§-Career vs cost
Counsellor: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1600 for Counsellors. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,201.15 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $83,200 | $1600 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$15,748 | -$303 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,664 | -$32 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$3,328 | -$64 |
| Take-home pay | $62,459.8 | $1,201.15 |
| Without HECS | $65,787.8 | $1,265.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 15748 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $3328 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.