§-Career vs cost
Chemist: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1900 for Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,364.65 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $98,800 | $1900 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$20,428 | -$393 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,976 | -$38 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$5,434 | -$105 |
| Take-home pay | $70,961.8 | $1,364.65 |
| Without HECS | $76,395.8 | $1,469.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 20428 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $5434 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.