§-Career vs cost
Bartender: salary vs cost of living
Median full-time earnings for Bar Attendants and Baristas are $1,240 a week before tax ($64,480 a year). After 2026-27 income tax, the Medicare levy and no HELP repayment (the income is under the repayment threshold), that is about $1,026 a week. Median unit rent would take 54% of it in Adelaide and 78% in Gold Coast.
From gross to take-home
| Median full-time earnings | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $64,480 | $1,240 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$9,864 | -$190 |
| Medicare levy | -$1,290 | -$25 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$0 | -$0 |
| Take-home pay | $53,326 | $1,026 |
HELP at the median: Nil up to $69,528. Without a HELP debt, take-home at the median is $1,026 a week.
Rent as a share of median take-home pay
Rent above 30% of take-home pay is a common marker of rental stress. On median earnings for this career, median unit rent is at or under 30% in 0 of 10 cities.
Sources
- Median weekly earnings: yourcareer.gov.au (sourced 2026-09-23)
- ATO: tax rates for Australian residents and study and training loan repayment thresholds