Qantas cabin crew salary: awards versus the national minimum wage
How Qantas cabin crew salary compares to the national minimum wage and award floor. See enterprise agreement rates and salary index figures.
Qantas cabin crew salaries under enterprise agreements range from around index 65 for a Flight Attendant to over 113 for a Customer Service Manager, well above the award floor of index 53.
What is a Qantas cabin crew salary?
When people ask about a Qantas cabin crew salary, they usually want to know what a flight attendant or cabin crew member actually takes home. The answer depends on whether you look at the legal minimum under the Aircraft Cabin Crew Award or the actual rates paid under Qantas’s enterprise agreement. This article compares both to the national minimum wage and the salary index.
The award floor: Aircraft Cabin Crew Award 2020
The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the Aircraft Cabin Crew Award 2020, which sets the minimum pay for cabin crew in Australia. From 1 July 2026, the minimum hourly rate for a cabin crew member is $28.88, or $1,097.40 per week for a full-time employee. That annualises to roughly $57,065 (based on 52 weeks). A cabin crew supervisor on narrow-bodied aircraft with four or more crew gets $33.69 per hour ($1,280.40 weekly), and a cabin crew manager on wide-bodied aircraft gets $39.36 per hour ($1,495.50 weekly).
These award rates are already above the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour (index 48.2). The cabin crew member rate of $28.88 gives a salary index of about 53 – meaning it is 53% of full-time adult ordinary-time earnings ($108,352). For context, the accommodation and food services industry index is 72.5, so award-level cabin crew pay sits below that.
Qantas enterprise agreement: EBA11
Most Qantas mainline cabin crew are covered by the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia, Qantas Airways Limited and QF Cabin Crew Australia Pty Limited Enterprise Agreement 2022 (EBA11). A variation effective from 18 June 2025 introduced new pay scales. A Flight Attendant earns $70,477.46 per year ($45.18 per hour), while a Customer Service Manager earns $122,821.82 per year ($78.73 per hour). These rates are far above the award.
Using the salary index, a Qantas Flight Attendant at $70,477 scores about 65 – still below the national average of 100, but well above the award floor. A Customer Service Manager at $122,822 scores about 113, above the national average. The EBA also includes a flying allowance of $18.40 per block hour, overtime at triple time for ultra-long-range flights, and fixed pay protection for certain duties.
Awards versus the national minimum wage
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week, annualised to $52,255 (index 48.2). The Aircraft Cabin Crew Award minimum of $28.88 per hour is 9.2% higher. But the Qantas EBA rate of $45.18 per hour is 71% above the national minimum wage.
This gap shows how enterprise agreements can lift pay well beyond the award safety net. For comparison, the retail trade industry index is 75.9 and accommodation and food services is 72.5 – both below the Qantas Flight Attendant index of 65? Actually 65 is lower, but the Qantas Customer Service Manager at 113 is well above those industries. The point is that the award is a floor, not a ceiling.
What about casual and part-time?
The award requires casual cabin crew to be paid a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate, with a minimum engagement of four hours. That gives a casual rate of $36.10 per hour for a cabin crew member (index equivalent would be higher). The Qantas EBA may have different casual provisions, but the published rates are for full-time employees.
Superannuation and tax
From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% on top of base salary, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. So a Qantas Flight Attendant earning $70,477 would receive an additional $8,457 in super, making total employment cost $78,934. Tax for a resident in 2026–27 (excluding Medicare) is nil up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, plus 2% Medicare levy. Take-home pay depends on individual circumstances.
How the salary index works
The salary index compares any annual gross salary to the national benchmark of $108,352 (full-time adult ordinary-time earnings from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). An index of 100 means the role pays the national average. The national minimum wage index is 48.2. The Qantas Flight Attendant index of 65 means it pays 65% of the national average. You can read more about how the index works.
Where to find more
For award rates, see the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Aircraft Cabin Crew Award. For enterprise agreement details, the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia publishes summaries. The pay guides on this site explain how modern awards set minimums. You can also explore industries to see how cabin crew pay compares to other sectors.
Summary
A Qantas cabin crew salary under the enterprise agreement is well above the award minimum and the national minimum wage. The award itself is above the national minimum wage. The salary index shows that a Qantas Flight Attendant sits at 65, while a Customer Service Manager exceeds the national average at 113. Understanding the difference between award floors and actual pay is key to knowing where a role stands.
Questions people ask
What is the minimum pay for a Qantas cabin crew member under the award?
Under the Aircraft Cabin Crew Award 2020, the minimum weekly rate for a full-time cabin crew member is $1,097.40, or $28.88 per hour (from 1 July 2026). This is above the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour. However, Qantas cabin crew are covered by an enterprise agreement that pays significantly more.
How does the Qantas cabin crew salary compare to the national average?
The salary index compares a role to full-time adult ordinary-time earnings ($108,352 per year). A Qantas Flight Attendant under the EBA11 agreement earns about $70,477 annually, giving an index of 65. That is below the national average but well above the award floor (index 53) and the national minimum wage (index 48).
Does the Qantas cabin crew salary include superannuation?
The salary figures quoted (e.g., $70,477 for a Flight Attendant) are base annual salaries before superannuation. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12%, so an employer must contribute an additional 12% on top of the base salary, up to the maximum contribution base ($270,830).