Biomedical Engineer Salary Guide: Take-Home Pay After Tax and Medicare

Biomedical Engineer Salary: What You Take Home

Your biomedical engineer salary depends on your employer, classification, and experience. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, median weekly earnings are not published for this occupation, but employment data shows 1,300 biomedical engineers work in Australia, with a median age of 37 and 21% female share. The Victorian public sector enterprise agreement provides a clear example: weekly rates range from $1,283.66 (Class 1, Year 1) to $2,983.71 (Class 5, Year 3) as of August 2026. These rates are before tax and super.

How Tax Brackets Affect Your Fortnightly Pay

Your take-home pay depends on the 2026–27 resident tax rates. For a single person earning a typical biomedical engineer salary (say $1,700 per week, or $88,400 annually), the tax calculation is:

• First $18,200: nil
• Next $26,800 (up to $45,000): taxed at 15c per dollar = $4,020
• Remaining $43,400 (up to $88,400): taxed at 30c per dollar = $13,020
• Total tax = $17,040
• Less Low Income Tax Offset (LITO): $325 (reduced from maximum due to income)
• Net tax = $16,715

Fortnightly tax = $16,715 / 26 = $642.88. After Medicare levy (2% = $1,768 annually, $68 per fortnight), your take-home from $1,700 weekly ($3,400 fortnightly) is about $2,689 per fortnight. Use our Take-home pay guide for a precise estimate.

Medicare Levy: What You Pay

The Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income, but only if you earn above $35,013 (single threshold). The latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. Full-time biomedical engineers almost always exceed $35,013, so you pay the full 2%. For example, on $88,400, the levy is $1,768 per year. This is deducted from your pay alongside income tax. See Tax and Medicare for more details.

Superannuation: Not Deducted from Take-Home

From 1 July 2026, employers must contribute 12% super on top of your salary, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. If your biomedical engineer salary is advertised as "$X plus super", the super is additional and does not reduce your take-home. If it's "$X including super", the super component is deducted from the total. Always check the wording. The national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week (from Fair Work), but biomedical engineers earn well above this.

Example: Victorian Public Sector Rates

The Biomedical Engineers (Victorian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2024-2028 shows weekly rates for different classes and years. For instance, a Class 3 Year 1 earns $1,915.56 per week from August 2026. Fortnightly gross = $3,831.12. After tax and Medicare (using the brackets above), take-home is approximately $3,020 per fortnight. This is a guide only; your actual pay may vary based on your specific award or agreement.

Key Takeaways

• Your biomedical engineer salary varies by employer and experience.
• Tax brackets and the Medicare levy significantly affect your fortnightly take-home.
• Super is usually on top of your salary, not deducted.
• Use our Clearance tool to estimate your net pay.