Your chartered accountant salary: gross, package, and what lands in your bank

What a chartered accountant salary really means

When you see a chartered accountant salary advertised, it is rarely the number that lands in your bank account. The figure could be base salary, total package (including super), or even a median from a survey that covers everyone from graduates to directors. To plan your budget, you need to know the difference between gross pay, your package, and your take-home pay after tax and the Medicare levy.

Let's start with the latest benchmarks. Jobs and Skills Australia reports that the median weekly earnings for full-time accountants (ANZSCO 2211) are $2,003, which works out to about $104,000 a year. That figure covers all accountants, not just those with a CA or CPA designation. For chartered accountants specifically, the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand 2025/26 Remuneration Survey found a median of $160,500 for full-time members in Australia. Directors among CA ANZ members reported a median of $231,000.

These are gross salaries before tax and before super. The national minimum wage, set by Fair Work, is $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026. A chartered accountant salary sits well above that, but the gap between gross and take-home can be significant.

From gross to take-home

Your take-home pay is what remains after the Australian Tax Office deducts income tax and the Medicare levy. For the 2026–27 tax year, the resident tax rates are:

• $0 – $18,200: nil
• $18,201 – $45,000: 15c for each $1 over $18,200
• $45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000
• $135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000
• $190,001 and over: $51,370 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000

You also get the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) if your taxable income is below $66,667. The maximum LITO is $700, phasing out between $37,500 and $45,000, then reducing further until $66,667.

On top of income tax, the Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income. The latest published single-person Medicare thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If you earn above $35,013 – which any full-time chartered accountant will – you pay the full 2%. There is no Medicare levy surcharge unless you have private hospital cover or a higher income, but that is separate.

Let's run an example. Suppose your chartered accountant salary is $160,500. Your income tax would be roughly $40,455 (after LITO phases out completely). The Medicare levy adds $3,210. That leaves about $116,835 before any HELP/HECS repayments, salary sacrifice, or payroll rounding. Your fortnightly take-home would be around $4,494. Use the Clearance tool on this site to get a personalised estimate.

Package vs base – watch for super

Many job ads say "$160,500 plus super" or "$160,500 package". The difference matters. Super is 12% from 1 July 2026, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830. If your salary is plus super, your employer pays an extra 12% into your super fund. If it is a package, the $160,500 includes your super – so your base salary is about $143,304 and the rest goes to super. Your take-home is calculated on the base salary, not the package. See Salary packaging for more on how that works.

The Medicare levy and tax thresholds

Because the Medicare levy is a flat 2%, it hits every dollar of your taxable income above the upper threshold. There is no way to avoid it unless you qualify for the shading between $28,011 and $35,013. For a chartered accountant salary, you are firmly in the full levy zone. The Tax and Medicare page explains the thresholds and how the levy interacts with other offsets.