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. This tool helps you make smarter choices with your super today, no matter how close you are to retirement.
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.
Current Super Balance: Enter the total amount you have in your super fund right now. You can find this on your latest super statement.
Annual Income (Before Tax): Enter your yearly salary before any tax is taken out.
Employer Contribution Rate: Enter the percentage your employer pays into your super. The Super Guarantee rate is 12% from 1 July 2025.1
Planned Retirement Age: Enter the age you want to stop working. This must be older than your current age.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.1
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 on or after 1 July 1964, the preservation age is 60.2 You can also access it at age 65 whether you have retired or not.2 In limited cases, such as severe financial hardship or a terminal medical condition, early access may be allowed.3
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 the ASFA Retirement Standard. For the March quarter 2026 it puts a single person's budget at $36,434 a year for a modest lifestyle and $55,923 a year for a comfortable one, for people aged 65 to 84.4 For a couple the figures are $52,473 and $78,566 a year.4
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.5 How much you receive depends on your assets and income. Super counted under the assets test can reduce or remove your pension.6 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. Career breaks, part-time work, or high fund fees can slow this growth, so it helps to plan ahead.