§-Career vs cost
Project officer: salary vs cost of living
Median full-time earnings for Contract, Program and Project Administrators are $2,033 a week before tax ($105,716 a year). After 2026-27 income tax, the Medicare levy and a $5,428 HELP repayment, that is about $1,460 a week. Median unit rent would take 38% of it in Adelaide and 55% in Gold Coast.
From gross to take-home
| Median full-time earnings | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $105,716 | $2,033 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$22,235 | -$428 |
| Medicare levy | -$2,114 | -$41 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$5,428 | -$104 |
| Take-home pay | $75,939 | $1,460 |
HELP at the median: 15c for each $1 over $69,528 (($105,716 - $69,528) x 15% = $5,428.20). Without a HELP debt, take-home at the median is $1,565 a week.
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)
- ATO: tax rates for Australian residents and study and training loan repayment thresholds