A common frustration: you negotiate a $10,000 pay rise, but your take-home only goes up by $6,800. That's because the extra income is taxed at your marginal rate — the highest bracket your income falls into — not your average rate. Knowing what Australians actually earn can help you set realistic expectations.

If you're in the 30% bracket ($45,001–$135,000), every extra dollar of salary costs you 30 cents in tax plus 2 cents in Medicare. On a $10,000 raise, you keep about $6,800 after tax. If the raise pushes you into the 37% bracket, the portion above $135,000 is taxed even higher. Use our Salary Sacrifice Calculator to see if directing part of your raise into super could save you more.