What is the Australia Take Home Pay?
Australian salaries are usually quoted excluding superannuation, which the employer pays on top at 12%. Your take-home is the salary less income tax, the 2% Medicare levy, and any HECS-HELP repayment.
Salary sacrifice into super reduces taxable income, converting income taxed at up to 45% into super contributions taxed at just 15%.
Formula & worked example
Net = Taxable − income tax − Medicare levy − HECS repayment
Worked example: $85,000 salary with no sacrifice or HECS. Income tax is about $16,288 and the Medicare levy $1,700, leaving roughly $67,012 a year — about $5,584 a month. Your employer separately contributes $10,200 to super.
How to use this australia take home pay calculator
- Enter your salary excluding super, as quoted in Australian job ads.
- Add salary sacrifice if you contribute extra to super.
- Flag HECS-HELP — repayment rates rise steeply with income.
- The calculator shows fortnightly pay, the most common Australian pay cycle.
Smart tips
- Salary sacrificing to super is highly effective above the 30% bracket, converting that rate to 15%.
- HECS repayment rates step up sharply — a small pay rise can trigger a disproportionate increase.
- Novated leasing a car through salary sacrifice can be efficient, especially for electric vehicles under the FBT exemption.
- Check whether a job ad quotes salary "plus super" or "package including super" — a 12% difference.
- Claim work-related deductions at tax time; they directly reduce taxable income.
Frequently asked questions
Is superannuation included in my salary?
Usually not. Australian salaries are typically quoted excluding super, which the employer pays on top at 12%.
How much tax will I pay on $85,000?
About $16,288 in income tax plus a $1,700 Medicare levy, leaving roughly $67,000 net — around $5,584 a month.
When do I start repaying HECS-HELP?
Once your income exceeds the threshold (around $54,435), at rates from 1% rising to 10% as income increases.
Is salary sacrifice worth it?
Generally yes above the 30% bracket, since sacrificed amounts are taxed at 15% inside super rather than your marginal rate.
Want the theory behind the numbers? Read our Australia tax guides on the Money Blog.