Finance calculators

Superannuation Calculator

Updated Jun 23, 2026 By Jehan Wadia
Formulas
Where are you in your retirement journey?
This tailors the labels and action plan to your stage — all fields stay available.
Core Details
Household Type
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Super Guarantee is 11.5% now and rises to 12% from 1 July 2025.
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Desired Lifestyle in Retirement
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Based on ASFA Retirement Standard — fully editable.

Your Retirement Projection

Projected Balance at Retirement

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Readiness Score

Super Longevity

Your super is estimated to last until age
Retirement Income Stack (today's $)
Projected Balance Growth
What Builds Your Final Balance
"What If?" Scenario Explorer
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Your Personalised Action Plan
Step-by-Step Solution

Introduction

This superannuation calculator shows you how much money you could have when you retire. Enter your age, income, and current super balance to get a clear picture of your future. The tool works out how your super grows over time based on employer contributions, any extra money you put in, investment returns, and fees.

You can adjust settings to match your life. Planning a career break? Want to see what happens if you retire earlier or later? This calculator handles all of that. It also estimates how long your super will last once you stop working and whether the Age Pension can help fill any gaps.

Use the "What If?" sliders to test different scenarios instantly. A personalised action plan tells you what steps to take based on your results. Whether you are decades away from retirement or already there, this tool helps you make smarter choices with your super today.

How to Use Our Superannuation Calculator

Enter your age, income, and super details below. The calculator will show how much super you could have at retirement, how long it may last, and what steps you can take to improve your outcome.

Retirement Journey: Pick how close you are to retirement. Choose "More than 10 years away," "Within 10 years," or "Already retired." This changes the advice you get.

Household Type: Select "Single" if you are planning for one person or "Couple" if you are planning for two.

Current Age: Enter your age today. You must be between 18 and 75. If you need help working out your exact age, our age calculator can help.

Current Super Balance: Enter the total amount you have in your super fund right now. You can find this on your latest super statement. If you want a broader picture of where you stand financially, try our net worth calculator.

Annual Income (Before Tax): Enter your yearly salary before any tax is taken out. If you know your hourly rate and need to convert it, use our hourly to salary calculator.

Employer Contribution Rate: Enter the percentage your employer pays into your super. The Super Guarantee is 11.5% in 2025 and rises to 12% from 1 July 2025.

Planned Retirement Age: Enter the age you want to stop working. This must be older than your current age. For a broader look at how long you might need your savings to last, consider using our life expectancy calculator.

Extra Voluntary Contributions: Enter any extra money you add to your super on top of your employer's payments. Use the dropdown to set whether this amount is per week, fortnight, month, or year.

Desired Lifestyle in Retirement: Pick "Modest," "Comfortable," or "Generous." Each option fills in a suggested yearly income based on the ASFA Retirement Standard.

Desired Annual Retirement Income: This is how much money you want to live on each year in retirement, in today's dollars. You can edit this number to match your own goal. Our budget calculator can help you work out your expected expenses.

Advanced Settings (Optional)

Click "Advanced Settings" to open more options. These are not required but let you fine-tune your results.

Investment Strategy: Choose from Conservative, Balanced, Growth, or High Growth. Each option sets a different expected return rate. If you want to explore how different returns affect a lump sum over time, try our investment calculator.

Expected Annual Return: This is the yearly return your super investments are expected to earn. It updates when you pick a strategy, but you can type in your own number.

Annual Fund Management Fee: Enter the percentage your super fund charges each year to manage your money. Even small fees add up over time. Our expense ratio calculator can help you compare fees across different funds.

Inflation Rate: Enter the expected yearly rate of inflation. The default is 2.5%. You can use our inflation calculator to see how inflation erodes purchasing power over time.

Post-Retirement Return: Enter the yearly return you expect your super to earn after you retire.

Career Earnings Profile: Choose "Standard," "Interrupted career," or "Late career starter." This fills in typical career break patterns for you.

