If you work casually in Australia, you are entitled to superannuation on top of your wages. That right does not depend on full-time hours, a permanent contract, or earning above a monthly threshold — yet many casual workers never check whether super is actually being paid.
This guide explains superannuation for casual workers: the 12% super guarantee rate, who qualifies from the first dollar, how casual loading fits in, payday super from July 2026, what to check on your payslip, and what to do if super is missing. Use the super calculator to estimate what your super should look like.
The Basics: Super Is On Top of Your Wages
The most important fact about superannuation is also the most commonly misunderstood: super is paid by your employer on top of your wages. It is not deducted from your pay, and it is not something you fund out of your hourly rate. If you earn $1,000 in ordinary time earnings in a period, your employer must pay super in addition to that $1,000.
The super guarantee (SG) rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings, since 1 July 2025 and unchanged for 2026–27. Ordinary time earnings includes casual loading, shift loadings, commissions and paid leave, but generally excludes overtime. For casual workers, SG is therefore calculated on the loaded rate, not just the base rate.
Who Qualifies? From the First Dollar
Adult casual employees qualify for super guarantee contributions from the first dollar they earn, regardless of how many hours they work. There is no minimum number of hours, no minimum shift length, and no earnings threshold to cross before super starts. If you work a single short shift as an adult casual employee, your employer must pay SG on those ordinary time earnings.
This has not always been the case. Until 1 July 2022, there was a $450-per-month threshold: employees who earned less than $450 in a calendar month from an employer were not entitled to SG from that employer. That threshold was removed on 1 July 2022. Any employer, payroll guide or payslip explanation that still refers to a $450 threshold is out of date, and it should not be used to deny super to a casual worker today.
There is one important exception, and it relates to age rather than hours. Employees under 18 only qualify for SG in a week in which they work more than 30 hours. A 17-year-old casual who works 12 hours in a week is not entitled to SG for that week, while the same worker in a week where they work more than 30 hours is entitled. Once you turn 18, the exception no longer applies and you qualify from the first dollar, regardless of hours.
Casual Loading and the Minimum Wage Floor
Casual loading is the extra amount paid to casual employees in recognition that they do not receive paid annual leave, paid sick leave, notice of termination and other permanent entitlements. Casual loading is 25% on top of the base hourly rate, and it forms part of ordinary time earnings for SG purposes. That means SG is calculated on your loaded rate, not just your base rate.
The national minimum wage provides the floor that casual rates build on. From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour. With the 25% casual loading, the casual minimum is $33.05 per hour. Award rates and enterprise agreements often set higher rates than the national minimum, so many casual workers earn well above this floor — but no adult casual employee should be paid below it for ordinary hours covered by the national minimum wage system.
The table below shows how SG works at different casual rates. In each case, the loaded hourly rate is the base rate plus 25%, and SG at 12% is calculated on that loaded rate.
| Base hourly rate | Casual loading (25%) | Loaded hourly rate | SG at 12% per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| $26.44 (national minimum wage) | $6.61 | $33.05 | $3.97 |
| $30.00 | $7.50 | $37.50 | $4.50 |
| $35.00 | $8.75 | $43.75 | $5.25 |
| $40.00 | $10.00 | $50.00 | $6.00 |
| $45.00 | $11.25 | $56.25 | $6.75 |
For example, a casual on $43.75 per hour working 20 ordinary hours earns $875, and SG at 12% is $105 for that week.
There is a maximum contribution base that caps the earnings on which SG must be paid. For 2025–26, the quarterly maximum contribution base was $62,500 per quarter, which meant a maximum SG contribution of $7,500 per quarter from a single employer. For 2026–27, the maximum is expressed as an annual figure of $270,830. Most casual workers will never approach this cap, but it is relevant for very high earners, and it explains why SG may stop increasing once earnings pass the cap in a period.
Payday Super: The July 2026 Change
From 1 July 2026, payday super applies. Under payday super, employers must ensure super contributions reach your fund within seven business days of each payday. Previously, employers could pay SG quarterly, which meant contributions for work done early in a quarter might not reach your fund for months.
Payday super matters for casual workers in particular, who often have irregular paydays, multiple employers and short job tenures. Quarterly payment made it easy for super to fall through the cracks when a job ended. Tying contributions to each payday makes a missing payment easier to spot quickly.
The seven-business-day window is about when the contribution reaches the fund, not just when the employer sends it. If it has not appeared a couple of weeks after payday, ask about it — under payday super, it should not take until the end of the quarter.
What to Check on Your Payslip
Your payslip is your first line of defence. It should show your ordinary hours, your hourly rate including casual loading, your gross pay, and the super guarantee amount for the pay period. It should also show the fund the super was paid to, or is to be paid to.
