New-job super checklist: choose a fund and verify contributions
This guide focuses on setting up and checking super when you start work. Compare actual products and insurance needs rather than assuming one fund category is best. Departure withdrawals are covered separately in our DASP guide.
In this guide
Check the contribution, not just the headline salary
The super guarantee (SG) rate is 12% from 1 July 2025. Since 1 July 2026, Payday Super uses qualifying earnings; this includes ordinary time earnings and specified other amounts. Not every payment is necessarily included. Confirm treatment of overtime, allowances, bonuses and the maximum contribution base with payroll or the ATO.
There is no $450 monthly earnings minimum. Eligible full-time, part-time and casual employees can receive super regardless of monthly pay. If under 18, the employee generally must work more than 30 hours in a week. Domestic/private workers and some international arrangements have special rules. Some contractors paid mainly for their personal labour also qualify.
Package example: assume the only components are wages and 12% employer super, and all wages are qualifying earnings. A $70,000 package inclusive of super gives $70,000 ÷ 1.12 = $62,500 wages and $7,500 super. A $70,000 salary plus super gives $70,000 wages and $8,400 super, a $78,400 package. Bonuses, other benefits or contribution-base limits can change this algebra.
Choose, or understand the stapled-fund process
Most eligible workers can nominate a complying fund. If you do not choose, employers generally request your existing “stapled” fund from the ATO. An employer default fund and a stapled fund are not the same thing. If the ATO finds no stapled fund, an eligible employer default fund may be used. Some employment arrangements have choice exceptions.
- If you already have a fund, check whether it still accepts contributions and suits your needs before opening another.
- Use the fund’s correct member number and product details on the choice form; ask payroll to confirm receipt.
- Compare investment options with similar risk levels, their disclosed fees, long-term performance periods and insurance terms. Industry/retail labels alone do not establish quality.
- Before consolidating, check whether cover will end or require fresh underwriting, and whether you would lose valuable benefits. Being single does not by itself make disability or income-protection cover unnecessary.
First pay and first contribution checks
- Keep your contract, fund-choice submission and payslip. Find the employer SG amount and fund name on the payslip.
- Check the fund transaction history after the applicable payment deadline. A payslip shows what payroll recorded; the fund record shows receipt.
- From 1 July 2026, payments generally need to reach the fund within seven business days after payday. Statutory extensions can apply, including certain new-employee cases.
- If money appears missing, ask payroll for the amount, payment date, fund and identifying details. Check for rejected contributions or wrong member numbers.
- If unresolved, use the ATO unpaid-super enquiry route and retain records. Do not treat a payslip balance as proof payment was made.
A reproducible one-year illustration
Assume $80,000 qualifying earnings, 12% SG, a $10,000 opening balance, no extra contributions, 15% contributions tax and all annual contributions added at the beginning of the model year. Gross SG is $9,600; contributions tax is $1,440; net contribution is $8,160. Assume 5% investment return after investment tax but before a 1% balance fee. The model balance is ($10,000 + $8,160) × (1 + 0.05 − 0.01) = $18,886.40. At assumed 2.5% inflation, that is $18,425.76 in today’s dollars.
This is a teaching model, not a forecast of any fund. Real contributions arrive through the year; returns fluctuate, fixed fees and insurance can reduce the balance, and tax treatment can vary. Use the super scenario calculator to change assumptions and inspect its limitations.
Before adding extra money
Concessional contributions include employer SG, salary sacrifice and personal contributions for which a valid deduction is claimed. The general 2026–27 cap is $32,500 across all funds. The general after-tax non-concessional cap is $130,000, but total super balance, age and bring-forward rules can reduce or change your available amount. Carry-forward rules can alter concessional capacity. Caps are not a recommendation to contribute.
Concessional contributions are generally taxed at 15%; additional tax, refunds or offsets may apply. Consider access restrictions, debts, emergency cash, insurance and possible DASP before contributing. Claiming a personal deduction requires the applicable notice and acknowledgement process; it is not automatically available for every deposit.
A balance is not immediately spendable
Turning 60 alone does not automatically release all super. You generally need a condition of release, such as retirement or ending an employment arrangement after 60; at 65 access is generally available regardless of work. Transition-to-retirement and other release rules are separate. Payments from a taxed fund after 60 are often tax-free, but untaxed elements and some defined-benefit arrangements differ.
Eligible former temporary residents may instead qualify for DASP after departure and visa cessation. Read the component and mixed-visa DASP examples before assuming what you will receive.
Common questions
Does every new job create a new fund?
No. You can nominate an existing eligible fund and employers generally check for a stapled fund when no choice is made.
Do casual workers need $450 a month for super?
No. That threshold was removed in July 2022. Other eligibility tests, including the under-18 hours test, can still matter.
Is the largest projected balance guaranteed?
No. It depends on inputs and model assumptions. Compare risk, fees, insurance and access as well as projected amounts.
Sources and scope
Checked 30 September 2026. This is general information, not an individual tax, financial, employment or migration assessment. Follow the linked official instructions for your circumstances.