§-Career vs cost
Secondary teacher: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1950 for Secondary School Teachers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,386.15 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $101,400 | $1950 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$21,208 | -$408 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$2,028 | -$39 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$6,084 | -$117 |
| Take-home pay | $72,079.8 | $1,386.15 |
| Without HECS | $78,163.8 | $1,503.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 21208 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $6084 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.