Retirement
Superannuation growth calculator
What a super balance could reach by retirement — and how much of it fees and contributions tax take on the way.
- No sign-up or email
- Runs in your browser
- Assumptions you can edit
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How much super will I have when I retire?
A super projection is not a compound interest sum. Contributions are taxed going in, fees come out in two different shapes, and employer contributions move with your salary. All four are modelled here, and each is reported separately so you can see what it costs you.
Only years whose rates have been checked and signed off are available.
years
years
$
$
$
Salary sacrifice or personal deductible contributions, per year.
$
Per year. Not taxed going into the fund.
%
After investment tax, before fees.
%
Charged on the balance each year.
$
%
%
Used for the today's-dollars figure.
Projected balance
$1,481,056
in 27 years
In today's dollars
$760,374
after assumed inflation
Contributions tax
$69,613
taken on the way in
Fees
$126,832
over the whole period
| Age | Opening | Employer | Your extra | Contributions tax | Growth | Fees | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | $150,000 | $11,400 | $0 | −$1,710 | $9,750 | −$1,264 | $168,176 |
| 42 | $168,176 | $11,742 | $0 | −$1,761 | $10,931 | −$1,402 | $187,686 |
| 43 | $187,686 | $12,094 | $0 | −$1,814 | $12,200 | −$1,549 | $208,617 |
| 44 | $208,617 | $12,457 | $0 | −$1,869 | $13,560 | −$1,707 | $231,058 |
| 45 | $231,058 | $12,831 | $0 | −$1,925 | $15,019 | −$1,877 | $255,106 |
| 46 | $255,106 | $13,216 | $0 | −$1,982 | $16,582 | −$2,058 | $280,863 |
| 47 | $280,863 | $13,612 | $0 | −$2,042 | $18,256 | −$2,253 | $308,437 |
| 48 | $308,437 | $14,021 | $0 | −$2,103 | $20,048 | −$2,461 | $337,942 |
| 49 | $337,942 | $14,441 | $0 | −$2,166 | $21,966 | −$2,683 | $369,500 |
| 50 | $369,500 | $14,874 | $0 | −$2,231 | $24,017 | −$2,921 | $403,239 |
Calculated using the 2026-27 rates.
Estimate only, based on the figures and assumptions you entered. It is general information, not financial advice, and it does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account. Model version 0.1.0, not independently reviewed.
Reading the result
What the numbers mean
Contributions tax and fees are reported as their own totals. Over thirty years both are large numbers, and a projection that folds them into 'growth' hides that.
In today's dollars is the figure to plan against. A balance decades away buys less than the same number does now.
Employer contributions are calculated on your salary each year, and your salary is indexed by the growth rate you set — so raising that rate raises the projection twice over.
The return you enter is an assumption, not a forecast, and it is applied evenly. Real returns arrive in an order, and the order matters near retirement.
Worked example
An example, start to finish
The result depends on the contribution and cap settings for the year you select, so the worked figures are left to the calculator rather than printed here.
- Opening balance
- as entered
- Plus employer contributions
- at the guarantee rate, capped by the contribution base
- Plus your extra contributions
- before-tax and after-tax shown separately
- Less contributions tax
- on before-tax contributions only
- Less fees
- percentage of balance plus the fixed amount
- Plus investment return
- at your assumed rate
Each year runs in that order, and the year-by-year table shows every line so the arithmetic can be followed.
Methodology
What this calculator assumes
Each year: the return is applied to the opening balance, net contributions are added, then fees are deducted. Contributions therefore earn no return in the year they are made, which is deliberately conservative.
Before-tax contributions are reduced by contributions tax at the rate in the selected year. After-tax contributions are not.
Employer contributions are the superannuation guarantee rate applied to salary, capped by the maximum contribution base.
Salary is indexed each year by the growth rate you set. Contributions you enter are not indexed.
The today's-dollars column discounts by the inflation rate you set, compounded annually.
Limitations
What it does not do
Not modelled: insurance premiums deducted from your balance, Division 293 tax for higher incomes, unused concessional cap carried forward from earlier years, the low income super tax offset, government co-contribution, spouse contributions, and the transfer balance cap at retirement.
This does not tell you whether the balance is enough to retire on — that depends on what you plan to spend. A retirement calculator is a separate tool.
It does not compare or recommend super funds. Fees and returns are figures you supply.
Contribution caps and tax settings change. The year you select determines them.
About this model
Built by the Souffle team. Model version 0.1.0, in effect from 2026-09-10. It has not been independently reviewed, and no review badge is shown for that reason. The calculation runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent to us or to anyone else, and nothing is stored.
Questions
Common questions
Should I use a return before or after fees?
Enter a return after investment tax but before fees, then enter the fees separately. Entering a net-of-fees return and fees as well would charge them twice.
Why is contributions tax shown separately?
Because it is a real cost of putting money into super, and over decades it is a large figure. Folding it into growth would make the projection look better than it is.
Does this pick the best super fund for me?
No. It projects the assumptions you enter. Comparing funds involves fees, insurance, investment options and service, and choosing between them is advice.
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