Your graphic designer salary: what lands in your bank after tax

How graphic designers are paid in Australia

If you work as a graphic designer in Australia, your salary can vary significantly depending on your experience, the industry you work in, and whether you are employed full-time, part-time, or on a contract basis. This guide helps you understand what your graphic designer salary actually means for your bank account after income tax and the Medicare levy are taken out.

What the official data says

Jobs and Skills Australia reports that there are about 27,500 graphic designers employed nationally, with 59% being female and a median age of 37 years. The average full-time graphic designer works 41 hours per week. However, the official survey does not publish a median weekly earnings figure for this occupation, so it is not possible to give a single ‘typical’ salary. Pay depends on your role – whether you work in professional services, manufacturing, or media – and on your level of seniority.

Many graphic designers are covered by the Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award, which sets minimum pay rates. You can find the current award rates on the Fair Work Ombudsman website. For those not covered by an award, the national minimum wage applies: $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week.

Estimating your take-home pay

To work out what reaches your bank account, you need to consider:

• Gross annual salary – your total pay before any deductions.
• Income tax – calculated using the 2026–27 resident tax rates.
• Medicare levy – generally 2% of your taxable income.
• Superannuation – your employer must contribute 12% on top of your salary (from 1 July 2026). This is not deducted from your take-home pay if your salary is quoted ‘plus super’.

Here is a step-by-step method for a full-time employee earning, say, $70,000 a year:

1. Income tax: Tax on $70,000 = $4,020 plus 30¢ for every dollar over $45,000. That’s $4,020 + 0.30 × ($70,000 – $45,000) = $4,020 + $7,500 = $11,520.
2. Medicare levy: 2% of $70,000 = $1,400.
3. Total deductions: $11,520 + $1,400 = $12,920.
4. Annual take-home: $70,000 – $12,920 = $57,080.
5. Fortnightly take-home: $57,080 ÷ 26 ≈ $2,195.

Remember, this is an estimate. It excludes HELP/HECS repayments, the Medicare levy surcharge, and any salary packaging. Use the Take-home pay tool on this site for a more personalised calculation.

The role of super and Medicare

Your employer’s super guarantee of 12% is paid into your super fund, not into your bank account. If your salary is quoted ‘including super’, then the super component is part of your total package and your take-home will be lower. Always check whether a job advertisement states ‘plus super’ or ‘including super’.

The Medicare levy is a flat 2% for most full-time workers. However, if your taxable income is below $28,011 (single), you pay no levy. Between $28,011 and $35,013 you pay a reduced rate (10¢ per dollar above the lower threshold). Above $35,013 the full 2% applies. These are the latest published single-person thresholds from the Australian Taxation Office.

For a graphic designer earning above the threshold, the levy is a straightforward 2% of your taxable income. You can read more about how tax and Medicare interact on our Tax and Medicare page.

Putting it all together

Because official data does not publish a median weekly earnings figure for graphic designers, your best approach is to start with your actual or expected salary, then apply the tax and Medicare rules above. The national minimum wage ($26.44/hour, $1,004.90/week) is a floor, but most experienced graphic designers earn more. Use the Clearance tool to see what your salary would be after tax, or browse our Guides for other occupations.

Remember: super is not part of your take-home pay, and the Medicare levy applies to most full-time salaries. By understanding these components, you can confidently plan your budget around the amount that actually lands in your bank account each fortnight.