§-Career vs cost
Electrician: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $2000 for Electricians. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,417.15 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $104,000 | $2000 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$21,988 | -$423 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$2,080 | -$40 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$6,240 | -$120 |
| Take-home pay | $73,691.8 | $1,417.15 |
| Without HECS | $79,931.8 | $1,537.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 21988 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $6240 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.