Detective salary in Australia: what you take home after tax

Detective salary: where it sits against the national benchmarks

If you are considering a career as a detective in Australia, you probably want to know what the role pays and how much of that reaches your bank account after tax and the Medicare levy. Detective salary is not a single figure – it depends on which police force you join, your rank, years of service, and any allowances or overtime you earn.

What the official sources show

The Australian Federal Police publishes a clear pay scale for police officers, which includes detectives. As a new recruit you start at band 2.3 with a base salary of $69,698. After graduating as a probationary officer you move to band 2.4 at $72,317. With four years of service you reach band 3.4 at $84,597. The AFP base salary range for police officers runs from $64,754 to $111,861 per year, depending on role, location, and experience. On top of that you can earn a 22% composite allowance and a Use of Force allowance, plus overtime and penalties. Jobs and Skills Australia does not publish median weekly earnings for the detective occupation (ANZSCO 441311), so the AFP enterprise agreement is the most reliable public source.

How detective pay compares to the national minimum

For context, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week. A full-time adult worker on ordinary time earnings averages $2,083.70 a week according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Even the lowest AFP recruit salary of $64,754 works out to about $1,245 a week – well above the minimum. At the top of the base range ($111,861) you are looking at roughly $2,151 a week, which is slightly above the full-time ordinary time average. Remember that detectives often receive additional allowances that push total earnings higher.

What you take home after tax and Medicare

Your take-home pay is what lands in your bank account after the Australian Tax Office deducts income tax and the Medicare levy. Using the 2026–27 tax rates, here is an example for a detective on an AFP base salary of $84,597 (band 3.4, four years of service).

• Income tax: $4,020 plus 30c for every dollar over $45,000. That is $4,020 + 0.30 × ($84,597 – $45,000) = $4,020 + $11,879.10 = $15,899.10. Then subtract the low-income tax offset (LITO) if applicable. At $84,597 the LITO is $325 minus 1.5c per dollar over $45,000 = $325 – $593.96 = $0 (reduced to nil). So tax is $15,899.10.
• Medicare levy: 2% of taxable income = $1,691.94. The full rate applies because your income is above the single upper threshold of $35,013.
• Total deductions: $15,899.10 + $1,691.94 = $17,591.04.
• Estimated take-home: $84,597 – $17,591.04 = $67,005.96 per year, or about $2,577 per fortnight.

This is a guide only. Your actual take-home will vary if you have HELP/HECS debt, salary sacrifice arrangements, or if you earn allowances that change your taxable income. The Medicare levy surcharge (for singles earning over $93,000 without hospital cover) could also apply.

Super is on top

When you see a detective salary advertised, it is usually base pay plus super. The AFP contributes 15.4% super, which is above the compulsory 12% rate from 1 July 2026. That super is not deducted from your take-home pay – it is paid into your super fund separately. So your cash in hand is based on the base salary, not the super-inclusive figure.

Where to get more detail

For a full breakdown of how tax and Medicare affect your pay, see our Tax and Medicare guide. You can also use the Take-home pay calculator to estimate your own numbers. If you want to compare detective pay to other roles, check the Benchmarks page for national averages.

Final note

Detective salary is not a fixed number across Australia. State police forces have their own enterprise agreements, and your experience, location, and specialist skills all influence your earnings. Use the AFP figures as a starting point, and always check the specific pay scale for the force you are applying to.