$22 an Hour Is How Much a Year?
$22 an hour is $43,472 a year before tax and $39,214 after tax in 2026-27, based on a 38-hour week.
$22 an Hour After Tax
$22 an hour after tax is $754.12 a week on a 38-hour week: you keep $19.85 of every hour. The effective tax rate is 9.8%, and the next dollar is taxed at 17%.
| 38 hrs a week | Hour | Day | Week | Fortnight | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $22.00 | $167.20 | $836.00 | $1,672.00 | $3,622.67 | $43,472.00 |
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$1.72 | −$13.03 | −$65.17 | −$130.35 | −$282.42 | −$3,389.00 |
| Medicare levy | −$0.44 | −$3.34 | −$16.71 | −$33.42 | −$72.42 | −$869.00 |
| Take-home pay | $19.85 | $150.82 | $754.12 | $1,508.23 | $3,267.83 | $39,214.00 |
| Employer super (on top) | $2.64 | $20.07 | $100.33 | $200.65 | $434.75 | $5,217.00 |
2026-27 resident rates, tax-free threshold claimed; each pay's withholding can differ by a few dollars.
$22 an Hour Is Below the Adult Minimum Wage
$22 an hour is $4.44 under the $26.44 national minimum wage that an adult (21 or older) in the national system must be paid from 1 July 2026 (Annual Wage Review 2026). For an adult it is an underpayment unless it is one of these:
- A junior rate. The national junior scale sets $21.82 at age 19 and $25.84 at 20, so $22 meets the minimum for employees aged 19 and under (minimum wage at 19). Awards set their own junior percentages.
- An apprentice rate. Apprentice award minimums within 50c of $22:
- $22.09: 3rd-year junior apprentice (Building and construction (carpentry and other on-site trades); Automotive repair (motor mechanic); Manufacturing and engineering (boilermaker, fabrication))
- Not an adult award rate. It is under every adult award minimum we track; the lowest is $25.74 (Fitness Industry Award, Level 1).
$43,472 a year is ahead of 4–6% of full-time employees (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) and $64,880 below the average full-time salary of $108,352 (May 2026).
Pay Scale Points Near $43,472 a Year
$22 an hour full time is $43,472 a year. Points within $988 of $43,472 on published public service pay scales, one per employer (full-time hours vary, so compare salaries):
| Employer and point | Salary | vs $43,472 |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland public serviceOperational Officer 1, OO1/1From 1 September 2026 | $43,386 | −$86 |
Base salaries as published; allowances, loadings and super are extra.
$22 an Hour by Hours Worked
| Hours a week | Week before tax | Week after tax | Year before tax | Year after tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $440.00 | $439.96 | $22,880 | $22,878 |
| 25 | $550.00 | $532.33 | $28,600 | $27,681 |
| 30 | $660.00 | $614.83 | $34,320 | $31,971 |
| 38 (full time) | $836.00 | $754.12 | $43,472 | $39,214 |
| 45 | $990.00 | $859.88 | $51,480 | $44,714 |
| 38 as a casual$27.50 an hour: $22 plus 25% | $1,045.00 | $896.46 | $54,340 | $46,616 |
Dropping to 25 hours a week cuts gross pay by 34% but take-home by only 29%, because the tax-free threshold and the Low Income Tax Offset cover a bigger share of the smaller income (both sit in the 15% bracket): you keep $21.29 of each hour, against $19.85 full time. The 30% rate starts above $45,000, $22.77 an hour full time. Every threshold at this income: take-home pay on $45,000.
Quick Answers
- Is $22 an hour legal in Australia?
- Not as an adult's ordinary pay: $22 is $4.44 under the $26.44 national minimum wage for adults from 1 July 2026. It meets the national junior minimum for employees aged 19 and under ($21.82 at 19); it is within 50c of the $22.09 minimum for a 3rd-year junior apprentice (Building and construction (carpentry and other on-site trades); Automotive repair (motor mechanic); Manufacturing and engineering (boilermaker, fabrication)); it is under every adult award minimum we track (the lowest is $25.74).
- Which published pay scales pay about $43,472 a year?
- Within $988 of $43,472, one point per employer: Queensland public service, Operational Officer 1, OO1/1, $43,386. These are full-time base salaries; hours, allowances and super differ between employers.
- $22 an hour is how much a week after tax?
- $754.12 a week after tax on a 38-hour week, or $1,508.23 a fortnight and $3,267.83 a month. At 20 hours it is $439.96 and at 25 hours it is $532.33 a week.
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