade. A licensed termite or fumigation specialist will usually sit above an entry-level operator. Title alone is not enough; assess the real duties and licensing. Once you have the correct level, look up its current minimum rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, which is commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of the paid leave and notice entitlements casuals do not receive. The loading applies on top of the minimum rate for their classification, and weekend penalties can apply as well for casual shifts. Treat 25% as a guide only and confirm the exact casual loading for this award on the Fair Work source before running pay.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract penalty rates under MA000097. As a guide, Saturday loadings are commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50%, though the award sets its own figures and casuals are treated differently. Weekend jobs and call-outs need these applied correctly. Always confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates for your employee type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a significant premium under the Pest Control Industry Award, which can reach up to 150% of the minimum rate, and a minimum engagement may apply. Employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. Check the current public holiday entitlement, including arrangements for staff who do not work the day, against the Fair Work source.

Overtime generally applies when a technician works beyond the ordinary hours set by the award, such as exceeding daily or weekly limits or attending an after-hours call-out outside the spread of ordinary hours. Overtime is paid at penalty rates that step up after the first couple of hours, with higher rates on Sundays and public holidays, and a minimum payment may apply to a call-out. For the exact current multipliers, refer to the award and the Fair Work source.

Because pest control is mobile, how travel time is treated depends on the award's provisions on ordinary hours, start and finish points and travel, and a technician moving between client sites may be entitled to payment for certain travel and to a vehicle allowance. Treating only on-site time as paid can understate entitlements. Map how the working day is arranged and confirm the current travel and vehicle provisions for this award on the Fair Work source.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires the agreed hours, days and times to be recorded in writing at the start, with changes agreed in writing too. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same classification rates as full-timers, and additional hours may attract overtime or penalty treatment. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements before engaging staff this way.

The award provides for allowances depending on the work and conditions, which can include a vehicle or travel allowance for work-related driving, a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, a first aid allowance, and allowances tied to particular tasks, conditions or the chemicals used in the work. The amounts change with the annual review, so look up the current figures on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on remembered values, and check which apply to each role.

Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes paid annual leave. Under this award it is 17.5% of the minimum rate of pay, and it applies to full-time and part-time employees taking annual leave. Casuals do not accrue annual leave, so the loading does not apply to them. Apply the loading when processing leave payments and confirm the calculation against the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates and many allowances are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review increased modern award minimums by 4.75%. To stay compliant you must apply the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, so verify the current figures on the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year.

Junior employees are paid a percentage of the relevant adult rate, with the percentage rising as they get older, while trainees are paid on their own progression scales as they advance. Much pest control work also requires licensing, so a junior or trainee may be supervised until appropriately qualified. Apply the correct age-based percentage and update it when someone has a birthday or progresses, and confirm the current junior and trainee rates on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Start by confirming each technician's correct classification by duties and licensing, then apply the current minimum rate, weekend and public holiday penalties, overtime and call-out provisions, travel and vehicle entitlements and any applicable allowances, refreshing all figures from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate records of hours, travel and call-outs are essential. Valont's award-compliant payroll service handles this classification, rate and penalty mapping for pest control employers so the right amount is paid every cycle.