§-Career vs cost
Cook: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1250 for Cooks. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,002.15 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $65,000 | $1250 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$10,288 | -$198 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,300 | -$25 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$1,300 | -$25 |
| Take-home pay | $52,111.8 | $1,002.15 |
| Without HECS | $53,411.8 | $1,027.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 10288 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $1300 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.