Take Home Pay Calculator: See Your Weekly Packet After Tax and Medicare

Take Home Pay Calculator: Estimate Your Weekly Packet

When you search for a take home pay calculator, you want to know how much of your gross wage lands in your bank account after tax and Medicare. This guide explains the legal pay floors, how super is paid on top, and how your take-home pay compares with the national minimum and average earnings.

The legal minimum wage

The Fair Work Commission sets the national minimum wage. From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the adult national minimum is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual rate $33.05 per hour. These are the legal floors for award-free and agreement-free national-system employees. Most private-sector workers are in the national system, but some state public sector and local government employees may be covered by state awards.

A modern award or enterprise agreement can require a higher rate than the national minimum. If you are covered by an award, check the classification that matches your role. The award backstop ensures that ongoing adult employees cannot be paid less than the national minimum, but introductory rates (first six months) can be as low as $25.74 per hour or $978.10 per week.

Award-free junior rates

If you are under 21 and not covered by an award or agreement, your minimum wage is a percentage of the adult rate. For example, a 16-year-old earns 47.3% of $26.44, which is $12.51 per hour (casual $15.64). These rates increase with age until 21, when the full adult rate applies. Apprentices and trainees follow the Miscellaneous Award, not the junior percentages.

Super guarantee on top

Your employer must pay superannuation guarantee of 12% on your ordinary time earnings. This is paid on top of your gross wage, not deducted from it. For the national minimum wage, that means an extra $120.59 per week into your super fund. A take home pay calculator does not deduct super; it shows your net pay after tax and Medicare. Super is an additional benefit.

Tax and Medicare

For the 2026-27 tax year, resident tax rates with the full tax-free threshold apply. The first $18,200 of annual income is tax-free. On the national minimum wage of $1,004.90 per week, your annual gross is about $52,255. After the tax-free threshold, you pay 19 cents for each dollar between $18,201 and $45,000, then 32.5 cents for the next bracket. Medicare levy of 2% applies once annualised ordinary gross reaches $30,000. A take home pay calculator uses these rates to estimate your net weekly pay. Note that this model leaves out the low income tax offset, HELP repayments, salary sacrifice, and the Medicare levy surcharge, so your actual take-home pay may differ.

How your pay compares with average earnings

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported in May 2026 that full-time adult ordinary-time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week. That is more than double the national minimum wage. The average for all employees (including part-time and casual) was $1,579.20 per week. These figures show that most employees earn above the legal floor, often because they are covered by awards or agreements that set higher rates.

Using a take home pay calculator

To use a take home pay calculator, you need your gross weekly or hourly wage. If you are on the national minimum, enter $1,004.90 per week. If you are on an award rate, use your classification rate. The calculator will deduct estimated tax and Medicare to show your net pay. Remember that super is not deducted; it is an employer contribution on top.

For more details on which minimum wage applies to you, see our guide Which minimum wage applies. For a full list of award and junior rates, visit our Rate tables.

Important notes

• The adult weekly national minimum is the published $1,004.90 figure. Multiplying $26.44 by 38 lands 18 cents lower because of rounding in the order.
• Casual weekly figures on this site are the published casual hourly rate times 38 ordinary hours, with no penalty rates.
• This guide is for orientation only. It is not a pay determination, tax advice, or legal advice. Always check your award or agreement for your correct rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is take-home pay calculated from the national minimum wage? Take-home pay is your gross weekly wage minus income tax and the Medicare levy. For the national minimum wage of $1,004.90 per week (38 hours), a resident using the full tax-free threshold would pay roughly $0 tax on that amount because it falls below the tax-free threshold of $18,200 per year. However, once annualised ordinary gross pay exceeds $30,000, Medicare at 2% applies. A take-home pay calculator deducts these amounts to show your net weekly pay. Super guarantee of 12% is paid by your employer on top of your gross wage and does not reduce your take-home pay.

Does the take-home pay calculator include super? No, superannuation is not deducted from your pay. The super guarantee is an employer contribution of 12% of your ordinary time earnings, paid on top of your gross wage. A take-home pay calculator shows your net pay after tax and Medicare, but super is an additional benefit that goes into your super fund. For the national minimum wage, your employer must pay an extra $120.59 per week into super, on top of your $1,004.90 gross wage.

What if I am on an award rate or enterprise agreement? If you are covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement, your minimum pay rate may be higher than the national minimum wage. A take-home pay calculator can still be used with your specific gross wage. Check your award classification or agreement for your correct hourly or weekly rate. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides award pay guides. Remember that junior, apprentice, trainee, and supported wage rates can be lower than the adult minimum, so your take-home pay will differ accordingly.

For the published floors, see the rate tables and how the figures work.