Emergency services officer: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1750 for Fire and Emergency Workers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,279.65 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $91,000 | $1750 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$18,088 | -$348 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,820 | -$35 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$4,550 | -$88 |
| Take-home pay | $66,541.8 | $1,279.65 |
| Without HECS | $71,091.8 | $1,367.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 18088 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $4550 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.
| City | Unit rent (/wk) | % of take-home | House rent (/wk) | % of take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | $460 | 36% | $580 | 45% |
| Brisbane | $580 | 45% | $650 | 51% |
| Canberra | $580 | 45% | $700 | 55% |
| Darwin | $600 | 47% | $700 | 55% |
| Geelong | $460 | 36% | $520 | 41% |
| Gold Coast | $620 | 48% | $800 | 63% |
| Hobart | $480 | 38% | $560 | 44% |
| Melbourne | $580 | 45% | $600 | 47% |
| Newcastle | $560 | 44% | $640 | 50% |
| Perth | $600 | 47% | $670 | 52% |
| Sydney | $720 | 56% | $780 | 61% |
Weekly earnings figure is sourced from Job Outlook (jobsandskills.gov.au). Tax and Medicare estimates use the 2024-25 ATO resident scale; HECS-HELP repayment uses the 2024-25 ATO Schedule. ExamExplained does not provide financial advice. For tailored advice, see a licensed financial adviser or registered tax agent.