Prime Minister Salary: What You Take Home After Tax and Medicare

Prime Minister Salary: What Changes Your Fortnightly Take-Home

When you look at a prime minister salary, the amount that lands in your bank account depends on three key factors: the tax brackets, the Medicare levy, and superannuation arrangements. While the exact total pay for the Prime Minister is not publicly listed in the sources we have, the base salary for all members of parliament is set at $239,270 per year by the Remuneration Tribunal (Members of Parliament) Determination 2026. The Prime Minister receives additional ministerial salary under section 66 of the Constitution, but that amount is not specified in the available documents. This guide uses the base salary to illustrate how tax and Medicare affect your take-home pay.

Tax Brackets for 2026–27

Your taxable income is split into brackets. For a salary of $239,270, the calculation is:

• $0 – $18,200: Nil
• $18,201 – $45,000: 15c for each $1 over $18,200
• $45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000
• $135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000
• $190,001 and above: $51,370 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000

For $239,270, the tax is $51,370 + 0.45 × ($239,270 – $190,000) = $51,370 + $22,171.50 = $73,541.50. The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) does not apply at this income level.

Medicare Levy

The Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income, but only if you earn above the single upper threshold of $35,013. At $239,270, you pay the full 2%: $4,785.40. The latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013, but for a full-time salary like this, the levy applies in full. See our Tax and Medicare guide for more details.

Superannuation

Super is not deducted from your take-home pay if your salary is quoted as 'plus super'. The super guarantee rate is 12% from 1 July 2026, but that is paid on top of your salary by your employer. However, parliamentarians may have personal super contributions under schemes like the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme (PCSS), where a portion of salary is excluded for super purposes. For most employees, super does not reduce your fortnightly bank deposit. Learn more about Take-home pay calculations.

Fortnightly Take-Home Estimate

Using the base salary of $239,270:

• Annual tax: $73,541.50
• Medicare levy: $4,785.40
• Total deductions: $78,326.90
• Annual take-home: $160,943.10
• Fortnightly take-home: $160,943.10 ÷ 26 = $6,190.12

This is an estimate only. It excludes HELP/HECS, the Medicare levy surcharge, salary sacrifice, and payroll tax-table rounding. The actual prime minister salary would be higher due to the ministerial component, so your take-home would increase accordingly.

What Changes the Fortnightly Amount

• Tax brackets: Moving into a higher bracket increases the marginal rate. At $239,270, every extra dollar is taxed at 45c plus 2c Medicare.
• Medicare levy: Full 2% applies once income exceeds $35,013.
• Super contributions: If you salary-sacrifice to super, your taxable income drops, reducing tax and Medicare. But that also lowers your immediate take-home.

For a complete picture of how your pay is calculated, visit our Take-home pay page.

Sources

• – Salary and remuneration details for parliamentarians.
• – Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2026.
• – Parliamentary Education Office on Prime Minister salary.