Operator Guide · Updated 18 May 2026
A plain-language guide to award MA000094 — classification Levels 1 to 6, group-fitness per-class provisions, casual loading, weekend penalties, junior rates and apprentices. For Australian gym, studio, PT, yoga and Pilates operators.
Step 1 — Classify Your Staff
Every employee under the Fitness Industry Award must be classified at one of six levels — from front-desk attendant (Level 1) through to studio manager (Level 6). The level determines the base hourly rate. Misclassification is the most common underpayment finding in Fair Work audits of fitness businesses.
Reception, member sign-in, basic gym-floor housekeeping, equipment wipe-down. No instruction or program design. New starters with no formal fitness qualification.
Typical duties
Same scope as Level 1 with greater autonomy. Front-desk close, opening and closing duties, junior member support, point-of-sale operation, retail and supplement sales.
Typical duties
Cert III in Fitness or equivalent. Programs, instructs and supervises member training in the gym or in group classes. Most common classification for floor staff who deliver inductions and run classes.
Typical duties
Cert IV in Fitness. One-to-one personal training programming, small-group PT, specialist class formats (Les Mills, Pilates mat). Discretion in program design within scope.
Typical duties
Cert IV in Fitness plus specialist qualification or coordination responsibility. Program coordinator, group fitness coordinator, senior PT mentor, exercise prescription for special populations within scope.
Typical duties
Diploma-level qualification or equivalent. Full studio or facility management responsibility — budget, roster, member retention KPIs, recruitment, P&L accountability.
Typical duties
Step 2 — Group Fitness
The Fitness Industry Award explicitly allows group fitness instructors to be paid a per-class rate rather than an hourly rate. Most studios run on this model because it makes budgeting and rostering simpler. The per-class rate must be at least the equivalent hourly rate × 1.25 to cover preparation.
Group fitness instructors can be paid a per-class rate (a defined dollar amount per class taught) instead of an hourly rate, provided the per-class rate is no less than the hourly rate × 1.25 (covers preparation time).
The per-class rate is deemed to include reasonable preparation, set-up and pack-down time. Operators cannot ask for additional unpaid prep time on top.
A minimum engagement applies — typically the instructor is paid for the equivalent of the class duration even if attendance is low and the class is shortened or merged.
Late-notice cancellations (e.g., less than 2 hours' notice) generally require the instructor to be paid in full. The exact cancellation rule is in the instrument — check before relying.
Step 3 — Apply Loadings
Loadings are percentage additions to the base rate (hourly or per-class). They stack — a casual group fitness instructor on Sunday gets casual loading + Sunday penalty combined.
| Type | Loading | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Casual loading | +25% | Added to base hourly (or per-class) rate for casual employees in lieu of annual leave, personal leave and notice entitlements. |
| Saturday penalty | +25% | Time and a quarter for ordinary Saturday hours worked. Applies to full-time, part-time and casual employees. |
| Sunday penalty (full-time / part-time) | +50% | Time and a half for Sunday hours worked by permanent employees. |
| Sunday penalty (casual) | +75% | Time and three quarters for Sunday hours worked by casual employees (combines weekend penalty with casual loading). |
| Public holiday | +150% | Double time and a half for public holiday work, plus entitlement to the holiday at ordinary rates for permanent employees if rostered. |
| Early-morning / late-evening | +15% | Shift loading for ordinary hours worked outside the standard span (typically before 6am or after 8pm — confirm exact hours in the instrument). |
Percentages reflect the structure of MA000094 at the time of review. Always confirm specific clauses against the current instrument on fwc.gov.au.
Step 4 — Junior Rates
Junior rates apply to age-based progression for Level 1 and Level 2 work (typically front desk and gym attendant roles). Once a junior holds a fitness qualification and is performing Level 3+ duties, adult rates apply regardless of age.
| Age | Percentage | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 50% | of the adult Level 1 rate |
| 16 | 60% | of the adult Level 1 rate |
| 17 | 70% | of the adult Level 1 rate |
| 18 | 80% | of the adult Level 1 rate |
| 19 | 90% | of the adult Level 1 rate |
| 20 | 100% | adult rates apply |
Step 5 — Trainees
Cert III and Cert IV in Fitness traineeships are paid under the National Training Wage schedule incorporated into the award. Supervised-hours rules apply to anyone delivering exercise instruction without the underlying qualification.
