Casual trainer true hourly cost
Work out what an hour of casual training delivery actually costs once unpaid preparation, marking and on-costs are included.
For Casual and sessional trainers, and RTOs engaging them
How to use this calculator
Start with the worked example below. Replace the figures in Your numbers with your own inputs, then select Recalculate. Read the assumptions and limitations before using the estimate in your planning. Save report downloads the last calculated results and inputs.
Effective hourly rate
$43.60
Everything earned, divided by every hour actually worked. This is what the work really pays.
- Unpaid hours in the period
- 115 hours
- Preparation, marking, administration and travel that nobody paid for.
- Total hours worked
- 215 hours
- Delivery plus everything it requires.
- Gross earnings
- $9,375.00
- Paid hours at the rate entered, including casual loading.
- Value of unpaid time
- $8,625.00
- What the unpaid hours would be worth at your paid rate.
- Cost to the RTO per delivery hour
- $110.63
- Fully loaded with superannuation and other on-costs. Compare against a permanent trainer before assuming casual is cheaper.
- Total cost to the RTO
- $11,062.50
- Earnings plus superannuation and on-costs for the period.
This is an estimate to support your professional judgement, not a determination. Our tools draft. You validate.
Saves the last calculated inputs, results and assumptions to your device. Recalculate after changing inputs.
Your numbers
The rate paid per delivery hour, before on-costs.
Hours actually paid for, in front of learners.
Planning, resource preparation and setup for each hour taught.
Assessment, feedback and re-assessment, expressed per delivery hour.
Attendance, records, emails, meetings and compliance paperwork.
How much of the preparation, marking and administration is paid. Many casual arrangements pay none of it.
Loading paid in place of leave entitlements. 25% is the common award figure. Confirm against your own award or agreement.
Employer superannuation contribution as a percentage of ordinary earnings.
Payroll tax, workers compensation and insurance, as a percentage of wages. Applies to the RTO, not the trainer.
Travel to and between sites that is not paid.
How this is worked out
Associated hours = delivery × (prep + marking + admin ratios). Paid hours = delivery + (associated × paid%). Total worked = delivery + associated + travel. Trainer earnings = paid hours × rate × (1 + loading%). Effective rate = earnings ÷ total worked. RTO cost per delivery hour = earnings × (1 + super% + other%) ÷ delivery hours.
What it assumes
- The casual loading is paid on all paid hours, which is the usual arrangement but not universal.
- Superannuation and other on-costs apply to earnings including loading.
- The ratios you entered reflect a typical period rather than an unusually heavy one.
What it does NOT account for
- Unpaid time between sessions when you are available but not delivering.
- Vocational currency and professional development, which for casuals is usually entirely unpaid. The currency planner covers it.
- Vehicle running costs and equipment you supply yourself.
- The value of leave entitlements that the loading is meant to compensate for, which is a separate question from whether it does.
- Tax. Every figure here is gross.
What to do next
- Compare the effective rate against the rate you thought you were on. The gap is the case for either paid preparation or a higher rate.
- If you are an RTO, compare the cost per delivery hour against a permanent trainer's fully-loaded hourly cost before assuming casuals are cheaper.
- Track your actual preparation and marking for a fortnight rather than estimating the ratios. They are almost always higher than remembered.
- Check your award or enterprise agreement for the correct casual loading: 25% is common, not universal.
Sources
- Casual loading: 25% is the common rate under many modern awards. Entered as an input because it varies by award and agreement: confirm yours at fairwork.gov.au. (reviewed 2026-08-27)
- Superannuation guarantee: Entered as an input rather than hard-coded, because the rate has changed repeatedly and a stale constant would be wrong and invisible. Confirm the current rate at ato.gov.au. (reviewed 2026-08-27)