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The Metier Group
Free Tool

Employee True Hourly Cost Calculator

Your base wage is just the starting point. This calculator builds up the true cost of employment in Australia — including superannuation, payroll tax, WorkCover, leave entitlements, and more.

Step 1

Your Employee Details

Base Hourly Rate
$
Ordinary Hours / Week
hrs
Weeks / Year
wks
Payroll Tax Applies?

Step 2

On-Cost Rates

Pre-filled with current Australian rates — adjust if needed

Superannuation Guarantee
%
Payroll Tax (WA)
%
WorkCover WA Premium
%
Workers Insurance (top-up policy)
%
Annual Leave Loading
%
Long Service Leave (WA)
%

Step 3

Additional Conservative Loadings

Real costs beyond statutory obligations — toggle off to see statutory-only figure

Include these loadings?
Redundancy Pay Provision
%
Absenteeism / Backfill Cost
%
Average Employee Tenure
yrs
Replacement Cost (% of annual wage)
%
Site Compliance, PPE & Uniforms
%

True Hourly Cost

$83

vs. base rate of $45/hr

That's 84.1% more than the base rate — your employee costs $137,886 per year to employ.

Hours Breakdown

Total Paid Hours / Year
1976 hrs
Less: Annual Leave (4 weeks)
− 152.0 hrs
Less: Personal / Carer's Leave (10 days)
− 76.0 hrs
Less: Public Holidays (11 days)
− 83.6 hrs
Actual Hours Worked / Year

You pay for 52 weeks but only get this many productive hours

1664.4 hrs

Annual Cost Build-Up

Base Annual Wage
$88,920
+ Annual Leave Loading (17.5%)
$1,197
Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE)
$90,117
+ Superannuation ({pct(superRate/100)})
$10,814
+ Payroll Tax WA (5.50% of wages+super)
$5,551
+ WorkCover WA (0.65%)
$578
+ Workers Insurance (3.00%)
$2,668
+ Long Service Leave (1.67%)
$1,482
Subtotal: Statutory + NES Costs
$111,210

Additional Loadings

+ Redundancy Provision (1.50%)
$1,334
+ Absenteeism / Backfill (3.00%)
$2,668
+ Turnover / Replacement (amortised)
$22,230
+ Site Compliance & PPE (0.50%)
$445
Subtotal: Additional Loadings
$26,676
TRUE ANNUAL EMPLOYMENT COST
$137,886

Want help understanding your real staffing costs?

Our team can review your payroll structure and identify savings.

Talk to an Accountant

Disclaimer

This calculator is provided by Metier 2020 Pty Ltd (trading as The Metier Group) as a general planning tool only. It does not constitute financial, legal, taxation, or professional advice and must not be relied upon as such.

Results are estimates based on current Australian legislation and Western Australian statutory rates as at FY2026–27, including superannuation guarantee, WA payroll tax, WorkCover WA, and National Employment Standards leave entitlements. Rates and thresholds are subject to change.

Your actual employment costs will depend on your specific circumstances, including the applicable Modern Award or enterprise agreement, your WorkCover WA Premium Rating Classification, whether payroll tax thresholds are met, and your individual employment contracts. The additional conservative loadings in Step 3 are modelled estimates, not statutory obligations.

You should confirm all figures with a qualified accountant or payroll professional before using them for budgeting, pricing, or contract purposes. The Metier Group accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this tool.