01-Money

HECS-HELP calculator Cost of living, per city Career vs cost Careers

Money for school leavers, in plain English

The financial bits no one teaches in Year 12. HECS-HELP, super, the tax-free threshold, Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, shares and ETFs on the ASX, plus how far a graduate salary actually stretches in each capital city.

02-Explainers

18 evergreen articles, sourced from the ATO, Services Australia, StudyAssist, ASIC Moneysmart and the ASX.

HECS and study loans

FEE-HELP vs HECS-HELPThe difference between FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP, when you fall under each, and why a Commonwealth Supported Place is usually the cheaper option.HECS-HELP repayment, in plain EnglishHow HECS-HELP works after you start earning. Repayment thresholds, the marginal repayment system that started on 1 July 2025, indexation, and what happens if your income drops below the threshold.What a Commonwealth Supported Place isA Commonwealth Supported Place subsidises the cost of your degree. We explain how the subsidy is set, how the student contribution bands work, and which courses qualify.

Superannuation

How to stack the First Home Guarantee and the First Home Super SaverTwo Commonwealth schemes that make a first-home deposit easier: the First Home Guarantee lets eligible buyers get in with 5 percent and skip Lenders Mortgage Insurance, while the First Home Super Saver lets you save the deposit inside super at a lower tax rate. Used together they shorten the path to a first home.Superannuation for students and under-25sHow super works for casual and part-time workers under 25. The Superannuation Guarantee rate, when employers must pay, and why small contributions early are still worth caring about.The First Home Super Saver schemeUse your super fund as a tax-advantaged savings account for your first home deposit. Annual and total contribution caps, the tax treatment, and what happens when you withdraw.

Tax basics

The tax-free threshold and why it matters at your first jobHow the $18,200 tax-free threshold works, why you should only claim it at one job, and what happens if you accidentally claim it twice.

Welfare and youth support

ABSTUDY for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studentsABSTUDY is the Services Australia payment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and apprentices. Eligibility, the means tests, and the additional supplements that go beyond Youth Allowance.Youth Allowance for studentsCentrelink's Youth Allowance for full-time students. Eligibility, the parental income test, the personal income test and what counts as independent.

Your first job

Casual, part-time, full-time: which one is your first job?The Fair Work definitions of casual, part-time and full-time employment, how the 25% casual loading works, when you can ask to convert to permanent, and which jobs come with paid leave.Choosing your first super fund at 18How to pick a super fund on your first job without overthinking it. The MySuper rule, low-fee filter, the difference between industry and retail funds, and why insurance defaults can quietly drain a small balance.Getting a Tax File Number for your first jobYour Tax File Number is the ATO's permanent ID for you in the tax and super system. How to apply for one for free, when employers can ask for it, and what happens if you do not have one yet.Opening your first bank accountPicking a transaction account for your first wage, what fees to avoid, why under-25s usually pay no monthly fees, and the difference between an everyday account and a savings account.Reading a payslip without getting ripped offEvery line on an Australian payslip and what it should say. Gross pay, PAYG, super, leave balances and what to do if any of them look wrong.

Shares, ETFs and investing

Brokerage accounts, CHESS sponsorship, and micro-investing appsHow an Australian brokerage account is set up, the difference between a CHESS-sponsored HIN and a custodial account, and where micro-investing apps like Raiz, Spaceship and Sharesies fit in for small balances.ETFs explained for Australian school leaversWhat an exchange-traded fund (ETF) is, why VAS, VGS and IVV are commonly cited, what a management expense ratio (MER) actually costs you, and how brokerage interacts with small parcel sizes.Shares on the ASX, dividends and franking, in plain EnglishWhat a share is, how the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) works, how dividends are paid, and what franking credits actually do at tax time for an Australian resident.Super investment options for under-25s, default versus balanced, growth and high-growthHow super funds let you choose the investment mix inside your account. Why the default MySuper lifecycle option may be more conservative than necessary for a 19-year-old, and what balanced, growth and high-growth options actually mean.

03-Cost of living

10 Australian cities: rents from SQM Research and state bond data, population from the ABS.

Adelaide

SA - unit rent $558/week

Brisbane

QLD - unit rent $648/week

Canberra

ACT - unit rent $599/week

Darwin

NT - unit rent $666/week

Gold Coast

QLD - unit rent $800/week

Hobart

TAS - unit rent $561/week

Melbourne

VIC - unit rent $599/week

Newcastle

NSW - unit rent $600/week

Perth

WA - unit rent $671/week

Sydney

NSW - unit rent $755/week

04-Career vs cost

95 careers with cited Job Outlook weekly earnings, compared against capital-city cost of living.

Accountant

$1841/week - ANZSCO 2211

Actuary

$2213/week - ANZSCO 2241

Administration officer

$1305/week - ANZSCO 5311

Aerospace engineer

$2502/week - ANZSCO 2339

Aged-care worker

$1564/week - ANZSCO 4231

Allied health assistant

$1279/week - ANZSCO 4233

Architect

$1688/week - ANZSCO 2321

Auditor

$2046/week - ANZSCO 2212

Automotive mechanic

$1405/week - ANZSCO 3212

Bartender

$1240/week - ANZSCO 4311

Beauty therapist

$1200/week - ANZSCO 4511

Biologist

$1948/week - ANZSCO 2345

See all 95 career-vs-cost comparisons