What is the Superannuation Guarantee rate?

The Superannuation Guarantee (SG) is the minimum percentage of ordinary-time earnings an employer must pay into your super fund. It is 11.5% from 1 July 2024 and rises to 12% from 1 July 2025.

What are ordinary-time earnings?

Ordinary-time earnings (OTE) are what you earn for your ordinary hours of work, including base salary, commissions, shift loadings and most allowances. Overtime is generally excluded from the SG calculation.

How is the future balance projected?

Each year the calculator adds your annual super contribution and applies your chosen annual return to the running balance, compounding until your retirement age. It is a simplified projection that ignores fees and tax inside the fund.

Is super paid on top of my salary?

For most employees, yes. Super is an employer contribution paid in addition to your gross salary, not deducted from it, though some packages are quoted inclusive of super.

Does this account for fees and tax?

No. This is a planning estimate that excludes fund fees, the 15% contributions tax, and investment-earnings tax. Use it to compare scenarios, not as financial advice.

Australia Superannuation Calculator

This calculator estimates the employer superannuation contribution you receive each year under the Superannuation Guarantee, and projects how that builds your retirement balance over time. Super is Australia’s compulsory retirement savings system: employers must pay a minimum percentage of your ordinary-time earnings into a super fund. It is a planning tool for employees and advisers, not financial advice.

How it works

Annual contribution: Multiply your ordinary-time earnings by the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate. The SG rate is 11.5% from 1 July 2024 and 12% from 1 July 2025.
Projection: Starting from your current balance, each year add the annual contribution and grow the running total by your expected annual return.
Compounding: Repeat the year-by-year step until you reach your chosen retirement age. Earlier contributions compound for longer, which is why starting early matters so much.

Example

On 80,000 AUD of ordinary-time earnings at an 11.5% SG rate:

Annual employer contribution: 80,000 × 11.5% = 9,200.
Starting from a 50,000 balance at age 30, retiring at 67, with a 6% return, the projection compounds 9,200 per year on top of growth to estimate the final balance.

Notes

This is a simplified projection: it assumes a constant salary, a constant return, and ignores fund fees, the 15% contributions tax, and earnings tax inside the fund. Real outcomes vary with markets, salary growth and contribution caps. Always confirm current rates with the ATO and treat this as a planning estimate. Everything runs locally in your browser.