# Reading a Job Offer: What Your Salary Package Includes

> Work out what a salary package means for your pay, turn a package that includes super into base salary, and compare two offers by what reaches your account.

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- Author: Marnix
- Published: 2026-10-26



A job offer arrives, and somewhere in the email is the number you've been waiting for. Then you notice the words beside it, "plus super" or "including super" or "total package", and it's no longer clear how much you'll actually be paid.

Those few words can move your pay by thousands of dollars a year. Once you know what each number covers, two offers that look hard to compare can be lined up in a few minutes.

## The three numbers in an offer

Most offers quote at least one of three numbers, and each covers something different.

**Base salary** is your pay for the year before tax. It's the number your fortnightly or monthly pay is worked out from, and the only part you'll be able to spend. Our guide to [average salaries](/blog/average-salary) explains which comparisons are useful at the start of your working life.

**Super** is the money your employer pays into your super fund for retirement, on top of your pay. The minimum is 12% of eligible pay, usually the base salary in a salaried job.

**Total package**, also called a **salary package** or **total remuneration package (TRP)**, is the two added together, along with any benefits the employer pays for, such as a car or a phone plan.

The lines to find in an offer (a sample letter for a made-up graduate role):

| Line in the offer | What it says | What it means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Base salary | $66,964 | Your pay, before tax |
| Superannuation | 12% | Paid into your super fund |
| Total remuneration package | $75,000 | The two added together |
| Annual bonus | Discretionary | Not guaranteed |
| Pay cycle | Fortnightly | How often your pay lands |

Real offers word these lines in different ways.

An offer that says "$70,000 plus super" is quoting base salary, and super comes on top. An offer that says "$75,000 including super" or "$75,000 package" is quoting the total, and super comes out of it before you see your share.

## Turn a package into base salary

When super is included in a package, the package is your base salary plus 12% of it. So to find the base salary, divide the package by 1.12.

A $75,000 package that includes super is $75,000 ÷ 1.12, a base salary of about $66,964. The other $8,036 or so is the employer's super contribution. If a package also includes other benefits, take their value off first. Use the employer's actual super rate if it exceeds 12%.

## Compare offers by what lands each fortnight

Here's a made-up example. Mia has two offers for similar graduate roles. One is $70,000 plus super, the other is a $75,000 package including super. The second looks bigger.

The smaller headline pays more. Mia's two offers (AUD):

| Offer | Lands each fortnight | Goes to super each year |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| $70,000 plus super | $2,195 | $8,400 |
| $75,000 including super | $2,116 | $8,036 |

Mia is made up. 2026–27 resident estimate, 2% Medicare levy, no HELP debt or other deductions.

Mia would take home about $80 a fortnight more with the $70,000 offer, and get more super too, because the $75,000 already has her super inside it.

Comparing on fortnightly pay also helps with everything after the offer. That's the number your rent, bills and savings come out of. Our guide to [take-home pay](/blog/take-home-pay) explains each deduction between your salary and your account, and the [take-home pay calculator](/tools/take-home-pay-calculator) gives an estimate for any salary.

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## Check what the salary is meant to cover

Two offers with the same base salary can still be different jobs. A few lines in the offer or contract are worth reading closely. Our guide to [annual leave and leave loading](/blog/leave-loading) explains what to look for in holiday pay.

- **Hours and extra pay.** Some salaries are set to cover overtime, weekend work or allowances. If an award covers the job, the salary needs a valid arrangement covering its entitlements for your actual hours; the arrangement determines how it is checked. Fair Work explains how [annualised salaries](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay-and-wages/minimum-wages/annualised-wages-and-salaries) are checked. Our guide on [award and penalty rates](/blog/award-rates) helps you find which award applies.
- **Bonus.** A bonus described as discretionary or based on performance may not be paid. It's safer to plan around the base salary and treat any bonus as extra.
- **Salary packaging.** Some employers let you swap part of your pay for benefits paid before tax, such as extra super or a car. That lowers your cash pay in exchange for the benefit, so it's a separate choice from the offer itself. The ATO's page on [salary sacrificing](https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/jobs-and-employment-types/working-as-an-employee/salary-sacrificing-for-employees) explains how it works.
- **How often you're paid.** Weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay changes how you plan. A monthly salary means a longer stretch between paydays at the start.

Every offer, whatever its wording, has to meet the minimum pay for the job under its award or agreement, or the national minimum wage if neither applies. Our guide to the [minimum wage](/blog/minimum-wage) shows what that is per week and per fortnight.

## Ask for the breakdown before you sign

You don't need to work any of this out alone. Asking the employer to put the base salary, super and any bonus terms in writing as separate lines is an ordinary request, and it's often how a negotiation starts. Once the offer is accepted, our guide to [super for your first job](/blog/super-first-job) explains where the super goes and how to choose a fund.

Checking the breakdown gives you a clearer starting point for your first pay.

## A note from us

An offer can leave you with questions. Asking for the pay breakdown before signing is an ordinary part of understanding the job.

## Common questions

### What does salary package mean?

It usually means everything the employer pays for your work over a year, added together: your base salary, the employer's super contribution and any agreed benefits. Your spending money comes from the base salary part only, after tax.

### What does TRP mean in a job offer?

TRP stands for total remuneration package. It's another name for a salary package that includes super, so a TRP of $75,000 with 12% super is a base salary of about $66,964.

### Is a salary plus super better than a package that includes super?

Not by itself. The wording only tells you how the number was written. Converting both offers to base salary, or to pay each fortnight, shows which one actually pays more.

### Is the bonus in a job offer guaranteed?

Only if the contract says it is. A bonus described as discretionary, or depending on performance, may not be paid, so it's safer to plan your budget on the base salary.

### Can I negotiate a salary package?

Yes. Most offers can be discussed before you sign. Asking for the base salary and super to be stated separately is a simple, reasonable request and makes any negotiation clearer.

## Sources

1. [Super contributions](https://moneysmart.gov.au/grow-your-super/super-contributions) · ASIC Moneysmart
2. [Qualifying earnings and 12% super guarantee, 2026–27](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/super-for-employers/paying-super-on-payday/what-payments-are-qualifying-earnings) · Australian Taxation Office
3. [Salary sacrificing for employees](https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/jobs-and-employment-types/working-as-an-employee/salary-sacrificing-for-employees) · Australian Taxation Office
4. [Annualised wages and salaries](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay-and-wages/minimum-wages/annualised-wages-and-salaries) · Fair Work Ombudsman
5. [Minimum wages](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay-and-wages/minimum-wages) · Fair Work Ombudsman
6. [Tax rates: Australian residents, 2026–27](https://www.ato.gov.au/tax-rates-and-codes/tax-rates-australian-residents) · Australian Taxation Office
7. [Medicare Levy Act 1986, law in force 1 July 2026](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A03351/2026-07-01/2026-07-01/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html) · Federal Register of Legislation

## Related reading

- [Take-Home Pay: What Lands in Your Account and Why](https://getclova.com/blog/take-home-pay)
- [Super in Your First Job, Explained](https://getclova.com/blog/super-first-job)
- [Your first payslip, explained line by line](https://getclova.com/blog/payslip-explained)

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This guide explains a budgeting method in general terms; it doesn't consider your circumstances.