The current superannuation rate is 11% of your ordinary time earnings.
Your employer has to pay super for you at least 4 times a year, every quarter. If you're covered by an award or an employment agreement that gives you a higher super rate than 11%, your employer has to pay the higher rate.
| Date | SG rate |
|---|---|
| 1 July 2023 | 11.0% |
| 1 July 2024 | 11.5% |
| 1 July 2025 | 12.0% |
The superannuation guarantee rate (SG rate) is the minimum amount of super your employer legally has to pay to your super.
Most workers in Australia should get SG payments from their employer, even if you're here on a working visa. It’s important to make sure you’re getting the right amount of super – after all, super is your money, and it's a big part of having enough money in retirement.
You work full-time, part-time, or casual
You're under 18 years old and working more than 30 hours a week
You're a private or domestic worker and working more than 30 hours per week
You're under 18 years old and working 30 hours a week or less
You're on unpaid leave
How much super should I be getting?
Quickly check how much money 11% of your pay is. Put your pay for your normal hours into the government's handy MoneySmart calculator.
Log in to Member Online or download our app to check your super payments. Set up alerts in the app when you get paid super.
The superannuation guarantee is only one way to grow your super. You can make extra contributions to your super, and some workers can get extra super contributions from the government as well.
See how your super balance stacks up against others your age. Are you on track for a comfortable life after work?
Use our handy checklist to take advantage of all the ways you could be growing your super.
Find out more about when you should be paid super.
For the 2023–24 financial year, your employer must pay at least 11% of your ordinary time earnings to your super. This is called the superannuation guarantee rate (SG rate).
Ordinary time earnings include your ordinary hours of work, over-award payments, shift loading, commissions, bonuses, and paid leave.
If your award or employment agreement gives you a higher super rate than 11%, your employer has to pay the higher rate.
The SG rate is rising every year until it reaches 12% on 1 July 2025.
Check your account in our app or Member Online to see how much your employer is paying into your super.
The compulsory superannuation guarantee (SG) was introduced in 1992.
Superannuation did exist before then – and there was legislation about it as far back as 1915 – but it wasn't available for everyone. The first national survey of super in 1974 showed only 32% of workers (mostly men) were getting super.
Super has continued to change a lot since then, with government policies like the First Home Super Saver Scheme and Super Stapling. And we're proud of industry innovations like our award-winning Lifetime Pension, which turns your super into retirement income payments that last as long as you live.
Learn more about the history of super in Australia.
Yes, casual employees get the superannuation guarantee, just like full-time and part-time workers.
No, unfortunately, employers don't need to pay the super guarantee on overtime pay – even if the overtime is regular, frequent, or bundled into your total salary package. But you should always be getting super for your normal hours (ordinary time earnings).
The exception is that if your employer can't tell you which hours you worked were overtime, then they should be paying the super guarantee on all the hours you worked that day. Learn more about super and overtime.
Yes, if you get a bonus for work you did during your normal hours of work, then you should also get a super contribution based on the bonus amount.
You don't get super if you get a bonus for overtime work.
Yes, you should be getting the SG rate while on long service leave, unless you ask for a payout of the leave amount (e.g. when you resign or retire) instead of taking it as leave.
Unfortunately, the law is that your employer doesn't have to pay super while you're away from work on unpaid leave. So for parental leave, even though your employer is still paying you the national minimum wage while you're on Centrelink's parental leave pay, they don't have to pay super.
If your employer offers extra paid parental leave on top of Centrelink's parental leave payment, you can check with them or the ATO about whether you'll get super during this extra paid leave.
If you’re self-employed, a sole trader or in a partnership, you don't need to by law to pay yourself the super guarantee. This may differ if you own your business and employ yourself under a PAYG setup.
While it isn’t legally required, it may be wise to make personal contributions to your superannuation fund. You can do this directly from your bank account as often as you'd like. And you may even be able to claim a tax deduction.
Learn more about super for the self-employed.
First, check with your employer, because super doesn't get paid with every pay cycle. So it could be up to 4 months before you see your first super payment from your employer in your super account.
If you can't solve the problem easily, you can check our list of the ATO's deadlines for employers to pay super and contact the ATO about unpaid super. If you're employed under the national workplace relations system, you may also be able to seek an order from an eligible court under the Fair Work Act.
When choosing a superannuation fund, there's no one-size-fits-all. It's best to look at both fees and investment performance, and the benefits and tools on offer to see how much better off you'll be.
