Barista FIRE Calculator
Australia 2026
Can part-time work plus your savings get you out of full-time work? Two tests, because super unlocks at 60: the bridge until then, and your super after.
Read the full answer — method, rates and figures
Quick answer: Barista FIRE means leaving full-time work while investments cover the part of your spending that part-time pay does not. In Australia it is two tests, because super stays locked until 60.
First, money outside super has to cover the gap between your spending and your part-time take-home pay every year until 60. Second, your super at 60 has to be big enough to fund full retirement (spending ÷ your withdrawal rate, less anything left outside super).
Part-time pay still earns the 12% super guarantee, so super keeps growing in the meantime. Example: at 45, spending $60,000 a year with a $40,000 part-time job ($36,505 after tax), the gap is $23,495 a year, so you need $256,064 outside super to reach 60, and about $1,304,713 in super at 60 at a 4% withdrawal rate.
Figures in today's dollars, 5% real return.
How much do you need for Barista FIRE in Australia?
Outside super: the yearly gap between spending and part-time take-home pay, until 60. In super: your spending ÷ withdrawal rate at 60. Part-time pay still earns the 12% super guarantee.
Yearly gap
$23,495
Needed outside super
$256K
Super at 60
$920K
Super needed at 60
$1.30m
Part-time pay of $40,000 leaves $36,505 after $3,495 tax and adds $4,800 a year to super. The bridge to 60 is covered, but super is projected at $920K against the $1.30m needed to stop work at 60. Working part-time a few years past 60, salary sacrifice now, or a part Age Pension from 67 can close it.
Watch both Barista FIRE tests move
Your bridge and your super change every month with markets and pay. Richify keeps super, shares and savings together so you can see the gap close.
Outside super
$350K
Needed to 60
$256K
Super at 60
$920K
Super needed
$1.30m
Last reviewed 6 October 2026 by the Richify AI agent team.
Reviewed by Felix, Richify's AI CFO — an AI author, presented as one.
This is the textbook answer. Want to see this calculated against your actual accounts?
Connect them to Richify →Your Super, Savings and Part-Time Pay in One View
Richify tracks super, shares and savings together, so you can watch both Barista FIRE tests move month by month. Free, no ads.
Get Richify — It's FreeHow it works
Your part-time salary is taxed at 2026-27 resident rates, with the low income tax offset and the Medicare levy, to get take-home pay. The yearly gap is your spending minus that take-home pay. Test 1 (the bridge): the money outside super must fund the gap every year until 60; we discount the gap at your real return, paid at the start of each year. Test 2 (super): your super balance grows at the same real return until 60, plus the 12% super guarantee on your part-time pay after 15% contributions tax. At 60 you stop work, so super plus anything left outside it must reach your spending ÷ your withdrawal rate. All figures are in today's dollars. The Age Pension is not included, which keeps the result conservative.
Barista FIRE in Australia: part-time pay vs what you need
Using your age, spending, balances and assumptions, how the two tests change with the part-time salary you earn.
| Part-time salary | Take-home | Outside super needed | Super at 60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | $0 | $654K | $832K |
| $20,000 | $20,000 | $436K | $876K |
| $30,000 | $28,731 | $341K | $898K |
| $40,000 | $36,505 | $256K | $920K |
| $50,000 | $43,730 | $177K | $942K |
| $60,000 | $50,380 | $105K | $964K |
Green = that test passes with your current balances. Today's dollars; tax at 2026-27 resident rates.
Barista, Coast or full FIRE?
Full FIRE needs your whole spending covered by investments (your spending ÷ withdrawal rate: $1.50m here). Barista FIRE needs less because part-time pay covers part of it. Coast FIRE is different again: you stop saving and let what you have grow, while still working to cover living costs. Compare all three with the FIRE calculator and the Coast FIRE calculator. If super is the short side, the salary sacrifice calculator shows what extra pre-tax contributions do, and the Age Pension calculator shows what a part pension from 67 could add. For the strategy behind it, read the FIRE in Australia guide.
Related Australian super tools
Super calculator
Project your super balance at retirement at SG 12%.
Salary sacrifice calculator
Tax saving from redirecting pre-tax salary into super.
Carry-forward super calculator
Unused concessional cap from the last 5 years — and what expires 30 June 2027.
Super co-contribution calculator
The government matches after-tax contributions 50c in the dollar, up to $500.
Parental leave super calculator
The ATO now pays 12% super on Parental Leave Pay — children born from 1 July 2025.
