This calculator shows how voluntary contributions — salary sacrifice or personal contributions — change your projected super balance at retirement compared to employer SG contributions alone.
Extra Contributions Calculator
Salary sacrifice or personal deductible contributions (concessional). Taxed at 15% in the fund.
How Much Should I Contribute?
There is no single right answer — the optimal contribution level depends on your income, age, existing balance, and whether you have other financial priorities (mortgage, investments outside super).
General principles:
- If your employer offers to match salary sacrifice, take full advantage — that is an immediate guaranteed return
- The concessional cap is $30,000/year (including employer SG). At $80,000 salary with 12% SG = $9,600, leaving $20,400 in salary sacrifice room
- Non-concessional (after-tax) contributions can be made up to $120,000/year (or $360,000 in one year via bring-forward) — useful for lump sum additions
When extra contributions may not be the priority:
- If you have high-interest debt (personal loans, credit cards) — pay these off first
- If you have no emergency fund — build that before super contributions you can’t access for decades
- If you are under 45 and have a mortgage — weigh the benefit of mortgage offset vs super (the right answer depends on interest rates, tax, and time horizon)
For further reading: Salary Sacrifice Super Calculator, Is It Worth Putting Extra Money Into Super?, Super Contribution Limits Australia. For advice tailored to your situation, speak with a licensed financial adviser through MoneySmart.