Write Down the Job You Will Actually Roster
The duties are the part of a groomer job description that decides what you owe. Fair Work's guidance is that an employee's classification follows the main purpose of their role and the duties they actually perform, and it warns employers not to rely on job titles or job descriptions when they classify someone. The classification then sets the minimum pay.
So write the duties you will really hand the person on a busy Saturday, and put the award level and an hourly rate that match them in the ad. Calling the role "assistant" does not fix the pay at an assistant's rate if the roster then has that person finishing grooms on their own.
The template here is built that way. Part 1 is a groomer and Part 2 is a bather or grooming assistant. Each section carries a grey note with the rule behind it, for you to read and then delete before you post. Download the Word file to edit it, or the PDF to read it through first.
Where this comes from. Every rate and rule below comes from Fair Work, the Fair Work Act, the ATO, Safe Work Australia or a state or territory government, and all of them are listed at the end. Where we say which level a role sits at, that is our reading of the award, and we say so each time. We founded and still help run a pet business, and we are not employment lawyers.
What the Template Asks You to Fill In
| Section | What you fill in | What sits behind it |
|---|
| About the role | Salon or van, the days, who they report to | Nothing to check |
| What you will do | The duties you will actually roster | Classification follows the duties performed |
| Qualifications | Certificate III or equivalent experience, if the job needs it | No licence is legally required |
| Hours and employment type | Full-time, part-time or casual, and which days | Award clauses 9 to 11 and 20 |
| Pay | The level and an hourly rate | Award clause 15 and Fair Work Act section 536AA |
| Super | Nothing, the line is written for you | 12 per cent of qualifying earnings, each payday |
| Equipment and uniform | Who supplies what | Award clause 17.3 |
| Safety | Your hearing protection, lifting aids, chemicals and handling rules | Safe Work Australia guidance |
| How to apply | Where to send it, and the trial | Fair Work's guidance on unpaid trials |
Which Award, and Which Level
The Fair Work Ombudsman says the Miscellaneous Award 2020 covers employees working as pet groomers for a pet grooming business, unless an industry or occupation award has a classification for them. The exception to watch is retail. Someone who grooms and also serves in a pet shop may fall under a different award, depending on the work they are principally employed to do. Why it is not the animal care award is covered in hourly pay or commission.
Clause 12.1 of the award defines its levels by time in the job and by qualifications:
Level 1: employed for less than 3 months, and not doing the duties of Level 3 or 4.
Level 2: employed for at least 3 months, and not doing the duties of Level 3 or 4.
Level 3: has "a trade qualification or equivalent" and is doing duties that need it.
Level 4: has "advanced trade qualifications" and is doing duties that need them, or is a sub-professional employee.
These are the minimum hourly rates from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026, from the Fair Work pay guide. The casual column includes the 25 per cent loading.
| Level | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|
| Level 1 | $25.74 | $32.18 |
| Level 2 | $27.08 | $33.85 |
| Level 3 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 4 | $32.13 | $40.16 |
The four levels are generic and say nothing about grooming work, so putting a grooming role at a level is a judgement. Here is ours. It is our reading of clause 12.1, so check your actual person in the Pay and Conditions Tool before you advertise.
| Role | Our reading | Why |
|---|
| Bather or grooming assistant | Level 1, then Level 2 after 3 months | Washing, drying and brushing out under direction does not need a trade qualification |
| Groomer finishing full grooms unsupervised | Level 3 | The job needs the qualification or equivalent skill |
| Senior groomer | Level 3, or Level 4 if the job needs an advanced trade qualification | Being in charge of 3 or more staff adds the leading hand allowance |
If you are torn between two levels, budget from the higher one. The award rates are minimums, so paying above them is lawful.
Staff under 21 are paid a percentage of the adult rate by age, from 36.8 per cent under 16 to 97.7 per cent at 20 (clause 15.4). A bather who spends more than 4 hours of a day or shift on a higher classification's duties is paid that rate for the whole day or shift (clause 15.5). If full grooms are Level 3 work in your business, a bather covering them while a groomer is on leave is that case exactly.
Put the Rate in the Ad
Section 536AA of the Fair Work Act, the provision on advertising pay, does not make you publish a rate. It says that if you do, the advertised rate cannot be one that would breach the Act or the award if the job went ahead.
We would publish it anyway. It answers the first question every experienced groomer has, and it makes you settle the level before you interview anyone.
Say which days are rostered too. Under clause 20, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday hours are paid at 120, 150 and 250 per cent of the minimum hourly rate for full-time and part-time staff, and at 145, 175 and 250 per cent for casuals. Should you open on Saturdays works through what that does to a roster.
Licences and Qualifications
No licence or registration is legally required for a person to work as a dog groomer in Australia, so there is nothing of that kind to ask a candidate for. The rules that do exist bind the business. In New South Wales, anyone operating a pet grooming or bathing establishment must comply with the Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 8. The ACT's code of practice for grooming establishments counts vans and trailers set up for grooming as premises, and calls formal training in animal care an advantage for staff.
