What Happens to Your Super When You Change Jobs?
Changing jobs is one of the most common reasons Australians end up with more than one super account, often without realising it is happening. Here is what actually occurs, and what to check.
Your Super Does Not Automatically Follow You
Unlike your tax file number, your super fund does not automatically transfer when you start a new job. Under fund choice rules, you can generally nominate your existing super fund to your new employer, and they are required to pay into it. If you do not provide these details, your employer will typically pay into their own default fund, or in some cases an ATO nominated stapled fund ↗ linked to your existing super.
Why This Matters
If you do not actively nominate your existing fund, you may end up with a brand new account at your new employer, on top of the one you already had, each charging separate fees. This is one of the most common and avoidable ways people accumulate multiple accounts over a career.
What to Do When You Start a New Job
- Provide your existing super fund’s details to your new employer as part of your onboarding paperwork
- Confirm with your new employer, after your first pay or two, that contributions are actually landing in the correct account
Use our Employer Contribution Calculator to check the expected amount is being paid correctly.
If You Already Have Multiple Accounts
If this has already happened to you across previous jobs, it is generally worth reviewing your accounts and considering consolidation, along with comparing your current fund’s fees and performance on our Compare page, since a job change is also a natural moment to reassess whether you are in the right fund.
Check your new employer is paying the correct amount into the right account.
Try the Employer Contribution Calculator →This information is general in nature and not financial advice. See our full Disclaimer for details.