Is super included in your salary?
How to tell whether a job offer pays super on top or inside the figure — and what it means for your take-home pay.
Last updated 3 November 2026
One of the most important numbers in an Australian job offer is also one of the most ambiguous: your salary. The same figure can mean two very different things depending on three little words — “plus super” versus “including super”. Get it wrong and you could be about 12% worse off than you thought. Here’s how to read it.
The two ways super is quoted
Every employer pays super, but they can quote your pay in one of two ways:
- Super on top (base salary). The figure is your cash salary, and super is paid on top. A “$100,000 plus super” offer is really worth about $112,000 in total.
- Super included (package). The figure is a total that already contains super. A “$100,000 package including super” means your cash salary is about $89,286, with the rest being super.
Same headline number, roughly $12,000 a year apart in cash pay. That gap is why the wording matters so much.
The words to look for
These phrases tell you super is paid on top of the amount:
- “$X plus super” or “$X + super”
- “base salary” or “base of $X”
- “$X per year plus superannuation guarantee”
These phrases tell you super is already inside the amount:
- “$X package” or “total package”
- “total remuneration” or “TRP” / “TFR”
- “inclusive of super” or “including superannuation”
If the offer doesn’t say either way, ask before you sign. It’s a completely normal question, and the answer changes your take-home pay.
What the super guarantee is in 2026
The super guarantee (SG) is the minimum super your employer must pay on top of your ordinary earnings. From 1 July 2025 it rose to its final legislated rate of 12%, and it stays at 12% under current law. So when super is “on top”, you can estimate it as 12% of the cash figure; when it’s “included”, the cash figure is the package divided by 1.12.
From 1 July 2026, a change called Payday Super also requires employers to pay your super at the same time as your wages, rather than quarterly — good for your balance, but it doesn’t change how much you’re owed.
Worked example
Say two offers both say “$90,000”:
- $90,000 plus super → $90,000 cash + $10,800 super = $100,800 total.
- $90,000 package (incl. super) → about $80,357 cash + $9,643 super = $90,000 total.
The “plus super” offer puts roughly $9,600 more cash in your pocket each year, even though the advertised number is identical.
Why it matters beyond the headline
Your cash salary — not the package — is what income tax, Medicare levy and any HECS/HELP repayment are calculated on, and it’s what lenders look at for borrowing capacity. Two “$90k” jobs can leave you with noticeably different take-home pay. The quickest way to see the real difference is to run both versions through a calculator that lets you toggle whether super is included.
Use our salary calculator to see your take-home pay with super on top or included, or the superannuation calculator to split a package into cash and super.
Work out your own numbers
Frequently asked questions
Is super on top of my salary or part of it?
It depends on how the offer is worded. 'Plus super' or 'base salary' means super is paid on top of the figure. 'Package', 'total remuneration' or 'inclusive of super' means the figure already contains super, so your cash salary is lower. If it doesn't say, ask — employers must state it, and the default under most awards and contracts is that super is paid on top of your ordinary earnings.
What is the super guarantee rate in 2026?
The super guarantee (SG) is 12% of your ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2025 onwards. It reached its legislated maximum of 12% on that date and does not increase further under current law.
How do I work out the cash salary from a package that includes super?
Divide the package by 1.12 to get the cash salary, and the difference is the super. For a $90,000 package: $90,000 ÷ 1.12 ≈ $80,357 cash salary, and about $9,643 super. Our salary calculator does this for you when you choose 'package includes super'.
Does 'package' always mean super is included?
Usually, but not always — some employers use 'package' loosely. The only safe approach is to confirm in writing whether the number is your cash salary with super on top, or a total that already includes super. A $100,000 'package' and $100,000 'plus super' differ by about $12,000 a year.