§-Career vs cost
Civil engineer: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $2200 for Civil Engineering Professionals. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,519.15 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $114,400 | $2200 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$25,108 | -$483 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$2,288 | -$44 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$8,008 | -$154 |
| Take-home pay | $78,995.8 | $1,519.15 |
| Without HECS | $87,003.8 | $1,673.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 25108 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $8008 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.