Salary Comparison Calculator
Compare two salary packages side-by-side. Different super rates, salary sacrifice, and pay frequencies — see which offer actually pays more after tax.
Offer A
Offer B
Winner
Offer B pays $6,800 more after tax per year
Take-Home Pay
Offer A
$67,012
Offer B
$73,812
Total Tax
Offer A
$17,988
Offer B
$21,188
Effective Rate
Offer A
21.2%
Offer B
22.3%
Marginal Rate
Offer A
30.0%
Offer B
30.0%
Superannuation
Offer A
$10,200
Offer B
$11,400
Total Package
Offer A
$95,200
Offer B
$106,400
Visual Comparison
Full Comparison Breakdown
| Component | Current Job | New Offer | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary | $85,000 | $95,000 | +$10,000 |
| Superannuation | $10,200 | $11,400 | +$1,200 |
| Total Package | $95,200 | $106,400 | +$11,200 |
| Income Tax | -$16,288 | -$19,288 | -$3,000 |
| Medicare Levy | -$1,700 | -$1,900 | -$200 |
| Total Tax | -$17,988 | -$21,188 | -$3,200 |
| Net Take-Home Pay | $67,012 | $73,812 | +$6,800 |
Salary Comparison: Which Job Offer Actually Pays More?
How it works
A higher gross salary doesn't always mean more money in your pocket. Australia's progressive tax brackets, Medicare levy, HECS/HELP repayments, and superannuation rules all interact — sometimes in surprising ways — to determine what you actually take home.
This calculator runs the full income tax calculation independently for each offer, then compares every component side-by-side. Each offer can have its own salary amount, pay frequency, super rate, includes-super toggle, and salary sacrifice amount. Shared settings like HECS debt and residency status apply to both (since they're about you, not the job).
The results show the annual net take-home pay for each offer, the dollar and percentage differences across every tax component, a stacked bar chart for visual comparison, and a "winner" badge that tells you which offer puts more money in your bank account.
When to use this calculator
- You're weighing two job offers and want to know which one actually pays more after tax — not just which has the higher headline salary
- One offer quotes salary including super and the other quotes it plus super — you need an apples-to-apples comparison
- An employer is offering a higher super rate (e.g. 15%) instead of a higher salary, and you want to see the total package difference
- You're negotiating a pay rise and want to see how much of the increase you'll actually keep after tax
- You're considering salary sacrificing into super at one job but not the other, and want to compare the net outcomes
- A role pays monthly and another pays fortnightly — you need both converted to the same basis before comparing
Key concepts
- Why a $10k salary difference isn't $10k after tax
- Because of progressive tax brackets, the extra $10,000 is taxed at your marginal rate, not your average rate. If you're in the 30% bracket, you keep about $7,000 of that $10k. If it pushes you into the 37% bracket, you keep even less. HECS repayment thresholds can further reduce the gap — a small salary increase might trigger a new HECS bracket, costing you more than you'd expect.
- Includes super vs plus super
- A salary advertised as '$100,000 plus super' means you earn $100,000 gross and your employer adds 12% ($12,000) in super on top — total package $112,000. A salary advertised as '$112,000 including super' means your gross is only about $100,000, with $12,000 going to super. The take-home pay is the same, but many people mistakenly compare the two headline figures as if they're equivalent.
- Super rate as hidden compensation
- Some employers contribute above the 12% guarantee — for example, 15% or even 17% for government roles. While this doesn't change your immediate take-home pay, it adds significantly to your total package and retirement savings. A job paying $90,000 + 15% super has a total package of $103,500, compared to $100,800 for $90,000 + 12% super — a $2,700/year difference that compounds over decades.
- Salary sacrifice trade-offs
- Salary sacrificing into super reduces your taxable income, lowering your income tax and potentially your HECS repayments. But it also reduces your take-home pay. The 'winner' in a comparison depends on how you value cash-in-hand today versus tax-advantaged retirement savings. This calculator shows both the take-home and super impacts so you can weigh the trade-off.
- The real cost of HECS on a pay rise
- HECS repayments are calculated as a percentage of your total repayment income, not just the income above the threshold. Moving from $89,000 to $95,000 might increase your HECS repayment rate from 5% to 5.5%, which applies to your entire income — not just the extra $6,000. The effective cost of the pay rise includes this jump in repayment.
Worked example — Comparing two job offers
James is a software developer with a HECS debt, currently earning $95,000 (plus super). He's received an offer for $115,000 including super at a startup. Which pays more?
Offer A — Current job: $95,000 + 12% super, annual frequency Offer B — Startup offer: $115,000 including super (12%), annual frequency Shared settings: FY 2025-26, resident, HECS debt, private health insurance
| Component | Offer A | Offer B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $95,000 | $102,679 | +$7,679 |
| Superannuation | $11,400 | $12,321 | +$921 |
| Total package | $106,400 | $115,000 | +$8,600 |
| Income tax | −$20,342 | −$23,147 | −$2,805 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,900 | −$2,054 | −$154 |
| HECS repayment | −$5,225 | −$6,161 | −$936 |
| Take-home pay | $67,533 | $71,318 | +$3,785 |
What this tells James:
- The $115k "including super" headline translates to ~$102,679 gross — not $115k
- Despite the $20k headline gap, the actual take-home difference is $3,785/year (~$315/month)
- The higher salary triggers a higher HECS repayment rate, eating into the gain
- Offer B does add an extra $921/year in super contributions
- The total package difference is $8,600, but after tax and HECS, only 44% of that reaches his bank account
Salary Comparison FAQ
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