2026 Rates by State
Labour hire charge rates compared across South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Real 2026 numbers, payroll tax impact, and worked crew costs — from EIR's live rate data.
Direct answer
In 2026, labour hire in Australia through EIR costs between $41 and $103 per hour ex-GST, all-inclusive. The main state-to-state variation is payroll tax: SA 4.95%, NSW 5.45%, QLD 4.75%. That pushes NSW all-in rates roughly 1–2% higher than SA or QLD for the same classification. Base wages (Modern Award) are federal and identical across states.
Source: EIR Labour Hire 2026 Charge Rate Guide. Rates ex-GST, all-inclusive of wages, 12% super, workers' compensation, state payroll tax, leave, public liability and supervision.
Payroll tax threshold: $1.5M (2025–26)
$41 – $103/hr ex-GST
State payroll tax: 4.95%
Labour hire in South Australia through EIR costs between $41 and $103 per hour ex-GST, all-inclusive. SA's 4.95% payroll tax is the middle of the three states EIR covers. Adelaide is EIR's head office and has the deepest worker pool.
SA-specific conditions: Blue Card required for traffic controllers; SA Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 applies — EIR holds a current SA labour hire licence.
Payroll tax threshold: $1.2M (2025–26)
$41 – $103/hr ex-GST
State payroll tax: 5.45%
Labour hire in NSW through EIR costs between $41 and $103 per hour ex-GST. NSW has the highest payroll tax rate of the three states at 5.45% (plus a Mental Health and Wellbeing Levy surcharge on payrolls above $10M), which lifts all-in charge rates marginally vs SA.
NSW does not currently require labour hire licensing (unlike SA, QLD and VIC), but worker compliance and Award obligations still apply. EIR operates under Fair Work Australia rules.
Payroll tax threshold: $1.3M (2025–26)
$41 – $103/hr ex-GST
State payroll tax: 4.75%
Labour hire in Queensland through EIR costs between $41 and $103 per hour ex-GST. QLD's 4.75% payroll tax is the lowest of the three states. A 0.25% mental health levy surcharge applies to payrolls above $10M. QLD requires labour hire licensing — EIR holds a current QLD labour hire licence.
QLD-specific conditions: QLD Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 applies — clients should only engage licensed providers. Regional QLD (Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, regional mining areas) handled through Brisbane operations.
All rates ex-GST, all-inclusive of wages, 12% super, workers' compensation, state payroll tax, leave and supervision. Ranges reflect the charge-band — bottom for 5+ worker crews on 13+ week bookings, top for single workers on short <13-week bookings.
| Role / Classification | SA (4.95%) | NSW (5.45%) | QLD (4.75%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Labourer (CW1) | $51 – $64/hr | $52 – $65/hr | $51 – $64/hr |
| Skilled Labourer (CW2–CW3) | $54 – $63/hr | $55 – $64/hr | $54 – $63/hr |
| Trades / Carpenter (CW4–CW5) | $65 – $75/hr | $66 – $76/hr | $65 – $75/hr |
| Carpenter (Full Tools) | $65 – $103/hr | $66 – $104/hr | $65 – $103/hr |
| Traffic Controller (CW2, Blue Card) | $54 – $57/hr | $55 – $58/hr | $54 – $57/hr |
| Forklift Operator (CW2) | $54 – $57/hr | $55 – $58/hr | $54 – $57/hr |
| Warehouse Storeworker Grade 1 | $47 – $51/hr | $48 – $52/hr | $47 – $51/hr |
| Warehouse Storeworker Grade 4 | $51 – $56/hr | $52 – $57/hr | $51 – $56/hr |
| Manufacturing C14 Production | $42 – $48/hr | $43 – $49/hr | $42 – $48/hr |
| Manufacturing C10 Production | $48 – $51/hr | $49 – $52/hr | $48 – $51/hr |
| Machine Operator (Manufacturing) | $57 – $74/hr | $58 – $75/hr | $57 – $74/hr |
| Boilermaker / Welder | $61 – $77/hr | $62 – $78/hr | $61 – $77/hr |
Standard 38-hour week, 48 working weeks (1,824 hours per worker per year), midpoint charge rates.
| State | CW1 labourer × 1,824 | CW4 carpenter × 1,824 | Total annual ex-GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia | $57/hr → $103,968 | $69/hr → $125,856 | $229,824 |
| New South Wales | $58/hr → $105,792 | $70/hr → $127,680 | $233,472 |
| Queensland | $57/hr → $103,968 | $69/hr → $125,856 | $229,824 |
Difference: NSW is approximately $3,648/year more than SA or QLD for a 2-person crew at midpoint rates — reflecting NSW's 0.5% higher payroll tax.
Yes, but marginally. Base award rates are federal (Fair Work) and identical across states. The variation comes from state payroll tax: SA 4.95%, QLD 4.75%, NSW 5.45% (plus a mental health levy surcharge on payrolls above $10M). That means NSW all-in charge rates are typically 1–2% higher than SA or QLD for the same classification.
QLD is marginally cheapest on paper due to 4.75% payroll tax vs NSW's 5.45%. In practice, site allowances, EBA conditions and worker supply in each state drive more of the real cost than the payroll tax differential. For ongoing work, volume and relationship pricing (EIR's where-in-the-band model) matters more than geography.
Yes. EIR holds a current South Australian labour hire licence under the SA Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017, and a QLD labour hire licence under the QLD equivalent. NSW does not currently require labour hire licensing. Clients engaging labour hire in SA or QLD should always check the provider holds a valid licence — unlicensed operators are an offence for both provider and host.
EIR's core operations cover SA, NSW and QLD in 2026. Victorian work is handled via our Adelaide office for SA-NSW-VIC cross-border projects; Victoria also requires labour hire licensing (VLHA). Perth and WA are handled as outbound placements on a project basis. Call 1800 LABOUR to discuss a VIC or WA need.
Yes. Overtime and penalty rates are set federally by Modern Awards and apply identically in SA, NSW and QLD. Weekday overtime 1.5x/2x (blended ~1.75x), Saturday 1.5x/2x, Sunday 2x flat, public holidays 2.5x. What varies between states is the list of public holidays, not the penalty rate.
Using midpoint rates for a CW1 labourer ($57/hr in SA, $58/hr in NSW, $57/hr in QLD) plus a CW4 carpenter ($69/hr in SA, $70/hr in NSW, $69/hr in QLD), on a standard 38-hour week for 48 working weeks (1,824 hours), the all-in annual cost comes out to approximately $229,824 in SA, $233,472 in NSW, and $229,824 in QLD — a difference of roughly $3,600 between the highest (NSW) and lowest (SA/QLD).
Use our labour hire cost calculator to model your crew, or see the full 2026 labour hire rates guide. Call 1800 LABOUR for a site-specific quote.
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