What comes out of your pay
The salary you’re offered is rarely what hits your bank account. In Australia, three things are taken out before you’re paid: income tax (PAYG, withheld by your employer), the Medicare levy (2% of taxable income), and, if you have a study debt, a HECS/HELP repayment. Superannuation is the exception: your employer pays it on top of your salary, so it grows your retirement savings without shrinking your take-home pay.
2026–27 income tax rates (residents)
| Taxable income | Tax on this income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 – $18,200 | Nil | 0% |
| $18,201 – $45,000 | 15c per $1 over $18,200 | 15% |
| $45,001 – $135,000 | $4,020 + 30c per $1 over $45,000 | 30% |
| $135,001 – $190,000 | $31,020 + 37c per $1 over $135,000 | 37% |
| $190,001+ | $51,370 + 45c per $1 over $190,000 | 45% |
These are marginal rates plus the 2% Medicare levy. Figures are the 2026–27 resident rates; the ATO updates thresholds over time, so verify the current year at ato.gov.au. This tool is a guide, not tax advice.
Superannuation in 2026–27
The super guarantee rate is 12% in 2026–27, the maximum under the current schedule. On an $85,000 salary that’s about $10,200 a year paid into your super fund, on top of your wage. It doesn’t reduce your take-home pay, but it’s real money working for your retirement, which is why the calculator shows it separately.
Fortnightly, weekly and monthly pay cycles
Most Australian employers pay fortnightly, so it helps to see your take-home pay the way it lands. From one salary figure, this calculator shows your net pay per week, fortnight, month and year, so you can budget against your real pay cycle instead of a single annual number.
PAYG tax withheld & the weekly tax table
The income tax that comes out of your pay is tax withheld under the PAYG (pay as you go) system. Your employer works out how much to hold back from each payment and sends it to the ATO on your behalf, so you settle most of your tax across the year rather than in one hit. The amount withheld is set by the ATO’s tax tables, including the weekly tax table, fortnightly tax table and monthly tax table, matched to how often you’re paid.
The tables build in the tax-free threshold and the Medicare levy, and they lift the withholding once you tick that you have a HECS/HELP debt. Because withholding is an estimate, the final figure is squared up when you lodge your return: withhold more than your actual tax and you get a refund, less and you have a bill. This calculator applies the 2026–27 annual rates, so treat it as a close guide to what should be withheld from each weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay rather than the exact cents on your payslip.
Salary calculator (Australia)
This works as a salary calculator for Australia as well as a pay calculator: the terms describe the same job. Whether you call it a salary calculator, a wage calculator or a net pay calculator, this tool turns a gross figure into your take-home (after-tax) pay for 2026–27. It applies income tax, the Medicare levy, HECS/HELP and super, so the number you see is what reaches your account.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your annual salary, the gross figure, before tax and not including super.
- Tick the HECS/HELP box if you have a study or training loan.
- Choose whether to see your pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly or yearly.
- Read your take-home pay, with the tax, Medicare levy and HECS broken out, plus the super paid on top.
Frequently asked questions
Take-home pay by salary
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Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about personal finance for Australian and UK readers.
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