Project Engineer Salary: What You Take Home After Tax and Medicare

Project Engineer Salary: The Range You Can Expect

A project engineer salary in Australia is not a single figure. The Hays Salary Guide FY26/27 shows that a structural and civil project engineer typically earns $122,000, while a project engineer in oil and gas commands $160,000. These figures exclude superannuation and reflect the strong demand for engineers, with 92% of organisations reporting skills shortages. Your actual pay depends on your sector, location, and experience.

How Tax Brackets Affect Your Fortnightly Pay

Your employer withholds tax from each pay using the ATO’s tax tables. For 2026–27, the resident tax rates are:

• Up to $18,200: nil
• $18,201 to $45,000: 15c per $1 over $18,200
• $45,001 to $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c per $1 over $45,000
• $135,001 to $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c per $1 over $135,000
• Over $190,000: $51,370 plus 45c per $1 over $190,000

You also receive the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) if your taxable income is below $66,667. For a project engineer earning $122,000, the annual tax (before offsets and Medicare) is approximately $27,120. That works out to about $1,043 per fortnight in tax. For a $160,000 salary, the annual tax is about $40,320, or $1,551 per fortnight.

The Medicare Levy and Your Take-Home

The Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income for most full-time workers. The latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your salary is above $35,013, you pay the full 2%. For a $122,000 salary, that’s $2,440 a year ($94 per fortnight). For $160,000, it’s $3,200 a year ($123 per fortnight). There is no Medicare levy surcharge unless you have private hospital cover or earn above the surcharge threshold.

Superannuation: Not Deducted from Take-Home

Super is separate. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of your ordinary time earnings, paid by your employer on top of your salary. The Hays guide and most job ads quote salaries excluding super. So a $122,000 project engineer salary means your employer also contributes $14,640 to your super fund each year. Your take-home pay is calculated on the $122,000 before super.

Putting It All Together: Fortnightly Take-Home Estimate

Using the tax and Medicare figures above, here’s an approximate fortnightly take-home for a project engineer (excluding HELP/HECS, salary sacrifice, or rounding):

• $122,000 salary: Gross $4,692 per fortnight. Minus tax ~$1,043 and Medicare ~$94 = $3,555 take-home.
• $160,000 salary: Gross $6,154 per fortnight. Minus tax ~$1,551 and Medicare ~$123 = $4,480 take-home.

These are estimates. Your actual withholding may differ due to tax-table rounding or other factors. Use the Take-home pay guide to run your own numbers, and check the Tax and Medicare page for current rates.

What Changes Your Fortnightly Amount

Three main factors shift your take-home pay:

1. Tax brackets – a pay rise that pushes you into a higher bracket increases the tax withheld per fortnight.
2. Medicare levy – once you exceed $35,013, the full 2% applies.
3. Super – while not deducted, a higher super guarantee (now 12%) means your total remuneration is larger, but your cash in hand stays the same unless your base salary is adjusted.

If you are considering a job offer, always ask whether the salary is plus super or inclusive. The Hays guide and most professional roles quote plus super. Understanding these components helps you compare offers and negotiate effectively.