§-Career vs cost
Welder: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $1700 for Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $1,256.65 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $88,400 | $1700 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$17,308 | -$333 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$1,768 | -$34 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$3,978 | -$77 |
| Take-home pay | $65,345.8 | $1,256.65 |
| Without HECS | $69,323.8 | $1,333.15 |
Sanity check: income tax 17308 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $3978 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.