About the Australia Super Calculator
This superannuation calculator projects your Australian super balance at retirement. It adds your employer’s Super Guarantee contributions (12% of ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2025), any salary sacrifice or personal concessional contributions, and any after-tax (non-concessional) contributions, then grows the balance at your expected return less fees.
Unlike simple compound-interest tools, it deducts the 15% contributions tax your fund withholds from concessional contributions, lets your salary grow each year, and shows the result in today’s dollars so you can compare it with what things cost now. It suits employees checking whether they are on track, and anyone weighing extra salary sacrifice.
Figures use 2026–27 rules (the year that began on 1 July 2026): a 12% Super Guarantee and a $32,500 concessional contributions cap, up from $30,000 in 2025–26. Returns are applied annually after a percentage fee; fixed dollar fees, insurance premiums, Division 293 tax and carry-forward caps are not modelled, and the cap is held at $32,500 for every future year even though the ATO indexes it to wages, so the cap warning is conservative for later years. You can generally access super once you reach preservation age (60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964) and retire.
With the default inputs, the super balance at retirement is A$2,237,009.30. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the australia super calculator
- 1Enter your age, planned retirement age and current super balance.
- 2Enter your salary and your employer’s contribution rate (12% unless your employer pays more).
- 3Add any salary sacrifice and after-tax contributions you make each year.
- 4Set salary growth, investment return and fees from your fund’s statement.
- 5Review the balance at retirement and its value in today’s dollars.
Formula and method
Each year the previous balance earns the investment return less the percentage fee. Employer Super Guarantee contributions (salary × SG rate) and any salary sacrifice are concessional contributions, so the fund deducts 15% contributions tax before they are invested. After-tax (non-concessional) contributions go in untaxed. Salary grows by your raise percentage each year.
Investment earnings are the final balance minus the starting balance and the net contributions. The today’s-dollars figure divides the final balance by (1 + inflation)^years so you can judge its real purchasing power.
- B
- Super balance
- S_t
- Salary in year t
- SG
- Employer Super Guarantee rate (12%)
- r − fee
- Investment return net of percentage fees
Worked examples
30-year-old on A$90,000 with 12% Super Guarantee
Year one the employer contributes A$10,800 (A$9,180 after the 15% contributions tax). With 3% salary growth and a 6.15% net return over 37 years, super reaches about A$2.24 million — roughly A$897,000 in today’s dollars.
Adding A$10,000 a year of salary sacrifice at 45
At 45 with A$180,000, employer contributions of A$14,400 plus A$10,000 salary sacrifice stay under the 2026–27 A$32,500 cap at first; with 3% salary growth they pass it from about age 61, which the calculator flags because the cap is held flat. Over 22 years the balance grows to about A$1.74 million, or about A$1.01 million in today’s dollars.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Super Guarantee rate?+
The Super Guarantee is the minimum your employer must pay into your super. It rose to 12% of ordinary time earnings on 1 July 2025 and is legislated to stay at 12%. Some employers pay more under enterprise agreements.
What are the super contribution caps for 2026–27?+
From 1 July 2026 the concessional (before-tax) cap is $32,500 a year, covering employer contributions and salary sacrifice (it was $30,000 in 2024–25 and 2025–26). The non-concessional (after-tax) cap is $130,000 a year, or up to $390,000 under the three-year bring-forward rule if your total super balance was under $1.84 million on the previous 30 June.
How are super contributions taxed?+
Concessional contributions are taxed at 15% when they enter the fund (30% under Division 293 if income plus concessional contributions exceeds $250,000). Non-concessional contributions are not taxed again because they come from after-tax income.
When can I access my super?+
Generally once you reach your preservation age — 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964 — and retire, or at 65 whether or not you have retired. Limited early access exists for severe financial hardship, compassionate grounds, terminal illness and the First Home Super Saver scheme.
How much super do I need to retire?+
The ASFA Retirement Standard is a widely quoted benchmark for a “comfortable” or “modest” lifestyle, assuming you own your home and receive a part Age Pension. The figures are updated regularly, so check the latest release for current amounts.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.