What this page should answer first
The first question on a pay-rise page is not “what is my tax bracket?” It is “what do I actually get to keep?” That is why this page starts with a quick A/B table before the full calculator.
Why the headline raise is not the same as the cash gain
A raise changes gross income first. Then tax, Medicare, HELP and other settings can absorb part of the increase. The result is that a $10,000 pay rise rarely means an extra $10,000 in your bank account.
Salary A
Your current pay. Use it as the baseline that all other results should be judged against.
Salary B
Your offer, raise or target salary. Keep the rest of the assumptions the same first so the difference is clean.
Difference
The number that matters most is the extra annual, monthly and fortnightly net pay, not only the gross increase.
How to use the page well
- Start with the quick A/B table so you can see the before-and-after answer immediately.
- Then scroll to the full calculator if package type, salary sacrifice, HELP, private cover or dependants also change.
- Use monthly and fortnightly outputs for budgeting. Those are often more useful than the annual difference alone.
Source-backed notes
- ATO resident tax rates is the main source for the current resident tax schedule used in broad pay comparisons.
- ATO study and training loan thresholds matters if the raise changes HELP repayment settings.
- ATO MLS thresholds and rates matters if the raise moves income across a surcharge threshold.
Frequently asked questions
Why can a pay rise feel smaller than expected?
Because income tax, Medicare, HELP and other settings can absorb part of the gross increase, so the increase in take-home pay is smaller than the headline raise.
Should I compare gross or net pay?
Both. Gross pay tells you the headline offer, but net pay tells you what actually changes in cash flow. That is why this page starts with an A/B table.
When should I use the full calculator instead of the A/B table?
Use the full calculator when package-includes-super, salary sacrifice, private cover, dependants or residency settings also need to change.