Division 293 calculator
Check if the 30% Div 293 surcharge applies to high earners.
FHSS calculator
First Home Super Saver — up to $50K released for a deposit.
Drawdown calculator
Project how long your super lasts in retirement.
Age Pension calculator
Income test + assets test + deeming — see which one binds.
Deeming calculator
Deemed income at the 20 Sep 2026 rates, and what the rise did to your pension.
SMSF setup cost calculator
Fixed SMSF costs vs percentage fund fees — find the break-even balance.
SMSF pension phase calculator
Minimum drawdown + tax-free earnings for SMSF retirees.
Transition to retirement calculator
From 60: a tax-free TTR pension plus salary sacrifice, or fewer hours on the same pay.
Non-concessional contributions calculator
The $130,000 after-tax cap and the bring-forward rule: up to $390,000 at once, by super balance.
Payday Super calculator
The 7-business-day deadline from 1 July 2026, plus the SGC if it's late.
SMSF property borrowing checker
The LRBA ban is in force — are you grandfathered, and what can the fund still borrow for?
Average super by age
Compare your balance to Australians your age (ATO data).
Super Snapshot
Get your Super Score and a retirement projection.
Superannuation guide
SG rate, caps, salary sacrifice, finding lost super.
How much super should I have?
ATO median vs ASFA Comfortable on-track target by age.
9 common super mistakes
Default option, lost super, beneficiary nominations — fixes for each.
Super depletion factors
APRA minimum drawdown, actuarial multipliers, and Safe Withdrawal Rate — three frameworks explained.
Payday Super 2026
ATO super payment changes effective 1 July 2026 — paid with each wage cycle, not quarterly.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your age and what you expect to spend a year once you leave full-time work.
- Enter the part-time salary you expect, before tax. The calculator works out the tax and the super guarantee.
- Enter what you hold outside super (shares, ETFs, savings) and your super balance.
- Adjust the real return and withdrawal rate if you want. Read the two tests: the bridge to 60 and super at 60.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is Barista FIRE in Australia?
Barista FIRE is semi-retirement: your investments cover part of your spending and part-time work covers the rest. In Australia the twist is super.
You cannot normally touch it until you reach preservation age (60) and retire, so the years before 60 have to be funded by part-time pay plus savings outside super.
How much do I need for Barista FIRE?
Two amounts. Outside super: enough to cover the yearly gap between your spending and your part-time take-home pay until 60, after investment growth.
In super: enough at 60 to fund your full spending, at the withdrawal rate you choose. The calculator works out both from your own numbers.
Do part-time workers still get super?
Yes. Employers pay the super guarantee at 12% of your earnings whether you work full-time or part-time, so your super keeps growing during barista years.
The calculator adds it to your projected balance at 60, after the 15% contributions tax inside the fund.
Can I use my super to retire before 60?
Generally no. Super is preserved until you reach preservation age, which is 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964, and then retire (or turn 65).
That is why money outside super, such as shares, ETFs or savings, is the bridge in an Australian Barista FIRE plan.
Where does the Age Pension fit in?
The Age Pension starts at 67 and is means-tested on your income and assets. Many people on a Barista FIRE path qualify for a part pension once their super has been drawn down, which lowers how much they need.
This calculator leaves it out to stay conservative; the Age Pension calculator shows what you might get.
Is Barista FIRE about health insurance like in the US?
No. In the US the main reason to keep a part-time job is employer health cover. In Australia, Medicare covers you whether you work or not, so Barista FIRE here is about income, keeping super contributions going, and staying engaged.
More free financial calculators
Borrowing Capacity Calculator
How much can you borrow? Estimate your home-loan power with APRA's buffer.
🏠Mortgage Calculator
Estimate monthly repayments, interest, and amortisation.
🔄Refinance Calculator
See how much you could save by switching lenders.
🧾Pay Calculator
Your 2026-27 take-home pay per week, fortnight or month.
💰Net Worth Calculator
Track your assets minus liabilities in one place.
🏆Net Worth Percentile
See where your net worth ranks against Australians your age.
🔥FIRE Calculator
Find out when you can reach financial independence.
Further Reading
Your Super, Savings and Part-Time Pay in One View
Richify tracks super, shares and savings together, so you can watch both Barista FIRE tests move month by month. Free, no ads.
Get Richify — It's FreeWatch your FIRE date moveWatch it move
Free in the Richify app