Include Age Pension: Tick this box to include an estimate of the Government Age Pension in your results. For a more detailed look at pension income, see our pension calculator.

Career Break: Enter a start age and end age if you plan to take time off work with no super contributions, such as for caregiving.

Reduced Working Hours: Enter a start age, end age, and the percentage of full-time hours you expect to work during that period. Our salary calculator can help you estimate your adjusted income during part-time work.

One-Off Expenses: Add any large costs you expect in retirement, like a big trip or home renovation. Enter the age it will happen and the amount in today's dollars.

Press "Calculate My Super" to see your results. Use the "What If?" sliders to explore how changes to your retirement age, contributions, returns, or spending could affect your outcome.

What Is Superannuation?

Superannuation, or "super," is money set aside during your working years so you have income when you retire. In Australia, your employer must pay a percentage of your salary into a super fund. This is called the Super Guarantee. As of 1 July 2025, the rate is 12% of your ordinary earnings. To understand how much of your salary you actually take home after tax and super deductions, try our take home pay calculator.

Your super grows over time through employer contributions, any extra money you add yourself, and investment returns. Fees and taxes reduce your balance along the way, so keeping an eye on them matters. Even a small difference in fees can cost you tens of thousands of dollars by retirement.

When Can You Access Your Super?

Most people can access their super when they reach their preservation age and retire. For anyone born after 1 July 1964, the preservation age is 60. You can also access it at age 65 whether you have retired or not. In limited cases, such as severe financial hardship or a terminal illness, early access may be allowed.

How Much Super Do You Need to Retire?

The amount you need depends on the lifestyle you want. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) publishes a Retirement Standard each year. It sets two benchmarks for a single person: roughly $32,000 per year for a modest lifestyle and about $51,000 per year for a comfortable one. Couples need more. These figures assume you own your home and include the Age Pension where eligible. Our retirement calculator can give you a broader view of your overall retirement readiness, while the annuity calculator helps you understand how a lump sum converts into regular income payments.

The Age Pension

The Australian Government Age Pension provides a safety net for retirees who meet age and means-test rules. You must be at least 67 years old to qualify. How much you receive depends on your assets and income. Super counted under the assets test can reduce or remove your pension. Many retirees receive a part pension that tops up their super income.

Why Start Planning Early?

Super benefits from compound growth. This means your investment returns earn their own returns over time. Use our compound interest calculator to see exactly how powerful this effect can be over decades. The earlier you start contributing, the more time compounding has to work. Even small extra contributions made in your 20s or 30s can grow into large sums by retirement. A quick check with the Rule of 72 calculator shows how fast your money can double at different return rates. Career breaks, part-time work, or high fund fees can slow this growth, so it helps to plan ahead. If early financial independence is your goal, our FIRE calculator and Coast FIRE calculator can help you map out an accelerated timeline.


Formulas used

Net Annual Employer Contribution (after 15% contributions tax)
C_{emp} = \text{Income} \times r_{SG} \times 0.85
Year-by-Year Balance Accumulation
B_{t+1} = B_t \times (1 + r - f) + C_{emp,t} + C_{vol,t}
Conversion to Today's Dollars (Real)
B_{real} = \frac{B_{nominal}}{(1 + i)^{n}}
Annuity Factor (present value of income stream)
AF = \frac{1 - (1 + r_{real})^{-n}}{r_{real}}, \quad r_{real} = r_{post} - i - f
Required Balance for Desired Retirement Income
B_{req} = (D - P) \times AF
Retirement Readiness Score
S = \min\!\left(100,\; \frac{B_{real}}{B_{req}} \times 100\right)
Post-Retirement Drawdown (year-by-year)
B_{t+1} = \bigl(B_t - W_t - E_t\bigr) \times (1 + r_{post} - i - f)

Frequently asked questions

What is the Super Guarantee rate used in this calculator?

The default rate is 11.5%, but the Super Guarantee rose to 12% on 1 July 2025. You can change the employer contribution rate field to 12 or any other number to match your situation.

