Salary Excluding Super to Total Package Converter (Australia)
Use this page when comparing offers where one quote is base salary and the other is total package including super.
Conversion formula
Total package = Base salary x 1.12
How to convert base salary (excluding super) to total package (including 12% super)
- Enter your gross base salary (excluding super) amount.
- Apply the formula:
Total package = Base salary x 1.12. - Confirm whether the offer is quoted as base salary or total package so the super treatment matches your contract.
- Review your total package (including 12% super) estimate as a pre-tax figure. Example: $70,000 becomes $78,400.00.
Quick conversion table
| Base salary (excluding super) | Total package (including 12% super) |
|---|---|
| $70,000 | $78,400.00 |
| $90,000 | $100,800.00 |
| $110,000 | $123,200.00 |
| $130,000 | $145,600.00 |
| $150,000 | $168,000.00 |
| $180,000 | $201,600.00 |
| $220,000 | $246,400.00 |
Tips for this conversion
Super is calculated on qualifying earnings
The Super Guarantee is paid on qualifying earnings, which generally excludes overtime. If your base salary includes a fixed allowance for regular overtime, check with payroll on whether the full amount attracts the Super Guarantee.
Package numbers can flatter a role
A recruiter quoting total package rather than base salary is including money that goes to your super fund, not your bank account each pay cycle. Always ask which figure a job ad is using before comparing offers.
This only reflects the current SG rate
The Super Guarantee percentage is set by legislation and has increased in recent years. If you are comparing an old offer letter to a current one, check that both used the same SG rate before assuming the difference is entirely base salary.
What to watch with this conversion
When a job is quoted as base salary excluding super, adding the Super Guarantee on top gives the total remuneration package figure, which represents the full cost to the employer rather than the cash amount paid to you each pay cycle. Superannuation contributions under the Super Guarantee are calculated on qualifying earnings, which is built on your earnings for ordinary hours of work and generally excludes overtime, so the super component of a package is not simply 12% of every dollar you are ever paid.
Job ads in Australia use both conventions inconsistently — some quote base salary, some quote total package including super — and the difference between the two can be a meaningful percentage of the headline number. Reading a package figure as though it were base salary, or vice versa, is one of the most common ways candidates misjudge how two offers actually compare.
It is worth remembering that the super portion of a total package is not available as cash income; it is preserved in your super fund until you meet a condition of release, typically retirement. So while a higher package figure does represent higher total value from the employer, it does not translate directly into higher take-home pay during your working years.
Next step
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert salary excluding super to total package?
Why is this important in offer comparisons?
Does the package amount all go to take-home pay?
Does the Super Guarantee apply to bonuses and commissions?
Why do some job ads quote base salary and others quote package?
Is super paid on top of my package or included in it?
Tax Accuracy & Sources
Gross pay frequency conversions for Australian payroll cycles.