Backend engineer salary
Percentile salary data for backend engineer roles in Sydney, AU, by seniority. Senior-level figures include total compensation where regionally applicable. Figures are shown in USD by default, with the local AUD amount alongside; use the currency switcher to change the display.
Sydney carries a cost-of-living index of 86 on the Numbeo and Mercer blended scale where New York City equals 100, a moderate cost of living that is below New York City. The figures below are nominal pay in AUD; read them alongside that index when comparing Sydney with other markets.
Median pay by seniority
Junior
USD 48,180 (local: $73,000)
Base p50
Mid
USD 74,580 (local: $113,000)
Base p50
Senior
USD 145,200 (local: $220,000)
Total comp p50
Staff
USD 266,640 (local: $404,000)
Total comp p50
Distribution
10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile by seniority, shown in the local currency (AUD). The detailed table below defaults to USD.
Salary percentiles by seniority, in AUD. Junior: 10th percentile A$48,000, 25th A$60,000, median A$73,000, 75th A$91,000, 90th percentile A$113,000. Mid: 10th percentile A$73,000, 25th A$92,000, median A$113,000, 75th A$141,000, 90th percentile A$174,000. Senior: 10th percentile A$143,000, 25th A$181,000, median A$220,000, 75th A$275,000, 90th percentile A$341,000. Staff: 10th percentile A$291,000, 25th A$347,000, median A$404,000, 75th A$545,000, 90th percentile A$726,000.
| Seniority | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Comp | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| junior | USD 31,680 | USD 39,600 | USD 48,180 | USD 60,060 | USD 74,580 | Base | 320 |
| mid | USD 48,180 | USD 60,720 | USD 74,580 | USD 93,060 | USD 114,840 | Base | 480 |
| senior | USD 94,380 | USD 119,460 | USD 145,200 | USD 181,500 | USD 225,060 | Total comp | 220 |
| staff | USD 192,060 | USD 229,020 | USD 266,640 | USD 359,700 | USD 479,160 | Total comp | Not reported |
Source: US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1252) + Levels.fyi 2025 (2025) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151252.htm, cost-of-living index 86 (NYC=100)
Each step compares the median (50th percentile) of one tier with the next, using the figures in the table above for backend engineer roles in Sydney.
Take-home
Headline salaries are gross. What lands in your account after income tax and mandatory contributions is what actually pays the rent, so here is the estimated split on the Sydney senior median.
Gross / year
$220,000
Senior median (50th pct)
Take-home / year
$155,740
71% of gross
Take-home / month
$12,978
from $18,333 gross
Effective rate
29%
tax + contributions
On a senior median of $220,000 in Sydney, an estimated $64,260 goes to income tax and mandatory contributions, leaving roughly $155,740 take-home, or about 71% of gross.
That deduction breaks down as roughly $59,860 in income tax and $4,400 in social contributions at this income level in Australia.
In monthly terms that is about $12,978 net from $18,333 gross a month, the figure that actually lands in a backend engineer's account before pension or benefit elections.
Affordability
"Good" depends on what the city costs. Type your own figure below to see the estimated take-home and how far it goes against Sydney's single-person cost of living, or read the verdict on the senior median first.
Enter an annual gross figure to see the estimated take-home and how it compares with Sydney's single-person cost of living. Estimate based on Australian ATO 2024-25 + Medicare levy.
Take-home / year
$155,740
71% of gross
Take-home / month
$12,978
from $18,333 gross
Est. monthly living cost
$7,427
incl. ~$5,473 rent
Left over / month
$5,551
43% of take-home
manageable in Sydney
On $220,000 gross, your estimated take-home covers typical single-person living costs with a modest margin left, with rent taking a larger share of take-home than the 30% guideline. Rent is about 42% of monthly take-home here.
Reference estimate for a single filer with no dependants, using published 2025/2026 statutory bands and a cost-of-living index where New York City equals 100. It is not tax advice or a personalised calculation. Real take-home and living costs vary with filing status, pension elections, allowances, and where exactly you live.
Against Sydney's single-person cost base, a senior backend engineer on this median is manageable: the estimated take-home of $12,978 a month covers typical single-person living costs with a modest margin left, with rent taking a larger share of take-home than the 30% guideline.
Typical single-person monthly costs in Sydney, including roughly $5,473 for a one-bedroom rental, come to about $7,427, which would leave around $5,551 discretionary each month at the median.
Rent works out at about 42% of monthly take-home here, against the conventional 30% guideline often used as a reference point.
The verdict is descriptive, not advice: it compares one number against a modelled cost base. Living costs and tax both vary with circumstances this page cannot see.
Why the same job title in Sydney can span the spread shown above. These are descriptions of the data, not guidance on what to ask for.
Sydney has a cost of living about 14% lower than New York City. Because the two report in different currencies, compare the percentile tables directly rather than the headline numbers.
Real-terms figures divide the nominal median by the city cost-of-living index (New York City = 100). They are a rough purchasing-power comparison, not a take-home or after-tax calculation.
The mid-level median anchors to occupation medians from the sources below, then scales by the documented seniority multipliers (junior 0.65x, mid 1.00x, senior 1.45x, staff 2.05x) and the local tech-pay level for Sydney. The 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles are fitted from the median using the cross-sectional dispersion that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for software occupations. Cost-of-living indices blend Numbeo 2025 and Mercer 2025.
Primary source for this slice: US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1252) + Levels.fyi 2025 (2025). https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151252.htm
Reference data only. Reported medians describe a market; individual pay varies by employer, level calibration, and negotiation. Nothing here is financial advice.
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