Casual Loading Calculator
Rules checked October 2026 · No signup — nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Casual loading is the extra percentage a casual employee is paid on top of the permanent base hourly rate, in place of paid leave and job-security entitlements. This calculator converts both ways: from a permanent base rate to the casual rate, or from a casual rate back to the permanent-equivalent base. It compares casual and permanent pay by week and year and finds the break-even weeks. It covers ordinary hours only and computes no tax.
Casual loading at a glance
| Default loading | 25%, but editable — awards and agreements differ. |
|---|---|
| What the loading replaces | Paid annual leave, paid personal/carer’s leave, notice of termination and redundancy pay, plus paid public holidays not worked under some awards. |
| What casuals still get | 2 days’ unpaid carer’s leave per occasion; 2 days’ unpaid compassionate leave per occasion; 10 days’ paid family and domestic violence leave per year; superannuation on ordinary time earnings like any employee; long service leave in some states under state law. |
| Not included here | Penalty rates and overtime are award-dependent and excluded. No tax is computed. |
Worked examples
Full year, $32.00 base
Base $32.00, 25% loading, 38 hours a week, 52 casual weeks. Casual rate $40.00. Weekly pay is $1,520.00 casual against $1,216.00 permanent, so the loading is $304.00 a week. Annual pay is $79,040.00 casual against $63,232.00 permanent, a difference of +$15,808.00. The paid-leave value if fully used is $7,296.00, and break-even is 41.6 weeks.
The break-even story: 44 weeks against 40 weeks
Same rates, but only 44 casual weeks: $66,880.00 casual against $63,232.00 permanent, still +$3,648.00 ahead. At 40 casual weeks: $60,800.00 against $63,232.00, which is −$2,432.00 behind. The break-even of 41.6 weeks sits between the two.
Part-time hours
Base $28.50, 25% loading, 20 hours a week. The exact casual rate is $35.625, displayed as $35.63, while weekly pay stays exact: $712.50 casual against $570.00 permanent. A hand calculation on rounded rates can differ by a cent; that is input rounding, not an engine error.
Converting from casual to permanent
This is a signpost only; this page does not check eligibility. From 26 August 2024 the employee choice pathway lets a casual give their employer written notification after 6 months (12 months if the employer is a small business with fewer than 15 employees), where they have worked a regular pattern of hours that could continue as a permanent employee. The employer must respond in writing within 21 days and may refuse only on fair and reasonable operational grounds. On conversion the loading stops and paid-leave entitlements start.
Frequently asked questions
What is casual loading?
Casual loading is an extra percentage added to a casual employee’s ordinary hourly rate. It is paid because casuals do not receive paid annual leave, paid personal/carer’s leave, notice of termination or redundancy pay. This calculator works in both directions and covers ordinary hours only. It computes no tax.
Why is casual loading 25%?
Most modern awards set the loading at 25% of the ordinary hourly rate as pay in lieu of the entitlements permanent employees receive. It is a figure set by awards and agreements, not one rule that fixes 25% for everyone.
What does casual loading replace?
The loading stands in for paid annual leave, paid personal/carer’s leave, notice of termination and redundancy pay. Under some awards it also covers paid public holidays that a casual does not work.
Do casuals get paid sick or annual leave?
No. Casuals do not get paid annual leave or paid personal/carer’s leave, because the loading is paid instead. Casuals can still take 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave and 2 days of unpaid compassionate leave per occasion, and get 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave per year.
Do casuals get super?
Yes. Superannuation is paid on ordinary time earnings to casuals like any other employee. It applies to both casual and permanent pay, so this calculator states it but does not compute it.
What about public holidays for casuals?
Under some awards the loading is meant to cover paid public holidays a casual does not work, so a casual is generally not paid for a public holiday they are not rostered on. Whether penalty rates apply if you do work one depends on your award or agreement.
Do penalty rates apply on top of casual loading?
That depends on your award or enterprise agreement. Penalty rates and overtime are award-dependent, so they are not included in this calculator, which covers ordinary hours only.
Can I convert to permanent?
From 26 August 2024 the employee choice pathway lets a casual give their employer written notice after 6 months of employment (12 months if the employer is a small business with fewer than 15 employees) if they have worked a regular pattern of hours that could continue as a permanent employee. The employer must respond in writing within 21 days and may refuse only on fair and reasonable operational grounds. On conversion the loading stops and paid-leave entitlements start. This site does not check your eligibility.
Is 25% always the casual loading rate?
No. Many awards set 25%, but some awards and enterprise agreements set a different figure. The loading box in the calculator is editable for exactly this reason, so enter the figure that applies to you.
What happens if my casual hours drop?
The comparison depends on how many weeks a year you actually work as a casual. The break-even is 52 × base rate ÷ casual rate, which is 41.6 weeks at 25% loading. Work fewer casual weeks than that and the permanent job pays more cash, before job security is counted.
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman — casual employees
- Fair Work Ombudsman — becoming a permanent employee (employee choice pathway)
Rules checked October 2026 · No signup — nothing you enter leaves your browser.
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General information and estimates only, not legal advice. Check your award or enterprise agreement — it overrides these defaults.