§-Career vs cost
Electrician: salary vs cost of living
Median full-time earnings for Electricians are $2,204 a week before tax ($114,608 a year). After 2026-27 income tax, the Medicare levy and a $6,762 HELP repayment, that is about $1,551 a week. Median unit rent would take 36% of it in Adelaide and 52% in Gold Coast.
From gross to take-home
| Median full-time earnings | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $114,608 | $2,204 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$24,902 | -$479 |
| Medicare levy | -$2,292 | -$44 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$6,762 | -$130 |
| Take-home pay | $80,651 | $1,551 |
HELP at the median: 15c for each $1 over $69,528 (($114,608 - $69,528) x 15% = $6,762.00). Without a HELP debt, take-home at the median is $1,681 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