§-Career vs cost
Midwife: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $2100 for Midwives. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,468.65 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $109,200 | $2100 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$23,548 | -$453 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$2,184 | -$42 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$7,098 | -$137 |
| Take-home pay | $76,369.8 | $1,468.65 |
| Without HECS | $83,467.8 | $1,605.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 23548 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $7098 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.