Your Australian Border Force Salary: What You Take Home After Tax

How Your Australian Border Force Salary Becomes Take-Home Pay

When you see a job advertisement for an Australian Border Force salary, the figure quoted is usually the base annual amount before tax and the Medicare levy. What actually lands in your bank account each fortnight is less, but you also get employer super on top. This guide explains the numbers for 2026–27.

Australian Border Force Salary Bands

The Department of Home Affairs enterprise agreement covers APS and Executive Level staff, including Australian Border Force officers. The rates below are the minimum and maximum for each classification, effective from 12 March 2026 .

Classification	Annual salary range	Take-home per fortnight (approx.)
APS 1	$57,497 – $60,946	$1,874 – $1,962
APS 2	$62,775 – $68,425	$2,009 – $2,154
APS 3	$70,477 – $79,403	$2,208 – $2,441
APS 4	$79,476 – $86,246	$2,443 – $2,620
APS 5	$88,834 – $96,829	$2,688 – $2,897
APS 6	$99,734 – $111,701	$2,973 – $3,286
EL 1	$121,755 – $139,450	$3,549 – $4,000
EL 2	$140,893 – $183,347	$4,034 – $5,030

Take-home amounts shown are after income tax and the 2% Medicare levy for a full year, using the 2026–27 tax rates. They do not include salary packaging, HELP repayments, or the Medicare levy surcharge. Super is paid on top.

What Affects Your Take-Home Pay

Your actual take-home pay depends on several factors:

• Taxable income: The more you earn, the higher the marginal tax rate. For 2026–27, rates start at nil for the first $18,200, then 15c per dollar up to $45,000, 30c up to $135,000, 37c up to $190,000, and 45c above that.
• Medicare levy: Full-time salaries pay the full 2% once you earn over $35,013. If your taxable income is between $28,011 and $35,013, a shading rate applies. Below $28,011 you pay nothing.
• Tax offsets: The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) can reduce tax by up to $700 for incomes under $37,500, phasing out by $66,667.
• Superannuation: Your employer pays 12% super on top of your base salary, up to a contribution base of $270,830. This is not deducted from your take-home pay.

For a detailed breakdown of how tax and Medicare work, see our Tax and Medicare guide.

Recruit Training Pay

If you are entering the Australian Border Force through the Border Force Officer Recruit Training Program, you start on an APS 3 salary of $66,839 per year (plus 15.4% super) during the 12-month training course . Shift penalties apply if you work evenings, weekends, or public holidays.

Comparing Your Take-Home Pay

Your take-home pay is what you have left after tax and Medicare. Use our Take-home pay calculator to estimate your fortnightly amount. Remember that allowances, overtime, and salary packaging can change the final figure.

The enterprise agreement sets minimum rates, but your actual Australian Border Force salary may be higher depending on your experience and role. Check your payslip against the official agreement .