Leave Loading Calculator Australia
Calculate annual leave loading using a common 17.5% rate or the percentage that actually applies to you. Use an hourly rate, weekly pay or annual salary and see the loading, base leave pay and gross total instantly.
Calculate annual leave loading
17.5% is pre-filled because it is common in Australian awards. Change it if your award or agreement uses another rule.Gross estimate only. The calculator does not decide whether you are entitled to loading, which pay rate your award uses, tax withholding, super treatment, or award-specific caps and shiftworker rules.
Quick answer: annual leave loading is extra pay some Australian employees receive when they take annual leave. A 17.5% loading is common, but it is not a universal National Employment Standards entitlement. Whether you get it — and the pay rate it is calculated on — depends on the award, enterprise agreement or other employment terms that cover you.
HR & Employment Law Content Lead · Guidance checked 30 August 2026
How to calculate 17.5% leave loading
The arithmetic is simple once you know the correct leave value and loading rate. Work out the ordinary pay for the annual leave period, multiply that amount by the loading percentage, then add the loading to the base leave pay.
Base leave pay = leave period × applicable ordinary/base pay
Leave loading = base leave pay × loading rate
Total leave payment = base leave pay + leave loading
What 17.5% leave loading adds
The table below shows the loading itself and the gross total when a 17.5% rate is applied to different amounts of base annual leave pay.
| Base annual leave pay | 17.5% loading | Total with loading |
|---|---|---|
| A$1,000 | A$175 | A$1,175 |
| A$2,500 | A$437.50 | A$2,937.50 |
| A$4,000 | A$700 | A$4,700 |
| A$5,000 | A$875 | A$5,875 |
| A$7,500 | A$1,312.50 | A$8,812.50 |
If you are starting from your leave balance rather than a number of weeks, use our Australia Annual Leave Calculator first, then bring the relevant leave amount back here.
Is 17.5% leave loading automatic in Australia?
No. Paid annual leave itself is a National Employment Standards entitlement for employees other than casuals, but annual leave loading is not automatically attached to every employee’s leave. Fair Work explains that the loading depends on what the applicable award or enterprise agreement says. A contract or workplace arrangement may also provide a more generous entitlement.
Identify the modern award, enterprise agreement or contract that governs annual leave payment for the role.
Do not assume loading is calculated on total remuneration. Some awards refer to a minimum rate or another defined pay base.
Shiftworkers, caps, annualised salaries and termination payouts can require a different check from a flat percentage calculation.
A good example of why the wording matters is the Real Estate Industry Award: its current annual-leave clause uses 17.5% calculated on the minimum weekly wage for the employee’s classification, rather than simply saying “17.5% of whatever appears on the payslip.” Other awards use different drafting.
Which pay figure should you enter?
Use the pay amount your award, agreement or contract says the loading is calculated on. The calculator accepts three common ways of entering that base:
- Hourly rate: the tool multiplies the rate by ordinary weekly hours, then values the leave period.
- Weekly pay: useful when the relevant instrument clearly identifies the weekly amount to use.
- Annual salary: the tool divides the annual amount by 52 to create a weekly base. This is a mathematical convenience only; it does not prove that the whole salary is the legal loading base.
Shiftworkers: sometimes the percentage is not the final answer
Some modern awards contain a “greater of” rule for shiftworkers. Instead of simply adding 17.5%, the employee may receive whichever is higher: the specified annual leave loading or the shift/weekend penalties they would have received had they worked the relevant roster.
For example, the current Airport Employees Award provides 17.5% for non-shiftworkers, while certain shiftworkers receive the higher of 17.5% or the relevant shift loading and weekend penalties. The exact comparison varies by award, so the optional shiftworker field in this calculator is deliberately labelled as a comparison rather than an entitlement decision.
Leave loading when employment ends
This is one area where outdated summaries often cause confusion. Fair Work’s current final-pay guidance says unused annual leave must be paid as if the employee had taken the leave during employment. If the employee would have received annual leave loading when taking that leave, the loading must be included in the termination payout.
That does not mean every departing employee gets 17.5%. The first question is still whether the employee was entitled to loading when taking annual leave. If the answer is yes, that applicable loading follows the unused annual leave into final pay.
Tax and super: keep the estimate gross
This calculator intentionally shows gross amounts rather than guessing a net figure. ATO withholding treatment depends on how the loading is paid. The ATO says leave loading paid pro rata as leave is taken is added to earnings for the period for withholding purposes; lump-sum leave loading can be treated under the schedule used for back payments, commissions, bonuses and similar payments.
