NSW Salary Calculator: Compare Job Offers by Take-Home Pay After Tax and Medicare Levy

How to Compare Job Offers Using Take-Home Pay

When you receive a job offer, the headline salary can be misleading. What matters is the amount that actually lands in your bank account after tax and the Medicare levy. That's where the NSW salary calculator comes in. By entering the annual salary, you get an estimate of your take-home pay, making it easy to compare offers side by side.

Understanding Tax and Medicare for 2026–27

For the 2026–27 tax year, the Australian Tax Office applies these resident tax rates:

• Up to $18,200: nil
• $18,201 to $45,000: 15c for each dollar over $18,200
• $45,001 to $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c for each dollar over $45,000
• $135,001 to $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c for each dollar over $135,000
• Over $190,000: $51,370 plus 45c for each dollar over $190,000

You may also be eligible for the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO), which can reduce your tax by up to $700. The offset phases out between $37,500 and $66,667.

The Medicare levy is a flat 2% of your taxable income for full-time earners. The latest published single-person Medicare thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your income is below $28,011 you pay no levy; between $28,011 and $35,013 you pay a reduced amount (10c per dollar over the lower threshold).

Using the Calculator for Different Offers

Let's look at two common benchmarks from the Take-home pay guide:

• National minimum wage: $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, $52,255 per year. After tax (including LITO) and the 2% Medicare levy, the estimated take-home pay is about $45,200.
• Full-time adult ordinary time earnings: $2,083.70 per week, $108,352 per year. After tax (no LITO at this income) and Medicare, the estimated take-home pay is about $83,160.

These examples show how the NSW salary calculator can help you see the real difference between offers. A job paying $10,000 more on paper may only add $6,000 to $7,000 to your bank account after tax and Medicare.

The Role of Superannuation

Superannuation is a separate consideration. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee rate is 12% of your ordinary time earnings, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830. If a job is advertised as "$80,000 plus super", the super is on top and does not reduce your take-home pay. If it's "$80,000 including super", the super is part of that figure and will be deducted from your pay. Always clarify which wording applies.

Final Tips

• Use the calculator for each offer to get a consistent take-home estimate.
• Remember that the estimate excludes HELP/HECS repayments, the Medicare levy surcharge, salary sacrifice, and payroll tax-table rounding. It is not a tax assessment.
• For more details on tax and Medicare, see the Tax and Medicare guide.