How much tax do I pay on $100,000 in Australia?

Roughly $21,000–$23,000 including the Medicare levy, leaving take-home of about $77,000–$79,000 a year, or around $6,500 a month. Super is paid by your employer on top.

Is superannuation deducted from my salary?

Usually no — the super guarantee (12%) is paid by your employer on top of your quoted salary, unless your contract is a "package including super". Check which yours is; the difference is thousands a year.

What is the tax-free threshold?

The first $18,200 you earn each year is tax-free if you claim the threshold with your employer. Claim it with only one employer at a time.

What is the Medicare levy?

An extra 2% of taxable income that funds public healthcare, on top of income tax. Higher earners without private hospital cover may also pay the Medicare levy surcharge of 1–1.5%.

How Much Tax Do I Pay in Australia? Take-Home Pay and Super Explained (2026)

Australian pay has three moving parts: income tax charged in brackets, the 2% Medicare levy, and superannuation — which, unlike tax, is usually paid on top of your salary rather than out of it. A $100,000 salary typically nets around $78,000 after tax and levy, with about $12,000 of super landing in your retirement fund separately. This guide breaks down each piece; run your own numbers in the Australia pay calculator.

The tax brackets, explained

Australia taxes residents in progressive brackets — only the income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate:

Taxable income	Rate
Up to $18,200	0% (tax-free threshold)
$18,201 – $45,000	16%
$45,001 – $135,000	30%
$135,001 – $190,000	37%
Over $190,000	45%

Because the first $18,200 is free and the next band is only 16%, your effective rate is far below your top bracket: someone on $100,000 has a top rate of 30% but an effective rate around 21%. Low and middle earners also get the Low Income Tax Offset (up to $700), which trims the bill further.

The Medicare levy

On top of income tax, most taxpayers pay a Medicare levy of 2% of taxable income, funding the public health system. Higher earners (over $97k single / $194k family, roughly) who don't hold private hospital cover pay an additional Medicare levy surcharge of 1–1.5% — which is why many Australians above those incomes buy basic private cover: it can be cheaper than the surcharge.

Superannuation: paid on top, not taken out

The super guarantee is 12% of ordinary earnings, paid by your employer into your super fund. The critical question for any job offer: is the number plus super or a package including super? "$100,000 plus super" means $100k in pay and $12k into super. "$112,000 package" means the same thing framed to sound bigger. Super is taxed at only 15% on the way in (versus your marginal rate), which is why salary sacrificing extra into super is one of the most effective legal tax reductions in Australia — a dollar sacrificed at the 30% bracket saves 15c immediately.

Take-home at $70k, $100k and $150k

Approximate annual figures for a resident claiming the tax-free threshold, before HELP/student-loan repayments:

Salary	Tax + Medicare	≈ Take-home	Per month	Super (12%, on top)
$70,000	~$12,500	~$57,500	~$4,790	$8,400
$100,000	~$22,200	~$77,800	~$6,480	$12,000
$150,000	~$40,600	~$109,400	~$9,120	$18,000

If you have a HELP (student loan) balance, a compulsory repayment of roughly 1–10% of income applies once you earn above the threshold — the pay calculator shows the take-home impact.

Legitimate ways to keep more

Salary sacrifice into super — contributions are taxed at 15% instead of your marginal rate (within the concessional cap).
Claim work deductions — home-office running costs, tools, self-education tied to your current job; keep records.
Private hospital cover — above the surcharge thresholds, basic cover can genuinely cost less than the extra 1–1.5% levy.
Time capital gains — assets held over 12 months get a 50% CGT discount for individuals.

None of these are loopholes — they are how the system is designed to be used. The biggest single mistake Australians make is comparing job offers on the headline number without checking whether super is inside or on top; that alone can be a $10,000+ difference on identical-sounding offers.