The nationally recognised qualification is the Certificate III in Animal Care Services (ACM30122), which allows a Pet Grooming specialisation. The template asks for it "or equivalent grooming experience", so a good groomer who learned on the job is not screened out. If the job genuinely needs the qualification, that points to Level 3. How to choose a dog grooming course covers the options.
The Safety Lines Worth Writing Down
A job description is a good place to say what the business provides, because the duty to provide it sits with the business.
Hearing protection. Safe Work Australia's noise exposure standard is 85 decibels averaged over eight hours, with a 140 decibel peak. If a worker needs hearing protection often because noise is above the standard, you must provide audiometric testing. Our
guide to dryers and hearing protection has the measured dryer levels.
Lifting and restraint. Safe Work Australia counts lifting or restraining an animal among the manual tasks that can be hazardous, and lists mechanical aids as a control. Name the lifting table or ramp in the ad.
Chemicals. If you use or store hazardous chemicals, keep their safety data sheets at the workplace.
Handling. The ACT code allows a muzzle only where the dog can breathe freely and the muzzle does not cut its skin, and sedation only under a vet's supervision or direction, with the owner's written consent. The template turns that into a line the business commits to.
The Bather or Grooming Assistant Version
Part 2 is a separate description because the duties are different, and so is the level. The bather washes and dries dogs under a groomer's direction, brushes them out, moves them between the crates and the bath, and helps at the front desk. We placed the role at Level 1 for the first 3 months and Level 2 after that, which is our reading of the award.
A school leaver in the role is paid the junior percentage for their age. A trainee on a registered traineeship is paid under the National Training Wage schedule instead (clause 15.8), and the Pay and Conditions Tool works that rate out from their schooling and the traineeship.
Whether your first hire should be a bather at all is a separate decision. Hire someone or raise your prices works it through with the numbers.
When They Start
The last page of the template is a checklist for the first week.
Give the Fair Work Information Statement before, or as soon as practicable after, they start (Fair Work Act section 125). Casual employees also get the Casual Employment Information Statement (section 125B).
For a part-time employee, agree in writing the regular pattern of work, including the hours and the start and finish times each day (clause 10.2).
Pay super for each payday, at 12 per cent of qualifying earnings from 1 July 2026. The fund has to receive it within 7 business days after payday, or 20 business days for a new employee's first contribution.
Keep any unpaid trial to a short, supervised demonstration of the skills the job needs. Time beyond that is paid work, which is why the template offers a paid trial shift.
Hiring your first team member covers how to run one and where to find candidates.
Review the level when their duties change or they gain a qualification. Fair Work names both as reasons to check it again.
Petboost is our product, so weigh this paragraph with that in mind. A new starter needs their own way into the diary, and in Petboost every team member gets their own login on every plan, with no per-seat fee. The role you give them sets what they can see: a bather set up as a Service Supporter works appointments and client records but cannot open settings, services, reporting or billing. You tick the services each person can do, and online booking only offers a service at times when someone assigned to it is working. Petboost does not run payroll or timesheets, so award rates and super stay with your payroll software.
This article is general information for Australian pet business owners. It is not legal, employment or tax advice. Award rates and the super guarantee change, commonly on 1 July. Check the linked primary source, or an employment adviser or your accountant, before you act on anything here.
Sources
Fair Work Ombudsman, Award coverage for pet groomers (K600607):
library.fairwork.gov.au. Accessed 27 September 2026.
Fair Work Ombudsman award viewer, Miscellaneous Award 2020 (MA000104), clauses 9 to 12, 15, 17 and 20:
awards.fairwork.gov.au. Consolidated to 1 July 2026, accessed 27 September 2026.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay guide for the Miscellaneous Award (MA000104):
calculate.fairwork.gov.au. Effective 1 July 2026, published 24 June 2026, accessed 27 September 2026.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Award classifications:
fairwork.gov.au. Last updated 23 September 2026, accessed 27 September 2026.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Trainee rates in the National training wage schedule (K600637):
library.fairwork.gov.au. Accessed 27 September 2026.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Unpaid trials:
fairwork.gov.au. Last updated 21 August 2024, accessed 27 September 2026.
Fair Work Act 2009, sections 125, 125B and 536AA:
legislation.gov.au. Compilation No. 73, 7 July 2026, accessed 27 September 2026.
Australian Taxation Office, Super guarantee:
ato.gov.au. Last updated 17 April 2026, accessed 27 September 2026.
Australian Taxation Office, Payment deadlines for Payday Super:
ato.gov.au. Last updated 10 August 2026, accessed 27 September 2026.
Australian Business Licence and Information Service, NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 8, Animals in Pet Grooming Establishments:
ablis.business.gov.au. Accessed 27 September 2026.
ACT Legislation Register, Code of Practice for Pet Grooming Establishments in the ACT:
legislation.act.gov.au. Accessed 27 September 2026.
Jobs and Skills WA, Certificate III in Animal Care Services (ACM30122):
jobsandskills.wa.gov.au. Accessed 27 September 2026.
