§-Career vs cost
Beauty therapist: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1150 for Personal Care Consultants. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $947.65 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $59,800 | $1150 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$8,728 | -$168 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,196 | -$23 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$598 | -$12 |
| Take-home pay | $49,277.8 | $947.65 |
| Without HECS | $49,875.8 | $959.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 8728 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $598 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.