§-Career vs cost
Actuary: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $2750 for Actuaries, Mathematicians and Statisticians. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,788.88 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $143,000 | $2750 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$34,248 | -$659 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$2,860 | -$55 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$12,870 | -$248 |
| Take-home pay | $93,021.76 | $1,788.88 |
| Without HECS | $105,891.76 | $2,036.38 |
Sanity check: income tax 34248 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $12870 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.