Check these points each pay cycle:
- Is super shown at all? If there is no super line on your payslip, ask your employer about it. Adult casuals qualify from the first dollar, so a missing super line needs an explanation.
- Is the amount about 12% of your ordinary time earnings? Use the loaded rate, not the base rate, as your starting point. Remember that overtime is generally excluded from ordinary time earnings, so a week with heavy overtime may show a lower SG percentage of total gross pay — that alone is not necessarily an error.
- Is it going to the right fund? Check that the fund name matches your chosen fund or your stapled fund. If you have changed jobs and never chose a fund, your employer should pay into your stapled fund — the fund that stays with you from job to job — rather than opening a new account you did not ask for.
- Does the fund actually receive it? A payslip line is not proof of payment. Check your fund balance or transaction history after payday super’s seven-business-day window and confirm the contribution arrived.
Stapled Funds and Choice of Fund
When you start a new job, you can choose your super fund via a choice-of-fund form. If you do not choose, your employer must pay into your stapled fund — an existing fund linked to you that follows you between jobs — rather than opening a new account at every job.
For casual workers who change employers often, the stapled fund is especially valuable. Instead of a new account at every café, warehouse or clinic, your super stays in one place and keeps compounding. If you are unsure which fund is your stapled fund, your myGov account linked to the ATO can show your super accounts and balances. Consolidating multiple accounts into one fund can reduce duplicate fees and insurance premiums, but consider any insurance cover you might lose before consolidating, and get advice if you are unsure.
What to Do If Your Super Is Not Being Paid
If super is missing, late or less than it should be, act promptly. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to reconstruct hours and rates, especially for casual work with irregular rosters.
First, ask your employer. A polite, specific query often resolves the issue — payroll errors, a wrong fund detail or a missed pay cycle are common causes. Put the query in writing, state the pay periods concerned, and keep a copy. Give the employer a reasonable chance to fix it, and check your fund balance after the next payday.
If the employer does not fix it, you can lodge a complaint with the ATO about unpaid super guarantee. The ATO can investigate and, where SG has not been paid on time, the employer may be liable for the super guarantee charge, which includes the unpaid SG, interest and an administration component. You do not need to engage a lawyer to make an ATO complaint, and you can do it even after you have left the job. Keep your payslips, rosters, employment contract and any correspondence with the employer, as these support the investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do casual workers get superannuation?
Yes. Adult casual employees are entitled to super guarantee contributions of 12% of ordinary time earnings, from the first dollar earned, regardless of how many hours they work. The old $450-per-month threshold was removed on 1 July 2022 and no longer applies.
Is super deducted from my wages?
No. Super is paid by your employer on top of your wages. If your payslip shows a lower take-home amount because of a salary sacrifice arrangement you agreed to, that is separate from the compulsory super guarantee, which your employer must pay in addition to your pay.
What if I am under 18?
Employees under 18 only qualify for SG in a week in which they work more than 30 hours. If you work more than 30 hours in a week, you qualify for that week. Once you turn 18, you qualify from the first dollar in every week, regardless of hours.
How quickly should super reach my fund now?
From 1 July 2026, under payday super, super must reach your fund within seven business days of each payday. If a contribution has not appeared a couple of weeks after payday, ask your employer about it.
What is a stapled fund?
A stapled fund is an existing super fund that stays linked to you when you change jobs. If you do not choose a fund with a new employer, the employer must pay into your stapled fund, which helps prevent you accumulating multiple accounts with duplicate fees.
What should I do if my employer is not paying super?
Ask your employer in writing first, giving the pay periods concerned. If that does not resolve it, lodge an unpaid super guarantee complaint with the ATO, keeping your payslips, rosters and correspondence as evidence. Act promptly rather than waiting, especially for irregular casual rosters.
Conclusion
Superannuation for casual workers is straightforward once the myths are cleared away. The SG rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings, including your 25% casual loading. Adult casuals qualify from the first dollar, with no $450 threshold since July 2022, and only the under-18 more-than-30-hours rule as an exception. From July 2026, payday super means contributions should reach your fund within seven business days of each payday, not at the end of the quarter.
Your part is simple but important: check your payslip each cycle, confirm the contribution actually arrives in your fund, know your stapled fund, and act quickly if something is missing — first with your employer, then with the ATO if needed. Run your own numbers with the super calculator to see what your casual work should be building for your retirement, and remember that the national minimum wage floor of $26.44 per hour, or $33.05 casual, is the starting point, not the ceiling, for what your work is worth.