§-Career vs cost
Retail manager: salary vs cost of living
Median full-time earnings for Retail Managers are $1,472 a week before tax ($76,544 a year). After 2026-27 income tax, the Medicare levy and a $1,052 HELP repayment, that is about $1,163 a week. Median unit rent would take 48% of it in Adelaide and 69% in Gold Coast.
From gross to take-home
| Median full-time earnings | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $76,544 | $1,472 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$13,483 | -$259 |
| Medicare levy | -$1,531 | -$29 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$1,052 | -$20 |
| Take-home pay | $60,478 | $1,163 |
HELP at the median: 15c for each $1 over $69,528 (($76,544 - $69,528) x 15% = $1,052.40). Without a HELP debt, take-home at the median is $1,183 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