Super Projection Calculator
Estimate your super balance when you retire, from your salary, the 12% super guarantee, any extra contributions, fees and investment returns. Results are in today’s dollars.
Your super at retirement
Super at age 67, in today’s dollars
$536,724
$2,058,567 in the dollars of that year
- Years to retirement
- 37
- Balance today
- $50,000.00
- Contributions after 15% tax
- $625,327
- Fees and insurance
- −$66,239
- Investment return (Balanced)
- 6.1% a year
An estimate, not a prediction: returns vary from year to year and can be negative. This is general information, not financial advice.
Rates checked 12 October 2026 against the ATO · How we calculate · Calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Your balance by age
| Age | Today’s dollars | Dollars of the day |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | $94,743 | $113,617 |
| 40 | $144,823 | $208,269 |
| 45 | $200,841 | $346,365 |
| 50 | $263,473 | $544,893 |
| 55 | $333,468 | $827,035 |
| 60 | $411,666 | $1,224,357 |
| 65 | $499,002 | $1,779,747 |
| 67 | $536,724 | $2,058,567 |
Assumptions explained
The default assumptions come from ASIC’s Moneysmart superannuation calculator, so you can compare the two. Change any of them under “Fees and assumptions”.
- Investment returns are after investment fees and the tax your fund pays on earnings: cash 3.7%, conservative 4.9%, moderate 5.7%, balanced 6.1%, growth 6.4%, high growth 6.8% a year. Real returns go up and down; the calculator assumes the same return every year.
- Employer super is 12% of your salary, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830 for 2026–27. Your salary, the base and the concessional cap all rise with wages, 3.7% a year by default; the cap rises in $2,500 steps.
- Contributions tax of 15% comes off employer and before-tax contributions as they go in.
- Fees and insurance default to $59.00 a year plus 0.11% of your balance, and $599 a year of insurance premiums. The dollar amounts rise with inflation (2.5%).
- Timing: contributions, fees and premiums are taken to arrive mid-year, so they earn half a year’s return in the year they’re paid.
- Not included: the low income super tax offset, government co-contributions, Division 293 tax, time out of the workforce, and tax on withdrawals.
Source: Superannuation calculator: assumptions, Moneysmart (ASIC), checked 12 October 2026 (APRA statistics as at March 2026 for fees; Willis Towers Watson outlook as at June 2026 for returns).
Effect of extra contributions
Starting at 30 with $50,000 on a $80,000 salary, the default projection reaches $536,724 in today’s dollars at 67. Extra before-tax contributions each year add:
- $2,500 a year: $655,392 at 67, $118,668 more
- $5,000 a year: $774,061 at 67, $237,337 more
- $10,000 a year: $1,011,398 at 67, $474,674 more
The investment option and fees matter too. The growth option instead of balanced gives $575,025, while an extra 0.5% of your balance in fees each year cuts the result to $476,067.
To see what extra contributions cost in take-home pay now, use the salary sacrifice calculator.
Contribution caps
Concessional contributions (your employer’s super guarantee, salary sacrifice and personal contributions you claim as a deduction) are capped each year. If your total super balance was under $500,000 on the previous 30 June, you can also use unused cap amounts from up to 5 earlier years. After-tax contributions have a separate, higher cap.
| Cap | 2025–26 | 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|
| Concessional (before-tax) | $30,000 | $32,500 |
| Non-concessional (after-tax) | $120,000 | $130,000 |
Sources: Concessional contributions cap, ATO, last updated 2 July 2026; Non-concessional contributions cap, ATO, last updated 7 May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What does “today’s dollars” mean?
Prices and wages rise over time, so $2,058,567 at age 67 won’t buy what it buys now. The calculator divides each future balance by 3.7% a year (inflation of 2.5% plus 1.2% for rising living standards), so the result is what that balance would feel like today: $536,724.
What super guarantee rate does the calculator use?
12%, the rate for 2026–27, for every future year. Your employer must pay at least this on your ordinary time earnings, up to the maximum contribution base. If your employer pays more, enter the extra as extra contributions.
Should I put extra money into super?
That depends on your circumstances, and this page can’t give personal advice. Extra super is usually taxed less than salary, but you can’t get it back until you meet a condition of release, such as retiring. Weigh it against paying off debt and other goals, and consider speaking to a licensed financial adviser.