Salary in Australia for Kenyans: why the headline pay figure is not your take-home

Tips · 2026-11-07 · 9 min read

If you are searching for the salary in Australia for Kenyans, start with this: the pay floor is set by law and by awards, it is the same for every employee including visa holders, and the headline number on an offer is not what reaches your bank account. From 1 July 2026 Australia's National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour, and New Zealand's adult minimum wage is $23.95 per hour from 1 April 2026. This guide shows how to read an offer from Nairobi, Mombasa or Kisumu before you say yes.

Two minimum wages, two different dollars

Australia and New Zealand each set a national floor. Neither is a salary for a particular trade, but both tell you the lowest hourly pay an employer can lawfully offer an adult worker on ordinary terms.

Country	Hourly minimum	Weekly figure	In force from
Australia (National Minimum Wage)	$26.44	$1004.90 (38 ordinary hours)	1 July 2026
New Zealand (adult minimum wage)	$23.95, before tax	$958 (40-hour week)	1 April 2026
New Zealand (starting-out and training)	$19.16	Not stated here	1 April 2026

Notice the weekly hours behind each figure: 38 in Australia and 40 in New Zealand. Always ask how many hours the weekly pay assumes. You can check the Australian figure on the Fair Work Ombudsman minimum wages page and the New Zealand figure on the Employment New Zealand minimum wage page.

Why award rates matter more than the national minimum

Most employees in Australia are covered by an award for their industry or occupation, and award rates may be higher than the National Minimum Wage. A cook, a hairdresser, a baker and a carpenter can each have a different award with its own classifications and rates. In the Annual Wage Review decision announced on 2 June 2026, the Fair Work Commission increased modern award wage rates by 4.75 per cent from 1 July 2026, so any older rate you saw online may be out of date.

Your practical step is simple. Ask which award or agreement covers the job, then check the rate for the classification on the Fair Work site. For example, a baker role in Melbourne would sit under a different pay structure from an office job, even though both must meet the national floor.

Casual, part-time and full-time: the same hour pays differently

The casual loading for employees who are not covered by an award or agreement is 25 per cent. That is added to the hourly rate because casual employees do not get paid annual leave. Full-time and part-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave a year, and paid sick and carer's leave of 10 days a year for full-time employees (pro rata for part-time). Casual employees get 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion.

So an offer of a casual hourly rate and an offer of a permanent hourly rate are not the same thing. Ask for the employment type in writing before you compare them. Under the National Employment Standards, an employee can work a maximum of 38 hours in a week unless the employer asks for reasonable extra hours, and no contract can give you less than the NES minimums.

What changes between the offer and your bank balance

Three deductions and add-ons shape your real income in Australia: income tax, the Medicare levy for residents, and superannuation paid by the employer on top of wages. The ATO's resident tax rates for 2026-27 are nil on taxable income up to $18,200, 15c for each $1 over $18,200 up to $45,000, $4,020 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000 up to $135,000, then higher bands. Those rates do not include the Medicare levy of 2%. Foreign residents for tax purposes pay different rates and are not required to pay the Medicare levy, so check which group you fall into on the ATO tax rates page.

The general superannuation guarantee rate is 12.00% for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Super is retirement money held in a fund. A departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) can be claimed after you leave if your super was built up on a temporary resident visa that has ceased, and the ATO recommends starting the application before you go. Do not count super as spendable weekly income.

How the visa sets a pay floor too

If an employer sponsors you on the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), pay is part of the rules, not only the award. In the Core Skills stream the worker must be nominated for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List and paid the Annual Market Salary Rate for the occupation and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold. That threshold is AUD79,423 for nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, up from AUD76,515 the year before. Thresholds are indexed every year and the change applies from 1 July.

In New Zealand, an Accredited Employer Work Visa job offer must be for at least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer with an approved job check, and paid at least the market rate for the job. See our guides to the Skills in Demand (482) visa for Kenyans and to the AEWV for Kenyans for the wider process.

A simple way to compare two offers

Write down the hourly rate, the weekly hours and the employment type (full-time, part-time or casual) from the written offer.
Ask which award, agreement or contract sets the rate, then check that rate on the official page.
Check the country's minimum wage for the same date, and confirm the offer is not below it.
Ask whether super is paid on top of the wage, and look for it on the pay slip. Pay slips must be given within 1 working day of pay day.
Keep the figures in Australian or New Zealand dollars when you compare, and ask for tax advice from the ATO or Inland Revenue, not from the recruiter.

Our guide on renting in Australia from Kenya is a good next read, because rent is usually the biggest weekly cost to set against your pay. PinoyAbroad has also published a piece on how the minimum wage and the 482 pay floor look in peso terms, which shows the same method with another currency.

Common mistakes

Comparing a yearly number with a weekly number. Convert both to an hourly rate and ask how many hours the figure assumes.
Treating the minimum wage as the rate for your trade. The award for your industry may be higher.
Ignoring casual loading and leave. A casual rate includes a loading because there is no paid annual leave.
Counting super as take-home pay. It sits in a fund until you can claim it.
Paying to get a job. Cashback schemes, where an employer unreasonably requires payment in exchange for a job, are illegal in Australia, and paying for a job offer is a warning sign. Read the guide before you send any money.
Converting into shillings from an old rate. Use a dated rate from a source you trust, or keep the original currency.

Where to get help if the pay is wrong

Visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights as all other employees in Australia, including pay, leave, protection from discrimination and final pay. An employer cannot cancel your visa; only Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel visas. If you need help in another language, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94. In New Zealand, everyone, including migrants, has the same minimum employment rights.

Before you apply, a strong English CV helps you show your hands-on experience clearly; Build AI CV can help you set it out. You can then browse current jobs on JobsAbroad Kenya and compare the advertised pay and conditions with the checklist above. Job seekers do not pay a fee to apply on this site.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Australia in 2026?

From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour, or $1004.90 per week. Many jobs are covered by an award with higher rates, so the figure for your own role may be above that floor.

Is the minimum wage in New Zealand higher or lower than Australia's?

New Zealand's adult minimum wage is $23.95 per hour before tax from 1 April 2026, while Australia's is $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026. The two are in different dollars, so compare hours, tax and living costs rather than the headline figure alone.

Does a casual worker in Australia earn more per hour?

A casual worker on the National Minimum Wage gets a 25 per cent casual loading on top of the hourly rate. In return, casual employees do not get paid annual leave, so the higher hourly rate has to cover time off.

Do I get superannuation if I work in Australia?

The general superannuation guarantee rate is 12.00% for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, paid by the employer on top of wages in most cases. Your pay slip should show the super contributions, and the ATO explains how to claim it after you leave.

Do visa holders get the same pay protections as Australians?

Yes. The Fair Work Ombudsman says visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights as all other employees in Australia, including pay, leave and final pay. If an employer says your visa means a lower rate, ask for help from the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Can I convert an Australian salary into Kenyan shillings?

Only roughly, and only with a dated rate from a bank or central bank you trust, because exchange rates change daily. This guide keeps every figure in Australian or New Zealand dollars so you compare like with like.

Key takeaways

Australia's National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026; New Zealand's adult minimum wage is $23.95 per hour from 1 April 2026.
Your award or agreement may set a higher rate than the national minimum.
Casual pay includes a 25 per cent loading and no paid annual leave.
Super at 12.00% is paid on top in most cases, but it is not weekly take-home pay.
Visa holders have the same pay rights as every other employee; keep amounts in the original currency until you have a dated rate.

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