Financial advisor salary: what you actually take home after tax and Medicare levy

Gross salary, package, and take-home: what financial advisors need to know

When you search for a financial advisor salary in Australia, you’ll see figures that can be confusing. Is the number your base pay? Does it include super? What lands in your bank account after tax and the Medicare levy? This guide cuts through the mix-ups so you know what to expect.

Typical financial advisor salaries

According to the Hays FY26/27 Salary Guide, salaries for financial planning roles vary by experience and location. Averaged across all regions:

• Client services: $77,500
• Paraplanner: $83,500
• Senior paraplanner: $99,375
• Associate adviser: $88,750
• Financial planner: $106,875
• Senior financial planner: $128,125
• Financial planning manager: $141,000
• Head of financial planning: $182,500
• Practice development manager: $145,625

Jobs and Skills Australia reports that Financial Investment Advisers and Managers (a broader category) have median weekly earnings of $2,582 for full-time workers, which equates to about $134,264 a year. That figure includes both advisers and managers, so your own role may be higher or lower.

Understanding your pay slip: gross vs net

Your gross salary is the amount before any deductions. Your take-home pay is what remains after:

• Income tax (using the 2026–27 resident rates)
• Medicare levy (2% of taxable income for most full-time workers)
• Any other deductions like HELP/HECS or salary sacrifice arrangements

For example, a financial planner on $106,875 gross would have:

• Income tax: approximately $24,738 (using the tax table: $4,020 plus 30c for each dollar over $45,000, minus the Low Income Tax Offset where applicable)
• Medicare levy: $2,138 (2% of $106,875)
• Take-home: roughly $80,000 per year, or $3,077 per fortnight

Remember: super is not deducted from your salary. If your employer pays 12% super on top, that goes into your super fund, not your bank account.

Tax and Medicare levy details

The latest published single-person Medicare thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your taxable income is below $28,011, you pay no Medicare levy. Between $28,011 and $35,013, a shading-in rate applies (10c per dollar over the lower threshold). Full-time financial advisors almost always exceed $35,013, so you pay the full 2%.

For the 2026–27 tax year, the tax-free threshold is $18,200. After that, you pay:

• 15c per $1 from $18,201 to $45,000
• 30c per $1 from $45,001 to $135,000
• 37c per $1 from $135,001 to $190,000
• 45c per $1 over $190,000

The Low Income Tax Offset can reduce your tax by up to $700, but it phases out as income rises.

Superannuation: what it means for your take-home

From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee rate is 12% on earnings up to $270,830. When a job ad says “$106,875 plus super”, your employer contributes an extra $12,825 to super. Your take-home is based on the $106,875 gross. If the ad says “$106,875 package including super”, your base salary is about $95,424 and super is $11,451 – so your take-home is lower.

Always ask: “Is this base salary or total package?” It makes a big difference to your fortnightly pay.

Why the mix-up matters

Many job seekers focus only on the headline number. But your take-home pay is what you actually live on. A role with a higher base but no bonus may leave you better off than a lower base with a large super component. Use our Tax and Medicare guide to estimate your net pay for any salary.

Final thoughts

A financial advisor salary can range from $77,500 for entry-level client services to over $180,000 for a head of financial planning. But the number on the contract is not the number in your account. Understand the difference between gross, package, and take-home, and you’ll make smarter career decisions.