§-Career vs cost
Barrister: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $3000 for Barristers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,903.88 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $156,000 | $3000 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$39,058 | -$751 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$3,120 | -$60 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$14,820 | -$285 |
| Take-home pay | $99,001.76 | $1,903.88 |
| Without HECS | $113,821.76 | $2,188.88 |
Sanity check: income tax 39058 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $14820 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.