Does base salary include super in Australia?
Usually no. In most Australian job offers, base salary means your cash salary before tax, while employer super is paid on top. The confusion starts when an employer advertises a total package or salary including superamount instead. That package can look the same on paper but leave you with less cash pay.
Quick answer
- Base salary usually means your salary before tax, with employer super added on top.
- Salary including super, total package, or total remunerationusually means the super amount is already bundled into the quoted figure.
- Two offers with the same headline number can produce very different cash salary and take-home pay.
- The safest move is to separate every offer into cash salary, employer superand estimated net pay before comparing jobs.
How to read the wording in an Australian job offer
If the offer says base salary + super, that usually means the employer pays the super guarantee contribution on top of your quoted salary.
If the offer says salary includes super, total package, remuneration package, or package inclusive of super, then part of the headline number is not cash salary at all.
This is why "does base salary include super" is such an important question: it changes the number that actually lands in your bank account.
Simple examples
$100,000 base salary + super on top
- Cash salary
- $100,000
- Employer super
- $11,500
- Total employer cost
- $111,500
You are taxed on the $100,000 cash salary. The employer super contribution sits above it.
$100,000 total package including super
- Cash salary
- about $89,686
- Employer super
- about $10,314
- Total employer cost
- $100,000
Part of the headline figure is redirected into super, so your cash salary and take-home pay are lower.
Example uses a simple 11.5% employer super split for illustration. Exact payroll treatment can vary with salary sacrifice, award conditions and legislative changes.
Use the calculator before accepting an offer
Once you know whether the quoted figure is base salary or a package including super, run the cash salary through the calculator to compare your real net pay.
- Work out the true cash salary.
- Check the same assumptions for both offers.
- Use the take-home pay calculator to estimate after-tax pay.
- Use the salary calculator Australia if you want monthly, fortnightly or weekly views.
Related OzMoneyTools guides
FAQ
Does base salary include super in Australia?
What does salary including super mean?
Why can two offers with the same salary number feel different on payday?
Where should I verify the exact wording?
Sources
- ATO super guarantee guidance: ato.gov.au