Trainees enrolled in a recognised Certificate III in Fitness traineeship are paid the National Training Wage schedule percentage of the Level 3 rate based on year of training and prior schooling.
Year-11 / Year-12 school-based fitness trainees are paid at a lower percentage reflecting reduced ordinary hours during the school year.
Apprentices over 21 commencing fitness traineeships are paid no less than the lowest adult classification rate (Level 1 or 2 depending on duties).
Trainees must work under supervision of a qualified Level 3+ instructor when delivering any form of exercise instruction to members.
Step 6 — Add Allowances
Weekly allowance for the nominated employee holding a current first-aid certificate and required to perform first-aid duties at the facility.
Per-kilometre amount when an employee uses their own vehicle for work-required travel (e.g., off-site PT, outreach programs).
Where the employer requires a specific uniform that the employee launders, a weekly laundry allowance applies.
When an employee performs duties of a higher classification for more than 2 hours on a day, they must be paid at the higher rate for the time worked.
Most studios standardise on per-class rates for group fitness because the cost per class is predictable. Calculate the per-class rate as Level 3 hourly × class duration × 1.25 (prep loading) — anything less is an underpayment risk.
A front-desk attendant who completes Cert III and starts running classes is now a Level 3 employee — not a Level 1 with extra duties. Update classification the day the new role starts; back-pay is the alternative.
Many PTs work as ABN contractors paying gym chair-rent. That arrangement only stands up if the PT genuinely runs their own business — sets their own rates, finds their own clients, can substitute. Fair Work has tested sham-contracting in fitness and lost-PT-arrangements have been re-characterised as employment with back-pay.
The Superannuation Guarantee applies on top of award wages (currently 12% from July 2025). Per-class rates include ordinary-time earnings — so super is calculated on the full per-class amount, not just the underlying hourly equivalent. SuperStream is mandatory from day one.
The Fitness Industry Award 2020 (MA000094) covers gyms, fitness centres, fitness studios, personal training studios, group fitness studios, yoga and Pilates studios that primarily deliver fitness services. Sole-trader PTs without employees aren't strictly covered, but anyone with even one casual instructor or front-desk staffer is.
Specific dollar amounts change each July when the Fair Work Commission updates minimum award wages. Always check the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay & Conditions Tool (pay.fairwork.gov.au) or the Fitness Industry Award page on fwc.gov.au for current rates. Rates published in third-party guides go stale quickly.
Yes — the Fitness Industry Award explicitly provides for per-class rates. The per-class amount must be no less than the equivalent hourly rate × 1.25 to cover preparation and pack-down time, and minimum engagement rules apply. Many studios standardise on per-class rates because they make rostering and budgeting easier.
Level 3 (Cert III qualified) covers gym floor instruction, member inductions and standard group fitness classes. Level 4 (Cert IV qualified) covers one-to-one personal training with periodised program design, small-group PT, and senior class formats. The key distinction is Cert IV-level competency in program design and exercise prescription within scope.
Yes. Casual loading (+25%) is paid on every hour or class worked by a casual employee, regardless of whether the underlying rate is hourly or per-class. It substitutes for paid leave entitlements and cannot be 'rolled in' or absorbed. A casual group fitness instructor on a per-class rate receives the loaded per-class amount.
Junior employees under 21 are paid a percentage of the adult Level 1 rate: 50% at under-16, 60% at 16, 70% at 17, 80% at 18, 90% at 19, and 100% from age 20 onward. Junior rates only apply to age-based progression — once a junior holds a fitness qualification and works at Level 3+ duties, they're paid the adult Level 3 rate regardless of age.
OneBookPlus tracks per-class rates, group fitness instructor rosters, junior rate progressions and casual loading — built for Australian fitness operators.
Last reviewed and updated: by Bishal Shrestha
About the author
Founder & CEO, OneBookPlus
Bishal has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, web development, and small business consulting across Australia. He has helped Australian gym, studio, and PT operators apply MA000094 correctly — per-class group-fitness rates, casual loading, junior pay, and weekend penalty cycles — without slipping into wage-theft territory.
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