What does 'today's dollars' vs 'future dollars' mean?

Today's dollars (real) shows amounts in terms of what your money can buy right now. Future dollars (nominal) shows the actual dollar figure you would see at that time, before adjusting for inflation. Today's dollars are usually more helpful because they show true buying power.

How is the Retirement Readiness Score calculated?

The calculator works out how much super you need to fund your desired yearly income for about 25 years after retirement. It then divides your projected balance by that required amount and turns it into a score out of 100. A score of 70 or above means you are On Track, 40 to 69 is Partially On Track, and below 40 is Off Track.

Does the calculator include tax on super contributions?

Yes. Employer contributions (concessional) are taxed at 15% inside the fund. The calculator applies this by multiplying employer contributions by 0.85 before adding them to your balance. It does not model Division 293 tax for high-income earners.

How accurate is the Age Pension estimate?

The Age Pension figure is a simplified estimate only. It uses a basic assets test for homeowners and current full pension rates. It does not account for income tests, partner income, or non-super assets. For an exact figure, check with Services Australia.

What happens if I enter a career break?

During a career break, the calculator sets your employer and voluntary contributions to zero for those years. Your existing balance still earns investment returns during the break, but no new money goes in. This shows you the real cost of time away from work on your super.

How do fees affect my super balance?

Fees are deducted from your balance each year before returns compound. Even a small fee difference adds up over decades. The calculator shows a fees alert if your fee is above 1%, telling you how much a lower-cost fund could save you.

What does the 'Super Longevity' result mean?

It tells you the age at which your super is projected to run out if you draw your desired income each year. If it shows age 100 or higher, your super is expected to last well beyond a typical lifespan. If it runs out before age 92, the calculator flags a shortfall.

Can I use this calculator if I am already retired?

Yes. Select "Already retired / semi-retired" at the top. The calculator will skip the accumulation phase and focus on how long your current balance will last based on your desired income, investment returns, and any Age Pension top-up.

What are the ASFA Retirement Standard amounts?

The calculator uses these yearly benchmarks from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia:
Single: Modest $32,000, Comfortable $51,000, Generous $75,000.
Couple: Modest $46,000, Comfortable $72,000, Generous $95,000.
These assume you own your home outright.

What return rate should I use?

The default is 6% per year (Balanced strategy). If you are in a growth fund, 7.5% may be more realistic. Conservative funds typically return around 4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, so it is wise to test different rates using the "What If?" sliders.

How do the 'What If?' scenario sliders work?

Each slider changes one variable at a time — retirement age, extra contributions, investment returns, or spending level. The calculator instantly shows how that change affects your projected balance and how long your super lasts, compared to your base result.

Does the calculator account for wage growth?

Yes. Your income grows each year at the same rate as inflation (default 2.5%). This means your employer super contributions also grow over time, which is a realistic way to model a typical career.

What is the post-retirement return rate?

This is the yearly return your super earns after you retire, while you are drawing it down. The default is 5%. Most retirees shift to a more conservative investment mix, so this rate is usually lower than the pre-retirement return.

How do one-off expenses work in the calculator?

You can add up to five large expenses you expect during retirement, like a holiday or renovation. Enter the age it will happen and the cost in today's dollars. The calculator subtracts that amount from your super balance at that age, which may cause your super to run out sooner.

Is my data saved or shared?

No. All calculations run in your browser. No personal data is sent to a server, saved, or shared. If you refresh the page, your inputs reset to the defaults.

What does the income stack chart show?

It breaks your target retirement income into three parts: income from super (purple), Age Pension (green), and any gap (red) between what you need and what you are projected to receive. If there is no red bar, your projected income meets your goal.

Why does the reduced working hours option matter?

If you work part-time for a period, your income drops and so do your super contributions. The calculator scales your contributions by the percentage of full-time hours you set. This helps you see the long-term impact of part-time work on your retirement savings.