Weekly Pay & Tax Calculator Australia 2026-27

How Is Weekly Pay Calculated in Australia?

Weekly take-home pay equals your gross annual salary divided by 52, minus PAYG income tax, the Medicare levy, and any HECS-HELP repayments withheld each week.

The ATO requires employers to use PAYG (Pay As You Go) withholding tables that spread your total annual tax liability evenly across 52 pay periods. Your employer calculates the weekly amount using the published weekly tax table, which accounts for the tax-free threshold of $18,200, the "Low Income Tax Offset" (LITO) of up to $700, and the applicable marginal tax rates.

The calculation follows 4 steps:

1. Gross weekly pay: Divide your annual salary by 52. An $80,000 salary produces gross weekly pay of $1,538.46.
2. Income tax: Apply the FY2026-27 income tax brackets to your annual salary, then divide the total tax by 52. At $80,000, annual income tax is $14,520, or $279.23 per week.
3. Medicare levy: Calculate 2% of your gross weekly pay. At $80,000, the Medicare levy costs $30.77 per week.
4. HECS-HELP: If you carry a student loan and earn above the minimum repayment threshold of $69,528, the repayment amount is withheld proportionally each week.

Superannuation of 12% is paid by your employer on top of your salary and does not reduce your weekly take-home pay. Use our Superannuation Calculator to see the exact dollar amount your employer contributes each week.

How Much Tax Is Taken Out of My Weekly Pay?

If you claim the tax-free threshold, the ATO's 2026-27 weekly tax table withholds $202 from $1,200 a week, leaving $998. That covers income tax and the 2% Medicare levy. $1,200 a week is $62,400 a year. A HECS-HELP debt adds a separate repayment.

These are ATO weekly tax table amounts for a resident who claims the tax-free threshold and has no HECS-HELP debt. See every $1 step on the weekly tax table.

Weekly Pay Table by Annual Salary

An Australian resident earning $70,000 per year takes home $1,098 per week after tax and Medicare in FY2026-27.

The table below shows gross weekly pay, weekly income tax plus Medicare levy, and weekly take-home pay at 6 common salary levels. All figures assume an Australian resident claiming the tax-free threshold, with private hospital cover (no Medicare Levy Surcharge), no HECS-HELP debt and no salary sacrifice arrangements.

Higher earners face steeper marginal rates. A worker on $180,000 loses 39% of each additional dollar to income tax and Medicare, against 32% for someone earning $70,000. For a complete breakdown of income tax brackets, visit our Income Tax Calculator.

Who Uses a Weekly Pay Calculator?

Employees paid on a weekly cycle, casual workers, and budget planners use a weekly pay calculator to convert annual salary figures into weekly after-tax amounts.

• Weekly-paid employees: Retail, hospitality, and construction workers are commonly paid each week under their Modern Award. A weekly calculator confirms the exact net amount expected on each pay slip.
• Casual workers: Casuals receiving an hourly rate plus a 25% casual loading benefit from converting their expected hours into a weekly after-tax figure. Our Hourly to Annual Salary Calculator handles this conversion.
• Budget planners: Many household expenses, including rent, groceries, and transport, are billed weekly. Your weekly take-home amount shows what is left to split across those 3 costs each week.
• Job seekers: Breaking each annual salary offer down to a weekly net figure lets you compare job offers, including roles paid at different pay frequencies.
• Contractors considering PAYG employment: Sole traders transitioning to permanent roles use this calculator to compare their current invoiced income against a weekly after-tax salary. See our Contractor vs Employee Calculator for a side-by-side comparison.

How Does Weekly Pay Compare to Fortnightly and Monthly Pay?

Weekly pay divides your annual salary into 52 payments, fortnightly pay into 26 payments, and monthly pay into 12 payments. The annual take-home total is identical regardless of frequency.

The difference is cash flow timing and budgeting. Weekly pay arrives most often, which suits employees who manage expenses week to week.

To view your pay at other frequencies, use our Fortnightly Pay Calculator or Monthly Pay Calculator.

What Deductions Apply to Your Weekly Pay?

Three mandatory deductions reduce your gross weekly pay: PAYG income tax, the Medicare levy of 2%, and HECS-HELP repayments if your income exceeds $69,528.

PAYG Income Tax

PAYG withholding is the largest weekly deduction for most Australian workers. The FY2026-27 tax brackets apply marginal rates of 0%, 15%, 30%, 37% and 45%, starting above the tax-free threshold. Your employer withholds 1/52nd of your estimated annual tax each week. The "Low Income Tax Offset" reduces tax by up to $700 for incomes below $66,667.

Medicare Levy and Surcharge

The Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income, withheld weekly. Under the 2025-26 thresholds (the latest the ATO has published), singles with taxable income up to $28,011 pay no levy, and it phases in up to $35,013. The "Medicare Levy Surcharge" (MLS) adds an additional 1% to 1.5% for high earners without private hospital cover: in 2026-27, singles earning between $105,001 and $123,000 pay 1%, between $123,001 and $164,000 pay 1.25%, and above $164,000 pay 1.5%.

HECS-HELP Repayments

HECS-HELP repayments are withheld weekly when your repayment income exceeds $69,528 per year. The FY2026-27 marginal system charges 15c per $1 over $69,528 up to $129,717; $9,028 + 17c per $1 over $129,717 up to $186,050; and 10% of total repayment income above $186,050. Use our HECS-HELP Calculator to see your exact weekly repayment.

What Are Common Mistakes When Calculating Weekly Pay?

The most common mistake is dividing an annual salary by 48 (assuming 4 weeks of leave are unpaid) instead of 52, which overstates weekly pay by approximately 8.3%.

• Dividing by 48 instead of 52: Full-time employees receive 4 weeks of paid annual leave. The salary already covers 52 weeks, so dividing by 52 is correct for calculating gross weekly pay.
• Subtracting super from take-home pay: The super guarantee of 12% is paid by your employer on top of your salary. It does not reduce your weekly take-home amount unless you make voluntary salary sacrifice contributions.
• Using the wrong financial year rates: Tax rates and HECS-HELP repayment thresholds are set for each financial year, and changes start on 1 July. Calculations using the previous year's rates produce incorrect weekly figures. This Australian tax calculator uses the current FY2026-27 rates.
• Ignoring the Medicare levy: Excluding the 2% Medicare levy understates total deductions by $30.77 per week on an $80,000 salary.
• Confusing gross and net pay: Job advertisements quote gross (pre-tax) salaries. The actual weekly amount deposited into your bank account is the net pay after all deductions. At $80,000 gross, the difference between gross and net weekly pay is $310.

Related Calculators

These Australian tax calculators cover fortnightly and monthly pay, the full annual breakdown, hourly rates, salary sacrifice and the gross salary needed for a target net pay.

Frequently Asked Questions