Super Calculator Australia 2026: Project Your Balance at Retirement
Super is the money your employer pays into a retirement account on top of your wages, and this calculator shows what it could grow to by the time you retire. The employer rate is 12% of your ordinary time earnings in 2026-27, so someone who starts at 22 on $60,000 and keeps working to 67 could end up with about $690,000 in today’s dollars using the assumptions below, even without adding a cent of their own. Use the tool to test your own age, balance and salary, see what an extra $20 a week does, and learn how the numbers work. It is a general projection, not financial advice.
Quick summary
The super guarantee (SG) rate is 12% in 2026-27. Concessional (before-tax) contributions, including your employer’s SG, are capped at $32,500 a year, and they are taxed at 15% inside the fund. Employers now generally pay super with each payday under Payday Super, which started on 1 July 2026. The maximum super contribution base is $270,830 a year, so SG is only required on earnings up to that amount. In our examples, an extra $20 a week from age 22 adds roughly $75,000 in today’s dollars by 67, and starting 18 years later adds about half that. Temporary residents who leave Australia can claim their super as a DASP, taxed at 35% on the taxable component (65% for working holiday makers).
Super calculator: project your balance at retirement
Enter your details and press Calculate. The results show the projected balance in future dollars and in today’s dollars, which is the number that is easier to relate to. All amounts are estimates built on the assumptions listed under the calculator, which you can change.
How the calculator works
- Employer contributions: your salary times the SG rate each year, with salary capped at the $270,830 maximum contribution base. We then take 15% contributions tax, because that tax is paid inside the fund.
- Your extra contributions: treated as after-tax contributions, so no 15% contributions tax is taken. Before-tax (salary sacrifice) extras are taxed at 15% inside the fund instead.
- Growth: the balance grows by the return you enter each year, and contributions are assumed to arrive evenly through the year, so they earn about half a year of return in the year they are paid.
- Salary growth: your salary rises by the rate you enter every year. The maximum contribution base is held at today’s figure, which is conservative.
- Today’s dollars: the final balance divided by inflation compounded over the years, so you can compare it with prices you know.
- What it ignores: insurance premiums, fund admin fees beyond the return you enter, career breaks, part-time work, changes to the law and investment ups and downs. Real returns are not steady, so treat the answer as one possible outcome.
Worked examples: what 12% super can grow to
These examples use the calculator’s default assumptions (6% a year after fees and tax, 3% salary growth, 2.5% inflation, retirement at 67, 12% SG, no extra contributions). Your own results will differ.
| Starting point | Projected balance at 67 (future dollars) | Same amount in today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Age 22, $0 balance, $60,000 salary | about $2.10 million | about $690,000 |
| Age 25, $10,000 balance, $80,000 salary | about $2.38 million | about $845,000 |
| Age 30, $40,000 balance, $100,000 salary | about $2.32 million | about $930,000 |
| Age 40, $120,000 balance, $120,000 salary | about $1.67 million | about $860,000 |
The future-dollar numbers look large because they include decades of wage growth and compounding. The today’s dollars column is more useful for planning. Notice that starting early matters more than the salary: the 22-year-old on $60,000 ends up in the same range as the 30-year-old on $100,000.
What does an extra $20 a week do?
This is the most common question about super. Using the same assumptions, here is the extra balance at 67 from adding $20 a week after tax from different starting ages (a $70,000 salary).
| Start adding $20 a week at age | Extra at 67 (future dollars) | Extra at 67 (today’s dollars) | Total you put in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | about $228,000 | about $75,000 | about $46,800 |
| 30 | about $136,000 | about $55,000 | about $38,500 |
| 40 | about $68,000 | about $35,000 | about $28,100 |
| 50 | about $30,000 | about $20,000 | about $17,700 |
Starting at 22 instead of 40 more than doubles the benefit, in today’s dollars, for about two thirds more money paid in. That is compound growth at work. Before you add extra, check whether you would be better off clearing high-interest debt first, and read our student budget breakdown to see how much room your budget has.
