Casual Loading vs Permanent Leave: Which Pays More Over a Year?
A full year of hours as a casual with 25% loading vs a permanent with paid leave and public holidays, at three base rates, and what the cash leaves out.
By the MoneyBackKit AU team · Updated 28 October 2026 · 3 min read
Casual workers get a 25% loading on top of the base rate instead of paid leave. Is that a good swap? It depends on how many weeks you actually work, because a casual isn't paid for annual leave, public holidays or sick days.
A year of full-time hours, casual vs permanent
| Base rate | Permanent: pay for the year | Casual: 46 weeks worked | Casual, after 5 sick days off | Casual ahead by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30.00 an hour | $60,078 | $65,550 | $64,125 | $4,047 |
| $35.00 an hour | $70,091 | $76,475 | $74,813 | $4,722 |
| $45.00 an hour | $90,117 | $98,325 | $96,188 | $6,071 |
What the cash doesn't show
- Permanent staff get 10 days of paid personal/carer's leave a year, notice of termination and, after a year, redundancy pay.
- Casuals have no guaranteed hours, so a quiet month means less pay.
- Casuals still get 2 days of unpaid carer's leave and 2 days of unpaid compassionate leave each time they're needed, plus family and domestic violence leave.
- After 6 months (12 months at a small business), a casual who no longer fits the casual definition can give written notice to become permanent.