Super Guarantee Explained: What Your Employer Must Pay You
The Super Guarantee is the legal foundation of Australia’s superannuation system, and understanding exactly how it works is the easiest way to make sure you are not being short changed.
What Is the Super Guarantee?
The Super Guarantee, often shortened to SG, is the minimum percentage of your salary that your employer is legally required to pay into your super fund. It currently sits at 12% of your ordinary time earnings, a rate reached on 1 July 2025 after several years of gradual increases. This payment is made on top of your salary, not taken out of it. Full details are on the ATO’s Super Guarantee page ↗.
Who Is Entitled to It
Most employees are entitled to SG contributions, including full time, part time, and casual workers, and in many cases contractors paid mainly for their labour. Since 1 July 2022, there is no minimum monthly earnings threshold, meaning you are generally entitled to SG contributions regardless of how few hours you work in a given month, provided other basic eligibility criteria are met.
What Counts as Ordinary Time Earnings
This generally includes your regular salary or wages, most allowances, and commissions. Overtime is generally excluded, though this can depend on your specific award or agreement. Your payslip should show how much super is being calculated and paid on your behalf.
How Often It Should Be Paid
Employers must generally pay SG contributions at least quarterly, though many now pay in line with each regular pay cycle. Late or missing payments are a real issue for some workers, and it is worth checking your super fund statement periodically against your payslips.
Checking You Are Being Paid Correctly
Use our Employer Contribution Calculator to estimate what you should be receiving based on your salary. If there is a consistent gap, raise it with your employer first, since it is sometimes a simple payroll error. If unresolved, unpaid super can be reported directly to the ATO ↗, which has the power to investigate and recover unpaid contributions.
Check exactly what your employer should be paying based on your salary.
Try the Employer Contribution Calculator →This information is general in nature and not financial or legal advice. See our full Disclaimer for details.