Superannuation can also require a separate check. Current ATO guidance generally includes annual leave loading in ordinary time earnings unless the employer can show that the loading is specifically linked to a lost opportunity to work overtime. That evidence question is why a one-click “super included” estimate can be misleading.
For final-pay tax, unused annual leave and the loading attached to it have specific withholding rules, so use current payroll/ATO guidance for the payment date rather than applying a flat marginal percentage to this calculator’s gross result.
Casual loading is not annual leave loading
The two phrases sound similar but describe different things. Casual employees generally do not receive paid annual leave under the NES. A casual loading — commonly 25% under many awards — is paid with hours worked to compensate for entitlements casuals do not receive in the same way as permanent employees.
Annual leave loading, by contrast, is an extra payment attached to paid annual leave for an employee who is entitled to that loading. So a casual employee would not normally use this annual leave loading calculator merely because their hourly rate includes a casual loading.
Worked leave loading examples
Common leave loading mistakes
- ✕Assuming everyone gets 17.5%. It is common in awards, but it is not a universal NES entitlement.
- ✕Using total salary without reading the clause. Some awards calculate loading on a defined minimum or ordinary rate, which can differ from total remuneration.
- ✕Adding shift penalties and 17.5% automatically. Some awards require the higher of the two rather than both.
- ✕Dropping loading from final pay. If it would have been payable when the annual leave was taken, Fair Work says it must be included with unused annual leave on termination.
- ✕Treating casual loading as the same entitlement. Casual loading and annual leave loading serve different purposes and are calculated in different circumstances.
- ✕Guessing the after-tax amount. PAYG treatment changes with the way the payment is made and with termination circumstances.
Leave Loading Calculator FAQs
How do I calculate 17.5% leave loading?
Calculate the base pay for the annual leave period, then multiply it by 0.175. For example, A$4,800 of base annual leave pay × 17.5% = A$840 leave loading. The gross leave payment would be A$5,640 before tax and any award-specific adjustments.
Does every Australian employee get 17.5% leave loading?
No. Annual leave loading is not an automatic NES entitlement. It applies where the relevant award, enterprise agreement or other employment terms provide it. The percentage and calculation base can also differ.
Is leave loading paid on unused annual leave when I resign or am terminated?
If you were entitled to annual leave loading when taking annual leave, Fair Work says the loading must also be included when the unused annual leave is paid out at the end of employment. The unused leave payout must match what you would have received had you taken the leave.
Is leave loading calculated on hourly rate or salary?
It depends on the wording of the instrument that covers you. Some clauses use an ordinary or minimum hourly/weekly rate. If you enter an annual salary here, the calculator simply converts it to a weekly figure by dividing by 52; that does not prove the entire salary is the correct legal loading base.
Do shiftworkers get 17.5% plus shift penalties?
Not necessarily. Some awards use a greater-of rule, meaning the employee receives either the percentage loading or the shift/weekend penalties they would have earned, whichever is higher. Check the exact award clause before adding the two amounts together.
Do casual employees get annual leave loading?
Casual employees generally do not receive paid annual leave under the NES, so annual leave loading normally does not arise. Casual loading is a separate payment attached to casual work and should not be confused with annual leave loading.
Is annual leave loading taxable?
Yes, it is generally part of taxable employment income, but PAYG withholding treatment depends on how and when it is paid. The ATO distinguishes between loading paid pro rata with leave and loading paid as a lump sum, and final-pay leave has separate withholding rules.
Does super apply to annual leave loading?
Current ATO guidance generally includes annual leave loading in ordinary time earnings unless the employer can show the loading is specifically linked to a lost opportunity to work overtime. Employers should keep evidence if relying on that exception.
Can an annualised salary already include leave loading?
Potentially. An annualised salary or contractual set-off arrangement may account for award entitlements, but the arrangement has to satisfy the applicable legal requirements. Do not assume a salary automatically absorbs loading; check the contract and the relevant award or agreement.
Sources and methodology
The calculator itself performs arithmetic from the values you enter. It does not infer award coverage. The guidance around the calculator was checked against current Australian government sources.
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Payment for annual leave (annual leave payment methods and leave loading).
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Final pay and Annual leave fact sheet (unused leave and loading on termination).
- Fair Work Ombudsman — current modern award text examples for 17.5% and shiftworker comparison rules.
- Australian Taxation Office — PAYG withholding guidance for leave loading.
- Australian Taxation Office — superannuation treatment of annual leave loading.
Guidance checked: 30 August 2026. Laws, awards and tax instructions can change; verify the instrument and payroll rules that apply on the payment date.
This page provides general information and an estimate, not legal, tax, financial or payroll advice. Awards, enterprise agreements, contracts, annualised-salary arrangements, payroll settings and individual circumstances can change the result.