Key super numbers for 2026-27
| Item | 2026-27 figure |
|---|---|
| Super guarantee rate | 12% of ordinary time earnings |
| Maximum super contribution base | $270,830 a year |
| Concessional (before-tax) contributions cap | $32,500 a year, including employer SG |
| Non-concessional (after-tax) contributions cap | $130,000 a year, or $390,000 using the three-year bring-forward rule |
| Tax on concessional contributions | 15% in the fund, or 30% for high-income earners over the $250,000 Division 293 threshold |
| Low income super tax offset (LISTO) | Refund of 15% of concessional contributions, up to $500, if adjusted taxable income is under $37,000 |
| Transfer balance cap | $2.1 million |
| Division 296 (extra tax on large balances) | From 1 July 2026, an extra 15% tax on earnings on the portion of a total super balance above $3 million, and an extra 25% above $10 million (first assessments come after 30 June 2027) |
| Payday Super | From 1 July 2026 employers generally pay super with each payday, generally within seven business days |
How super guarantee works
Your employer must pay SG on top of your wages, not out of them, so your pay slip should show a separate super line. It is calculated on your ordinary time earnings, which is generally what you earn for your ordinary hours of work. SG is only required up to the maximum contribution base, which is $270,830 for 2026-27. The rate was 11.5% in 2024-25, rose to 12% on 1 July 2025 and stays at 12% from 1 July 2026.
Since 1 July 2026, Payday Super means employers generally have to pay your super when they pay your wages, not once a quarter, so money should reach your fund within about seven business days of each payday. Check your account online every few months. If super is missing, ask your employer and report it to the ATO. If you are a casual or part-timer on lower pay, our guide to minimum wage and casual pay explains the basics.
Ways to grow your super faster
- Check you are in one account. Having multiple accounts means paying multiple sets of fees. Use myGov to find and combine accounts.
- Compare fees and performance. Over decades, a one percent difference in fees and returns matters more than any single contribution. See our comparison of super funds.
- Salary sacrifice. Ask your employer to pay part of your pre-tax pay into super. It is taxed at 15% inside the fund, which is often lower than your marginal tax rate, but it counts toward the $32,500 cap.
- After-tax contributions. If you make an after-tax contribution, you might be able to claim a tax deduction by lodging a notice of intent with your fund. Check the ATO rules first.
- Check your investment option. Younger members often choose a growth or balanced option, but pick one you understand and are comfortable holding through downturns.
- Review your insurance. Default insurance inside super is paid from your balance, so make sure you only keep cover you need.
Super for international students and temporary residents
If you work in Australia on a student or working visa you are generally entitled to SG like everyone else, so your balance may be building without you noticing. Read our guides on what super is and why students should care and how super works for international students.
When you leave Australia permanently and your visa has expired or been cancelled, you can apply for a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). The tax withheld is 35% on the taxable component of the payment for most temporary residents and 65% for working holiday makers on a 417 or 462 visa, while the tax-free component is not taxed. DASP rules are specific, so use the ATO’s DASP online application when it is time. You will also need your tax file number and your member details. If you plan to stay and become a permanent resident or citizen, the calculator above becomes more relevant, so run the numbers for your age.
When can you access your super?
Super is preserved until you meet a condition of release. The common ones are reaching age 65, or stopping work with an employer on or after turning 60, and there are limited early-access cases such as severe financial hardship or compassionate grounds. Our calculator assumes you keep working until the retirement age you enter and does not model how you withdraw the money. A rough rule used in planning is to treat 4% of the balance as a possible yearly income, but that is a guide, not a promise.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting super entirely. A balance you never check can sit in a high-fee fund for years.
- Opening a new fund every job. Tell your new employer your existing fund details instead.
- Treating projections as promises. Returns vary, and the law changes.
- Ignoring the caps. Going over the $32,500 concessional cap can mean extra tax.
- Comparing future dollars to today’s prices. Always look at the today’s dollars result.
- Not claiming DASP. If you left Australia and never claimed your super, check whether you are eligible.
Sources and further reading
- ATO, Super guarantee rates and maximum contribution base
- Colonial First State, Key super and tax changes for 2026-27
- SuperGuide, Super changes and rules that apply this year
- Rest, Super facts and figures
- MoneySmart, How super works (government guidance and calculators)
- ATO, Withdrawing and using your super
Last checked 19 October 2026. Rates and caps apply to the 2026-27 financial year and may change. We could not open every ATO page with our research tools, so some figures come from major super fund summaries that match the ATO’s published rates. Confirm on ato.gov.au before you act. This calculator and article are general information only and not financial advice. For decisions about your own super, talk to a licensed financial adviser or your fund.
Related guides
See also the salary calculator for take-home pay, the HECS-HELP repayment calculator, best super funds in Australia and money saving tips.
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