§-Career vs cost
ANZSCO 4413Median $2,422/week full-timeGraduate start $81,517/yearCareer detailsHECS-HELP calculator
Police officer: salary vs cost of living
Median full-time earnings for Police are $2,422 a week before tax ($125,944 a year). After 2026-27 income tax, the Medicare levy and a $8,462 HELP repayment, that is about $1,667 a week. Median unit rent would take 33% of it in Adelaide and 48% in Gold Coast.
From gross to take-home
| Median full-time earnings | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $125,944 | $2,422 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$28,303 | -$544 |
| Medicare levy | -$2,519 | -$48 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$8,462 | -$163 |
| Take-home pay | $86,660 | $1,667 |
| Graduate starting salary | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $81,517 | $1,568 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$14,975 | -$288 |
| Medicare levy | -$1,630 | -$31 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$1,798 | -$35 |
| Take-home pay | $63,113 | $1,214 |
HELP at the median: 15c for each $1 over $69,528 (($125,944 - $69,528) x 15% = $8,462.40). Without a HELP debt, take-home at the median is $1,829 a week. At the graduate starting salary the repayment is $1,798 a year (($81,517 - $69,528) x 15% = $1,798.35).
Rent as a share of median take-home pay
Rent above 30% of take-home pay is a common marker of rental stress. On median earnings for this career, median unit rent is at or under 30% in 0 of 10 cities.
Sources
- Median weekly earnings: yourcareer.gov.au (sourced 2026-09-23)
- Graduate starting salary: nsw.gov.au
- ATO: tax rates for Australian residents and study and training loan repayment thresholds