§-Career vs cost
Disability support worker: salary vs cost of living
Median full-time earnings for Aged and Disabled Carers are $1,564 a week before tax ($81,328 a year). After 2026-27 income tax, the Medicare levy and a $1,770 HELP repayment, that is about $1,212 a week. Median unit rent would take 46% of it in Adelaide and 66% in Gold Coast.
From gross to take-home
| Median full-time earnings | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $81,328 | $1,564 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$14,918 | -$287 |
| Medicare levy | -$1,627 | -$31 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$1,770 | -$34 |
| Take-home pay | $63,013 | $1,212 |
HELP at the median: 15c for each $1 over $69,528 (($81,328 - $69,528) x 15% = $1,770.00). Without a HELP debt, take-home at the median is $1,246 a week.
Rent as a share of median take-home pay
Rent above 30% of take-home pay is a common marker of rental stress. On median earnings for this career, median unit rent is at or under 30% in 0 of 10 cities.
Sources
- Median weekly earnings: yourcareer.gov.au (sourced 2026-09-23)
- ATO: tax rates for Australian residents and study and training loan repayment thresholds