§-Career vs cost
Painter and decorator: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1400 for Painting Trades Workers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,087.15 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $72,800 | $1400 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$12,628 | -$243 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,456 | -$28 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$2,184 | -$42 |
| Take-home pay | $56,531.8 | $1,087.15 |
| Without HECS | $58,715.8 | $1,129.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 12628 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $2184 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.