Super Fund Calculator Australia 2026

ASFA benchmarks suggest: age 35: $62,000; age 40: $100,000; age 45: $154,000; age 50: $232,000; age 55: $318,000; age 60: $423,000. These are targets for a comfortable retirement at 67. The ATO median balances are lower — median age 40 balance is approximately $82,600 — meaning many Australians are behind these targets. Use our calculator to project your balance and see if you're on track.

The superannuation guarantee (SG) rate for 2024-25 is 11.5%, rising to 12% from 1 July 2025. Employers must pay SG on top of your ordinary time earnings for all eligible employees. The SG rate has been rising incrementally toward the long-term target of 12%. Check your payslip to confirm your employer is paying the correct rate — non-payment is illegal and reportable to the ATO.

ASFA's comfortable retirement standard requires approximately $595,000 for a single person and $690,000 for a couple at age 67. This provides an income of approximately $52,000/year for singles and $73,000/year for couples. The Age Pension supplements super income — many retirees combine super drawdowns with partial pension payments. At a 5% drawdown rate, $595,000 provides approximately $29,750/year in super income.

Access to super before preservation age (60 for most Australians) is restricted to specific circumstances including: permanent incapacity, terminal medical condition, severe financial hardship (subject to approval), compassionate grounds (APRA or ATO approval), and some temporary residents departing Australia. Accessing super early reduces your retirement balance significantly due to lost compound growth. The government monitors early access applications.

Since November 2021, super follows you when you change jobs — your stapled fund is automatically linked to your new employment unless you nominate a different fund. You can also choose to consolidate multiple super accounts into one fund to avoid paying fees on multiple accounts. Check via myGov which funds you have and consolidate to minimise fees.

For most people earning above $37,500 (where the marginal rate exceeds the 15% super tax), salary sacrifice is beneficial. The higher your income, the greater the tax saving. On $95,000 salary, sacrificing $10,000/year saves approximately $2,350 in income tax. Over 20 years at 7% growth, that $10,000/year plus tax saving compounded generates significantly more than the same amount invested elsewhere after tax. However, super is illiquid — ensure you maintain sufficient accessible savings for emergencies.

The concessional (before-tax) contributions cap is $30,000 per year for 2025-26. This includes your employer's SG contributions, salary sacrifice contributions and any personal deductible contributions. Exceeding the cap means the excess is taxed at your marginal rate plus an excess contributions charge. If your employer pays $11,500 SG on a $100,000 salary (11.5%), you can salary sacrifice up to $18,500 before hitting the cap.