Comparing job offers after the roosters salary cap breach: focus on take-home pay

How to compare job offers after the roosters salary cap breach

The roosters salary cap breach is a reminder that what you see isn't always what you get. When comparing job offers, the headline salary can be misleading. What matters is the amount that reaches your bank account after income tax and the Medicare levy. This guide shows you how to cut through the noise and compare offers on take-home pay.

Understanding your take-home pay

Your take-home pay is your gross salary minus tax and the Medicare levy. For the 2026–27 income year, the Australian Taxation Office has updated tax tables to reflect the tax cuts from the Treasury Laws Amendment (More Cost of Living Relief) Act 2025. The resident tax rates are:

• $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 over: $51,370 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000

These rates are from and the ATO. The Medicare levy is an additional 2% of your taxable income, but you may pay a reduced rate or none if your income is below the latest published single-person thresholds of $28,011 and $35,013. For full-time salaries, you will generally pay the full 2%.

The minimum wage and award rates

If you are comparing a job at the minimum wage, the Fair Work Ombudsman sets the national minimum wage at $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026. That works out to about $52,255 a year before tax. After tax and Medicare, a single person earning the minimum wage would take home roughly $44,000–$45,000, depending on the low-income tax offset. Fair Work also maintains the Modern Awards Pay Database with minimum rates for specific industries and roles.

Using the take-home pay calculator

To compare offers, use the Take-home pay tool on this site. Enter the gross salary and it will estimate your weekly, fortnightly, or monthly after-tax amount. Remember that salary packaging (salary sacrifice) can reduce your taxable income, but it is not included in this estimate. Also, HELP/HECS repayments and the Medicare levy surcharge are not factored in.

What about super?

Super is not part of your take-home pay. 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", your employer pays an additional $9,600 into your super account. Your take-home pay is based on the $80,000, not the total package. Always check whether the advertised figure includes super.

The roosters salary cap breach lesson

The roosters salary cap breach showed that clubs could manipulate reported figures to gain an advantage. For you, the lesson is to look beyond the headline. A job offer might boast a high base salary, but after tax and deductions, the difference between two offers could be smaller than it appears. Focus on the fortnightly amount that lands in your account.

Key benchmarks for comparison

Use these benchmarks from the Benchmarks page to see where an offer sits:

• National minimum wage: $26.44/hour, $1,004.90/week, $52,255/year
• All employees average weekly total earnings: $1,579.20/week, $82,118/year (includes part-time)
• Full-time adult ordinary time earnings: $2,083.70/week, $108,352/year (excludes overtime and employer super)

These figures are from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey and Fair Work.

Final tips

• Always ask if the salary is inclusive or exclusive of super.
• Use the Tax and Medicare guide to understand your marginal rate.
• Consider salary packaging options if available.
• Remember that this estimate is not a tax assessment; use the ATO's tax withheld calculator for exact amounts.

By focusing on take-home pay, you can make a fair comparison between job offers and avoid being misled by headline numbers.