§-Career vs cost
Software developer: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $2300 for Software and Applications Programmers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,568.65 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $119,600 | $2300 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$26,668 | -$513 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$2,392 | -$46 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$8,970 | -$173 |
| Take-home pay | $81,569.8 | $1,568.65 |
| Without HECS | $90,539.8 | $1,741.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 26668 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $8970 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.