A quiet worry a lot of apprentices carry — am I actually being paid what I’m owed? The pay system can be confusing, and mistakes happen more often than people think. Here’s the plain-English version of how to check, and what to do if the numbers don’t add up.
Short version: Find your award and your correct rate through Fair Work, gather your payslips, work out the gap, raise it with your employer, and if that doesn’t fix it, take it to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Why underpayment happens
Most underpayment isn’t someone deliberately robbing you — though that does happen. It’s usually a wrong award, the wrong apprenticeship year, a missed pay rise when you moved up a stage, unpaid overtime, or allowances that never got added. The catch is that the system assumes you’ll notice. So it pays to know how to check.
As an apprentice you’re almost always covered by an award — a legal document that sets the minimum pay and conditions for your trade. Your pay usually rises as you move through each year of your apprenticeship, and if that step-up doesn’t happen, you can quietly fall behind.
There are a few common ways apprentices end up short-changed. Being paid a flat “cash in hand” rate that ignores overtime, penalties and allowances. Being kept on your first-year rate long after you should have moved up. Being classified under the wrong award for your trade. Or simply having hours you worked never make it onto a payslip. None of these are your fault — but spotting them is on you, because nobody else is checking your pay for you.
Step 1: Find your award and your correct rate
Work out which award covers you
Your trade sits under a specific modern award. If you’re not sure which one, the Fair Work Ombudsman website lets you search by industry or job. Your training contract or enterprise agreement (if your workplace has one) can also tell you.
Check your exact rate with the PACT calculator
Fair Work runs a free pay calculator called PACT at calculate.fairwork.gov.au. Put in your award, your apprenticeship year, your age and whether you’re an adult apprentice, and it gives you the current minimum base rate plus overtime and penalties. That’s your benchmark — the number your actual pay should meet or beat. We don’t quote dollar figures here on purpose, because they change; always pull the live number from PACT.
Step 2: Gather your payslips and records
Your employer is legally required to give you a payslip within one working day of being paid. Collect them together and look for:
- Your hourly rate and how it compares to the PACT figure
- Whether your rate went up when you started a new apprenticeship year
- Overtime and penalty rates for weekends, public holidays and late finishes
- Allowances you should be getting — travel, tools, meals and the like
- Superannuation being paid on top of your wage
If you don’t get payslips, or they’re missing detail, that’s a separate problem in itself — employers must keep proper records. Keep your own diary of hours worked as a backup; it’s powerful evidence if things ever go further.
Step 3: Work out the gap
Compare what you were actually paid against what PACT says you should have got, for each pay period. Do it week by week if you can — small weekly gaps add up to real money over a year. Write down the difference and the dates. You’re building a clear, calm record, not a shouting match.
Step 4: Raise it with your employer
Start with a calm conversation
Most pay problems are honest errors and get sorted with a quiet word. Go to your employer or payroll, explain what you’ve found, and show the PACT figure. Keep it factual — “I’ve checked the award and my rate looks low, can we sort it out?”
Put it in writing
If a chat doesn’t fix it, follow up by email or message so there’s a record. Lay out the award, the correct rate, the dates and the amount you believe you’re owed. A written trail matters if you need to escalate later.
Step 5: Escalate to the Fair Work Ombudsman
If your employer won’t fix it, or you’re worried about raising it directly, the Fair Work Ombudsman is the free government body that helps with exactly this. They can give you advice, help recover unpaid wages, and step in with employers. You can contact them confidentially, and it’s unlawful for an employer to punish you for asking about or asserting your pay rights.
For genuinely serious or ongoing underpayment, the Fair Work Ombudsman can take stronger action. You don’t need a lawyer to start — begin with their website or helpline.
One more thing that stops a lot of apprentices: the fear that speaking up will cost you the job or make life awkward on site. It’s a real worry, but the law is on your side here. You’re allowed to ask questions about your pay, you’re allowed to get it checked, and you’re allowed to raise it — and an employer who retaliates is breaking the law on top of underpaying you. If direct conversation feels too hard, that’s exactly what the Fair Work Ombudsman is there for, and you can approach them without your employer knowing you’ve made contact.
FAQ
How far back can I claim underpayment?
You can generally pursue unpaid wages going back several years, but time limits apply. Don’t wait — the sooner you raise it, the easier it is to sort. The Fair Work Ombudsman can explain the limits for your situation.
Can I get in trouble for asking about my pay?
No. It’s against the law for an employer to sack, threaten or punish you for asking about or claiming your correct pay. That’s a protected workplace right.
What if I don’t get payslips at all?
Employers must give you a payslip within one working day of pay day and keep records for years. Not doing so can breach the law — the Fair Work Ombudsman can help.
My rate didn’t go up when I started year two. Is that wrong?
Most likely, yes. Apprentice pay usually rises with each year of the apprenticeship. Check PACT for your current year and raise it if it wasn’t applied.
Does super count as part of my pay?
Superannuation is paid on top of your wage, not out of it. If it’s missing, that’s a real issue — the ATO handles unpaid super.
Where to confirm everything
- fairwork.gov.au — find your award and your rights
- calculate.fairwork.gov.au — the PACT calculator for your exact rate
- apprenticeships.gov.au — your training contract and support network
- ato.gov.au — for unpaid superannuation
General information only — not financial, legal or industrial-relations advice. Check the official source and your state authority before acting.
Related guides
- Apprentice Wages Explained
- Payslips and Getting Paid Right
- Apprentice Rights on Site
- Overtime and Penalty Rates Explained
- Apprentice Allowances Explained
Get one email a week with the stuff that actually matters — entitlement changes, pay updates, and the guides tradies actually bookmark. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.