Casual vs part-time cost calculator

Compare what the same hours of work cost a year from a part-time employee or a casual, counting the casual loading, paid leave, public holidays, leave loading and super.

Figures checked 5 November 2026. Free to use, no sign-in.

The role

$

The permanent rate for the classification in your award, before any casual loading.

hours
days

Award settings

%

25% under most modern awards. Check yours.

%

17.5% under many awards; 0 if your award or agreement has none.

Time the part-timer is paid but not working

days

A year. Depends on the state and which days they work.

days

A year, out of the 10-day (pro rata) entitlement.

Your estimate

Part-time costs less a year, for the same hours of work

$2,352

Part-time $44,268 a year, casual $46,620 a year, including super.

Part-time per hour worked
$39.88
Casual per hour worked
$42.00
Casual hourly rate
$37.50

Part-time

Wages (1,300 paid hours)
$39,000.00
Annual leave loading
$525.00
Super guarantee (12%)
$4,743.00
Total a year
$44,268.00

Casual

Wages at the base rate (1,110 hours)
$33,300.00
Casual loading
$8,325.00
Super guarantee (12%)
$4,995.00
Total a year
$46,620.00
  • Both options cover the same 1,110 hours of work a year. The part-timer is paid for 1,300 hours, including 190 hours of leave and public holidays.
  • Ordinary hours only: penalty rates, overtime, allowances, long service leave, payroll tax and workers compensation are not included.

An estimate for planning, not legal advice. Your award sets the rates and loadings.

How this works

The comparison holds the hours of work constant, because that is what you are buying.

  • Part-time: paid for 52 weeks of ordinary hours, plus annual leave loading on 4 weeks, plus 12% super. Hours actually worked are 52 weeks less 4 weeks of annual leave, the personal leave you expect them to take, and public holidays on their working days.
  • Casual: the same hours actually worked, at the base rate plus the casual loading, plus 12% super. No paid leave or public holidays.
  • A public holiday or personal leave day is one day of their usual hours (hours a week ÷ days a week).

Not included: penalty rates, overtime and allowances (they apply to both, at different percentages for casuals), long service leave, payroll tax and workers compensation (they scale with wages), and the cost of covering a part-timer’s leave.

Legal basis

Checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Tell us.

Questions

Is a casual cheaper than a part-time employee?

Usually not, for the same hours of work. A casual earns a loading (25% under most awards) on every hour worked. A part-timer’s paid leave and public holidays are typically worth less than that: 4 weeks of annual leave, up to 2 weeks of personal leave and the public holidays on their working days come to roughly 10% to 15% of a year’s paid hours.

What is the casual loading?

An extra amount paid to casual employees instead of paid leave and some other entitlements. Most modern awards set it at 25% of the minimum hourly rate, but check your award or agreement, because a few differ.

Do casuals get paid public holidays?

No. A casual who doesn’t work on a public holiday isn’t paid for it. A part-time or full-time employee who would normally work that day is paid their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked.

Do I pay super on the casual loading and leave loading?

Yes, generally. The ATO treats casual loading and annual leave loading (unless it is clearly for lost overtime) as qualifying earnings, so the 12% super guarantee applies to both.

What else should I weigh up besides cost?

Flexibility, rostering, minimum engagement periods in your award, and whether the work is really casual. Long service leave, which casuals also earn in most states, is not part of this comparison.

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Questions the calculator can’t answer?

Workfloor answers pay, award, leave and termination questions for your team, with the Fair Work Act section or award clause behind each answer.

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