US vs Australia Salary: Who Takes Home More?
Updated May 31, 2026 · 5 min read
The US and Australia look almost identical on the headline take-home percentage — but the similarity is misleading. What you get for your tax, and what you have to pay for separately, sets them apart.
Same 100k salary, side by side
- United States ($100,000, no state tax): ~$78,700 take-home, about 79%.
- Australia (A$100,000, with private cover): ~A$77,200 take-home, about 77% — plus 12% superannuation paid on top.
The percentages are close, but Australia quietly wins on what’s around the salary: (1) 12% super is added on top of your pay, not taken from it; and (2) Medicare gives universal healthcare, whereas a US worker typically pays thousands a year for health insurance out of pocket.
Where the US pulls ahead
- Top-end pay. US salaries in tech, finance and medicine often dwarf Australian equivalents — the bigger gross outweighs the tax difference.
- Low-tax states. In Texas or Florida the US take-home rises further above Australia’s.
- The flip side: in a high-tax US state like California, Australia comes out ahead once super and healthcare are counted.
The honest verdict
On take-home percentage it’s a near-tie. Australia is better for security and benefits (super, Medicare, leave); the US is better for raw earning potential at the top end — if you can absorb the healthcare and state-tax variables.
Run your own numbers
Compare with the US and Australia calculators, the full take-home by country table, or the job offer comparison calculator.
Calculate your own take-home pay
Free, instant, no signup — for the US, UK, Australia & Canada.