Does an Australian salary include super?

It depends entirely on the wording. "$100,000 plus super" means a $100,000 salary and $12,000 of super on top — a $112,000 package. "$112,000 including super" (or "package", or "total remuneration") means a $100,000 salary with the same $12,000 of super carved out of the advertised figure. Both ads describe identical pay, but the second looks $12,000 bigger. The Superannuation Guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2025 (ATO).

What if the job ad doesn't say whether super is included?

Treat it as unknown and ask before you apply. On an advertised $90,000, the difference between super being on top and super being included is $9,643 of salary — about $6,557 a year in your pocket after tax. A direct question works: "Is the advertised figure the base salary, or does it include the 12% super guarantee?"

Do Australian employers have to advertise the salary?

No. There is no legal requirement to state pay in a job advertisement in Australia. It is legal to advertise "competitive salary" and nothing more. What an employer cannot do is pay below the minimum in the modern award or enterprise agreement covering the role, or below the national minimum wage. Asking which award covers the position tells you the legal floor before you negotiate.

How do I compare an hourly rate to an advertised salary?

Multiply the hourly rate by your weekly hours and then by 52. At 38 hours a week, $45 an hour is $88,920 a year. But a casual hourly rate is not comparable to a salary without adjustment: casuals get a loading (usually 25%) precisely because they receive no paid annual leave, no paid personal leave and no notice of termination.

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Last verified: 5 September 2026

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