ROI in Australia

Net return = (after-tax income − living costs − loan repayments, added up over the years you work) − total cost of study − Indian earnings you gave up while studying

The same degree can produce very different outcomes depending on whether you secure relevant work during the 485 and whether you move to a permanent visa.

No official rupee total exists. Build your total with the template in Total cost of attendance: build a realistic 2-year Master's budget, including both visa charges (AUD 2,500 + AUD 5,750).

No official field-by-field salary ranges are published. Use:

• JSA occupation profiles for median earnings by occupation;
• QILT international-graduate tables for early-career salaries by study area;
• state public-sector pay scales for nursing and other public roles.

For every job and sponsorship route, the Core Skills floor is AUD 79,423 from 1 July 2026 (The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482).

Check  the highest-paying jobs in Australia for Indians. 

Official salary and employment figures for international graduates (QILT 2025 GOS)

Measured 4-6 months after graduation; salaries count only graduates employed full-time in Australia.

Source: QILT 2025 GOS International Key Findings. QILT notes that 2025 employment rates are not directly comparable with earlier years because the labour-force definition changed, and that international postgraduates are younger: 85.3% of Indian postgraduate coursework respondents were aged 30 or under. Among the top five source countries, postgraduate coursework full-time employment ranged from 44.5% to 70.9%.

What this means for your ROI: use about AUD 69,400 as an official starting point for an international Master's graduate who finds full-time work, not the higher domestic figures, and remember that around half were not yet in full-time work at the survey point. Field-level figures are in the GOS International Report tables.

It can be, where the course leads to an occupation with documented demand, the family can fund the full cost with a buffer, and the plan still works if the student returns to India. It is weakest where the budget depends on part-time income, the occupation needs experience the student lacks, or the plan depends on one migration setting. Is it still worth it for a 2027 start? A decision test turns this into a test.

Include tax, loan interest, rent, transport, health cover, currency conversion and months without income.

Australian residents for tax purposes pay income tax on progressive rates; superannuation is paid by the employer on top of salary but is not spendable income. Compare after-tax pay minus rent and living costs, and adjust for purchasing power before comparing with Indian salaries.

PR has value, but it is not a guaranteed return. Calculate education ROI without it, then treat PR as an upside.

Answer each honestly; three or more "no" answers suggest re-planning before you commit.

• [ ] Can the family fund the whole course plus a 6-month buffer without relying on part-time income?
• [ ] Does the course lead to a named occupation that a new graduate can enter (Course versus occupation: do not confuse the two, Fields outside the six domains: how to test demand before enrolling)?
• [ ] Is that occupation rated in shortage, or showing growth, in JSA data?
• [ ] Will you be 35 or under at graduation (or a research graduate)?
• [ ] Is the provider accredited for your profession and in good standing?
• [ ] Would the degree still be worth its cost if you returned to India after the 485?
• [ ] Have you compared at least one alternative (another country, India, working first, MATES if eligible)?

Repayment time depends on your loan, rate and income, so this section gives the method rather than an average. A standard EMI is:

EMI = P × r × (1 + r)ⁿ ÷ ((1 + r)ⁿ − 1)

where P is the principal, r the monthly interest rate and n the number of months.

Hypothetical illustration only (10% a year, 10-year tenure, repayment starting after any moratorium; your lender's rate and interest capitalised during the moratorium will differ):

Test the EMI against your after-tax, after-rent income in each scenario in 21.5, in both AUD and INR, and against an Indian salary if you return.