§-Career vs cost
Bookkeeper: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1300 for Bookkeepers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,028.65 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $67,600 | $1300 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$11,068 | -$213 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,352 | -$26 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$1,690 | -$33 |
| Take-home pay | $53,489.8 | $1,028.65 |
| Without HECS | $55,179.8 | $1,061.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 11068 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $1690 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.