Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions rate and rules

As employees, most of us see our employer’s Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions in our super account and rarely give it much thought.

To help you understand these contributions a little better, read SuperGuide’s simple explanation of the SG and what it means for your retirement savings.

What is the Superannuation Guarantee?

The most common type of contribution regularly going into your super account is likely to be the Superannuation Guarantee – or SG for short – which is the contribution your employer (whether large or small) is required to make into a super fund on your behalf.

The SG is part of the remuneration you receive from your employer. The amount is a percentage of your gross ordinary time earnings. The percentage is set by the Australian Government and has changed over time.

What is the current Superannuation Guarantee rate?

The current percentage rate for Superannuation Guarantee contribution payments by your employer is 12%. Some past history of the rate is shown in the table below.

Superannuation Guarantee rate (2002 to 2026 and beyond)

Period	Super Guarantee rate
1 July 2002 – 30 June 2013	9%
1 July 2013 – 30 June 2014	9.25%
1 July 2014 – 30 June 2021	9.5%
1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022	10%
1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023	10.5%
1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024	11%
1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025	11.5%
1 July 2025 – onwards	12%

If your employer doesn’t pay the required rate of SG into your super account by the due date after each payday, they have to pay a Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) to the ATO. The ATO uses data from single touch payroll and super funds to track your entitlements, and sends an assessment to your employer if their contributions are late or not paid. The SGC includes interest and an administration fee, plus any SG that remains unpaid at the time of the ATO’s assessment.

Am I eligible for SG contributions?

Your employer is required to make quarterly SG contributions to your super fund if you are an eligible employee, regardless of how much you are paid. The SG contribution amount is calculated using your qualifying earnings (see section below).

You are eligible for SG payments whether you are a full-time, part-time or casual employee.

Employees aged under 18, or those classified as a private or domestic worker (like a nanny), must work for their employer more than 30 hours per week to qualify for SG payments.

Employees who are a company director, a family member working in a business, or employees who are receiving super pension, annuity or transition to retirement payments are also eligible for SG payments.

If you are self-employed as a sole trader or in a partnership, you are not required to pay SG for yourself.

Temporary residents are also entitled to receive SG payments into their super account.

Your employer is not required to make SG contributions if you are a non-Australian resident and are paid to do work outside Australia, are an Australian resident but paid by a non-resident employer for work done outside the country, a senior foreign executive on certain visas, or temporarily working in Australia for an overseas employer and are covered by super provisions in a bilateral social security agreement.

How is my SG contribution calculated?