How to Calculate Take Home Pay from Your Hourly Rate

How to Calculate Take Home Pay from Your Hourly Rate

If you have an hourly rate and a salary offer, you want to know your annual, fortnightly, and take-home pay. This guide explains the standard formula, tax, super, and how to use our timesheet.

The Basic Formula

Annual gross pay is your hourly rate multiplied by the hours you work each week, then by 52 weeks. For a full-time role with a 38-hour week, the calculation is:

Annual gross = hourly rate × 38 hours per week × 52

This assumes the same rate every week with no unpaid overtime, penalty rates, allowances, or salary sacrifice. Fortnightly pay is weekly pay times two: hourly rate × 38 hours per week × 2.

Why 38 Hours?

The Fair Work Ombudsman and Fair Work Commission define a standard full-time week as 38 hours. The National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1004.9 per week for 38 hours. For casual employees, the rate is $33.05 per hour including 25% loading. Award rates may be higher than the minimum wage. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports average full-time adult ordinary time earnings of $2083.7 per week (May 2026). All employees total earnings $1579.2 per week (including part-time) are $1579.2 per week. If your rate is not a job median, we say it is an average and not this job's median. If the reference is an industry or state average, say it is an average.

Fortnightly Pay

Fortnightly pay is simply weekly pay times two. For a 38-hour week, weekly pay is hourly rate × 38. Fortnightly pay is that amount times two. This helps you budget and compare to salary offers.

Tax and Medicare

Resident tax for 2026–27 uses the following brackets:

• Nil to $18,200
• 15% to $45,000
• 30% to $135,000
• 37% to $190,000
• 45% above $190,000

Medicare levy is generally 2% of taxable income. The 2025–26 single reduction thresholds are used because the 2026–27 reduction thresholds were not confirmed here. HELP, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary packaging are not deducted. This is an estimate, not a determination of your pay or tax. For a detailed estimate, use our take-home pay guide.

Super Guarantee

Super is paid on top of your ordinary earnings at 12% of your gross pay, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. For example, if your annual gross is $50,000, super is $6,000 (12% of $50,000). Super is not deducted from your pay; it is an additional cost to your employer. Learn more about super and packaging.

National Minimum Wage and Award Rates

The National Minimum Wage is the legal minimum for employees not covered by an award or agreement. From 1 July 2026, it is $26.44 per hour for full-time employees, $1004.9 per week for 38 hours. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the minimum casual rate $33.05 per hour. Award rates may be higher and vary by industry. Always check your award or agreement. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides pay guides for each award.

Casual Loading

Casual loading is an additional 25% on top of the base hourly rate to compensate for lack of paid leave. When using our timesheet, you can check a box to add 25% casual loading. Never type a rate that already includes casual loading. The calculator adds the loading on top of the base rate you enter.

Using the Timesheet Calculator

Our timesheet, the home page, lets you type your base hourly rate. A checkbox adds 25% casual loading on top. The calculator then shows your annual gross, fortnightly pay, estimated tax, Medicare, and super. It assumes a 38-hour week and 52-week year. You can adjust hours per week if needed.

Important Assumptions

Annual pay here is hourly rate × hours per week × 52. It assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, no penalty rates, no allowances, and no salary sacrifice. Super is estimated at 12% of ordinary earnings only, paid on top, and stops at the $270,830 maximum contribution base. Tax is the 2026–27 resident scale with the full tax-free threshold. Medicare uses the 2025–26 single reduction thresholds because the 2026–27 reduction thresholds were not confirmed here. HELP, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary packaging are not deducted. This is an estimate, not a determination of your pay or tax.

For more reference tables and data, see our reference tables page. For a deeper look at the formula, see our hourly conversion guide. For average pay figures, see our average pay page. For job pay guides, see our job pay page. For minimum wage, see our minimum wage page. For casual loading, see our casual loading page.

Use the formula to calculate take home pay from your hourly rate. Start with your base rate, multiply by hours per week (usually 38), then by 52. Add casual loading if applicable, then estimate tax and super. Our timesheet, the home page, does this for you.