§-Career vs cost
Photographer: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1350 for Photographers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,061.4 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $70,200 | $1350 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$11,848 | -$228 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,404 | -$27 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$1,755 | -$34 |
| Take-home pay | $55,192.8 | $1,061.4 |
| Without HECS | $56,947.8 | $1,095.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 11848 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $1755 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.