§-Career vs cost
Accountant: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1850 for Accountants. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,333.4 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $96,200 | $1850 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$19,648 | -$378 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,924 | -$37 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$5,291 | -$102 |
| Take-home pay | $69,336.8 | $1,333.4 |
| Without HECS | $74,627.8 | $1,435.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 19648 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $5291 AUD.
Rent as a share of take-home pay
The 30% threshold is the conventional definition of rental stress. Anything below is considered comfortable; anything above squeezes everything else.