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
$67,600
Offer B
$74,400
Total Tax
Offer A
$17,400
Offer B
$20,600
Effective Rate
Offer A
20.5%
Offer B
21.7%
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 | -$15,720 | -$18,720 | -$3,000 |
| Medicare Levy | -$1,680 | -$1,880 | -$200 |
| Total Tax | -$17,400 | -$20,600 | -$3,200 |
| Net Take-Home Pay | $67,600 | $74,400 | +$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 it stays in the 30% bracket, income tax alone leaves about $7,000 before Medicare and any marginal HELP repayment. If part crosses into the 37% bracket, the blended result changes.
- 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 taxable income and income tax, but reportable employer super contributions are added back for HELP repayment income and MLS income tests. It also reduces cash take-home. The comparison shows both cash and super so you can assess that trade-off.
- The HELP impact of a pay rise
- The FY 2026-27 HELP system is marginal. Between $69,528 and $129,717, compulsory repayments increase by 15 cents for each extra dollar of repayment income. The comparison includes that extra repayment without applying an old whole-income stepped rate.
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 2026-27, resident, HELP 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 | −$18,720 | −$21,024 | −$2,304 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,880 | −$2,034 | −$154 |
| HELP repayment | −$3,671 | −$4,823 | −$1,152 |
| Take-home pay | $70,729 | $74,798 | +$4,069 |
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 about $4,069/year (~$339/month)
- The higher salary also creates an extra marginal HELP repayment
- Offer B does add an extra $921/year in super contributions
- The total package difference is $8,600, while about 47% of that difference reaches his bank account in this example
Salary Comparison FAQ
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