Wage & Pay Calculator Australia 2025–2026Australian Wage, Pay & Salary Calculator 2025–2026
Free Australian pay calculator for 2025–2026. See take-home pay after PAYG tax, Medicare, HECS/HELP and super.
Salary Guides
Browse public service salaries by category
Federal salaries cover APS, ASD, and DSTG. State salaries cover NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, and NT. If a jurisdiction has classification streams, you'll choose that stream after opening the salary page.
Federal Salaries
APS, ASD, and DSTG sit together under the federal salary category.
State Salaries
Choose a state salary guide first. Stream selection appears inside the jurisdiction where available.
More tools
Go deeper with your numbers
Use calculators for pay, tax, super, and comparisons.
Compare Job Offers
Put two or more offers head-to-head — after tax, super, and HECS. Don't get fooled by a higher gross.
Contractor Calculator
Turn hourly or daily contract rates into tax, GST, and self-funded super estimates.
Super Projection
Forecast retirement balances, contribution impact, and simple annual drawdowns.
CGT Calculator
Estimate capital gains tax, the 50% discount, and incremental tax on top of income.
Compare Job Offers
Put two or more offers head-to-head — after tax, super, and HECS.
Reverse Salary Calculator
Know exactly what gross you need to hit your take-home target.
Budget Planner
Map your take-home pay against living costs and savings goals.
Free Australian Wage Calculator, Pay Calculator and Salary Calculator — Updated for 2025–2026
WageCalculator is a free Australian wage calculator, pay calculator, and salary calculator that shows your take-home pay after income tax, PAYG withholding, Medicare Levy, HECS/HELP repayments, and 12% superannuation. It uses the official ATO tax rates for the 2025-26 financial year, including the revised Stage 3 tax brackets, so you can trust the numbers whether you're evaluating a job offer, negotiating a pay rise, or planning your household budget.
Use it as a take-home pay calculator, PAYG calculator, or net pay calculator by entering your salary as an annual, monthly, fortnightly, weekly, or hourly figure. You'll get an instant breakdown of tax withheld and every major deduction. You can also model salary sacrifice into super, novated lease savings (including EV FBT exemptions), fringe benefits, and the Medicare Levy Surcharge. Need to work backwards? The reverse salary calculator finds the gross you need for a target take-home pay. And if you're weighing two offers, the salary comparison tool puts them side by side after tax.
All calculations run locally in your browser — no data is sent to any server, stored, or shared. Your financial information never leaves your device.
What this pay calculator covers
- Income tax — ATO 2025-26 progressive brackets with tax-free threshold
- PAYG withholding — tax withheld from each pay cycle
- Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) — automatic reduction
- Medicare Levy — 2% with low-income shade-in
- Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) — if no private health cover
- HECS/HELP repayments — income-tested thresholds
- Superannuation — 12% SG rate
- Salary sacrifice — pre-tax super, car & benefits
- Hourly rate breakdown — gross vs net hourly rate with tax per hour
- Pay periods — weekly, fortnightly, monthly & annual
Common uses for this calculator
- Job offer evaluation — convert gross salary to actual take-home
- Pay negotiation — know the gross needed for a target net income
- Budget planning — reliable fortnightly and monthly figures
- Payroll verification — cross-check your payslip deductions
- HECS impact — see exactly how your study debt affects take-home
- Salary sacrifice modelling — compare before and after tax
- Comparing states — same tax rates nationwide, different living costs
Frequently Asked Questions
How is income tax calculated in Australia?
Australia uses a progressive tax system — you pay different rates on different slices of income. For 2025-26 the brackets are: 0% up to $18,200 (the tax-free threshold); 16% on $18,201–$45,000; 30% on $45,001–$135,000; 37% on $135,001–$190,000; and 45% on income above $190,000. The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) can further reduce tax owed for incomes below $66,667.
What is the difference between a wage calculator and a salary calculator?
There is no practical difference — both calculate your take-home pay from a gross income figure using ATO 2025-26 tax brackets, Medicare Levy, and HECS/HELP thresholds. Technically, 'wage' usually refers to hourly or weekly pay (common in retail, hospitality, and trades), while 'salary' is an annual fixed amount (common in professional and public sector roles). This calculator handles both: enter an annual salary or an hourly wage and choose your pay period — weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or annual — to get your net income for 2025-26.
What is the Medicare Levy?
The Medicare Levy is 2% of your taxable income and funds Australia's public health system. Low-income earners below the shade-in threshold pay a reduced rate or nothing. High-income earners without private hospital cover may also pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) of 1–1.5%.
How are HECS/HELP repayments calculated?
HECS-HELP repayments are calculated on your repayment income (taxable income plus reportable super and fringe benefits). For 2025-26, compulsory repayments start at $67,000. Above that, repayment amounts are calculated using the marginal-rate method applied to income within each repayment band.
Does this calculator include the Stage 3 tax cuts?
Yes. The revised Stage 3 cuts that took effect from 1 July 2024 are fully reflected — including the 16% rate on $18,201–$45,000 and the 30% rate on $45,001–$135,000. These changes reduced tax for most Australians earning under $190,000.
What is superannuation and how is it calculated?
Superannuation (super) is compulsory retirement savings your employer must pay on top of your salary. The Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate for 2025-26 is 12% of your ordinary time earnings. Super doesn't reduce your take-home pay but it's important for comparing total compensation across job offers.
How do I calculate my take-home pay from a salary?
Enter your gross salary (annual, monthly, fortnightly, weekly or hourly) into the calculator. It applies the 2025-26 ATO tax brackets, deducts Medicare Levy, HECS/HELP repayments if applicable, and shows your net take-home pay per period. You can also toggle salary sacrifice, novated lease, and fringe benefits to see the impact on your pay.
What is salary sacrifice and how does it reduce tax?
Salary sacrifice lets you direct part of your pre-tax salary toward superannuation, a car (novated lease), or other approved benefits. Because the sacrificed amount is removed before income tax is calculated, it can lower your taxable income and therefore the tax you pay. Use our salary sacrifice calculator to model the exact saving for your situation.
How do I convert my salary to an hourly rate?
Divide your annual gross salary by the total hours you work in a year. For a standard 38-hour week that's 1,976 hours (38 × 52). For example, a $75,000 salary equals roughly $37.96 per hour gross. This calculator does that automatically and also shows your net (after-tax) hourly rate, so you can see exactly what you earn per hour after PAYG tax, Medicare, and HECS deductions.
What is the difference between gross and net hourly rate?
Your gross hourly rate is your total pay per hour before any deductions. Your net hourly rate is what you actually take home after income tax, Medicare Levy, and any HECS/HELP repayments. For example, someone earning $40/hour gross on a 2025-26 salary might take home around $32/hour net, depending on their total annual income and tax settings. This calculator shows both side by side.
Can I use this as a PAYG or payroll calculator?
Yes. This calculator uses the same ATO 2025-26 PAYG withholding logic that payroll systems use, so it's a reliable pay calculator and net pay calculator for individual pay runs. For full payroll processing you'll still need dedicated payroll software, but for quickly verifying take-home pay, tax withheld, super contributions and HECS deductions, this tool is accurate.