How long do you need to be in your job?
There is no rule that everyone needs 6 months or 2 years in the same job. I first check how you are employed, how long you have worked in that type of role and which parts of your pay need to be included.
Just started a role? You may still have options now. The new job guide explains when your earlier work in the same industry or a similar role can help.
Start with the job you actually have
The word on your contract is only the starting point. I want to know who pays you, when you started, whether the hours are guaranteed and which extra payments you need the bank to use.
Use the guide that matches your employment arrangement:
| How you work | First question | Dedicated guide |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent full-time or part-time | Does the ongoing base in the contract match the current pay? | Part-time employment |
| Casual | Which history and income period apply to the variable hours? | Casual employment |
| Fixed-term, agency or day rate | Is the income PAYG, variable PAYG or invoiced through an ABN? | Contractor income |
| Self-employed | Which business history and completed financial period can be used? | Self-employed income |
Start with the job you actually have
Permanent full-time or part-time
- First question
- Does the ongoing base in the contract match the current pay?
- Dedicated guide
- Part-time employment
Casual
- First question
- Which history and income period apply to the variable hours?
- Dedicated guide
- Casual employment
Fixed-term, agency or day rate
- First question
- Is the income PAYG, variable PAYG or invoiced through an ABN?
- Dedicated guide
- Contractor income
Self-employed
- First question
- Which business history and completed financial period can be used?
- Dedicated guide
- Self-employed income
If none of those labels fits neatly, the unusual-employment guide can help you find the income guide that is closest to the way you are paid.
How much work history will the bank want?
The amount of work history a lender needs depends on your type of job. Some banks focus on time with your current employer. Others can also look at earlier work in the same industry or a similar role.
I use exact dates because a short gap or recent change can affect which option works:
| Part of the timeline | Details to record |
|---|---|
| Current job | Employer, job type, start date, ordinary hours, pay rate and probation end date where relevant. |
| Earlier work | Employer, role, industry, type of job and end date. Earlier work in the same industry may help when the current job is new. |
| Gaps | Exact first and last day without work, plus a factual reason where the lender asks. |
| Changes | New employer, promotion, lower hours, higher rate, PAYG-to-ABN move or agency change. |
Employment timeline to prepare
Current job
- Details to record
- Employer, job type, start date, ordinary hours, pay rate and probation end date where relevant.
Earlier work
- Details to record
- Employer, role, industry, type of job and end date. Earlier work in the same industry may help when the current job is new.
Gaps
- Details to record
- Exact first and last day without work, plus a factual reason where the lender asks.
Changes
- Details to record
- New employer, promotion, lower hours, higher rate, PAYG-to-ABN move or agency change.
I then compare banks based on the history you actually have. There is no point waiting 6 months if another suitable bank can use your earlier experience now.
This is why someone with 2 months in a new role and 8 years in the industry can have a different answer from someone with only 2 months of work history. The new job guide explains when that earlier experience can help.
Which parts of your pay can count?
Base salary is normally the simplest part. Casual hours, overtime, allowances, bonus income and a second job can each need a separate check.
| Income source | What the lender needs to check |
|---|---|
| Base salary | Do the contract, current payslip and salary credits show the same ongoing figure? |
| Permanent part-time | Are the ordinary hours guaranteed and current? |
| Casual pay | What period does the year-to-date figure cover, and are the hours regular? |
| Overtime, penalties and allowances | Is each line contractual, regular or discretionary, and how long has it been paid? |
| Bonus or commission | What is the payment history, frequency and current-year amount? |
| Second job | How long has it overlapped with the first job, and are the combined hours sustainable? |
| Contractor income | Who withholds tax and pays super, and does the worker receive leave or issue invoices? |
| Business income | How long has the business traded, and which financial records can the bank use? |
Which parts of your pay can count?
Base salary
- What the lender needs to check
- Do the contract, current payslip and salary credits show the same ongoing figure?
Permanent part-time
- What the lender needs to check
- Are the ordinary hours guaranteed and current?
Casual pay
- What the lender needs to check
- What period does the year-to-date figure cover, and are the hours regular?
Overtime, penalties and allowances
- What the lender needs to check
- Is each line contractual, regular or discretionary, and how long has it been paid?
Bonus or commission
- What the lender needs to check
- What is the payment history, frequency and current-year amount?
Second job
- What the lender needs to check
- How long has it overlapped with the first job, and are the combined hours sustainable?
Contractor income
- What the lender needs to check
- Who withholds tax and pays super, and does the worker receive leave or issue invoices?
Business income
- What the lender needs to check
- How long has the business traded, and which financial records can the bank use?
The year-to-date calculator can estimate annual income from your payslip. The lender decides which period to use and how much of that income it will count.
What documents will you need?
You do not need to send every employment document you have ever received. Start with the document that answers the bank's question.
| Unclear point | Documents to start with |
|---|---|
| Current base pay | Recent payslip and signed contract or employer letter where needed. |
| Start date or probation | Contract, employer letter, first payslip and earlier employment timeline. |
| Variable pay | Current year-to-date record and prior full-year income evidence. |
| Work history | Earlier contracts, final payslips, income statements and exact gap dates. |
| Agency arrangement | Payslip employer, employment contract, placement agreement and salary credits. |
| ABN or business income | ABN date, tax returns, notices of assessment, financial statements, BAS or other business records the bank asks for. |
What documents will you need?
Current base pay
- Documents to start with
- Recent payslip and signed contract or employer letter where needed.
Start date or probation
- Documents to start with
- Contract, employer letter, first payslip and earlier employment timeline.
Variable pay
- Documents to start with
- Current year-to-date record and prior full-year income evidence.
Work history
- Documents to start with
- Earlier contracts, final payslips, income statements and exact gap dates.
Agency arrangement
- Documents to start with
- Payslip employer, employment contract, placement agreement and salary credits.
ABN or business income
- Documents to start with
- ABN date, tax returns, notices of assessment, financial statements, BAS or other business records the bank asks for.
The document list changes with the type of work and the lender. Do not alter or recreate a document to make the figures agree.
What if your contract and payslip do not match?
Do not assume the bank will simply use the higher figure. Work out why the documents differ before the application goes in.
the contract shows the old salary and the payslip shows a new rate
year-to-date income includes an earlier roster with more hours
the workplace is named in conversation, but the agency employs and pays the worker
a regular allowance is included in gross pay but not identified separately
invoices through an ABN are described as wages
Resolve the difference with a factual explanation and the original supporting record. For example, a contract variation can show when new hours began. It should not be used to promise future income that the employer has not agreed to.
Before relying on the borrowing amount, I want to understand any difference between 2 income figures, especially if the loan only works with the higher one.
Start with 4 lines: current job type and start date, earlier work and gaps, ongoing base and variable income, and the document that proves each amount.
What else can affect the loan?
Your job and income are only part of the application. The bank will also check the deposit, debts, household expenses, credit history and the property you want to buy.
Deposit and funds
Show the savings, gift, equity or sale proceeds being used, plus purchase costs outside the loan.
Debts and limits
Include home loans, personal loans, car finance, buy-now-pay-later accounts and credit-card limits, even where the current balance is $0.
Household expenses
Use realistic continuing costs. Approval at the largest possible figure is not the same as a comfortable plan.
Proposed property
The bank still needs to accept the contract, valuation and type of property you want to buy.
What to check before you apply
Start with the one part of your job or income that is unclear. Then use the guide that matches it:
New role or probation is the main issue: compare the timing rules in the new-job guide.
Casual hours are the main issue: check how long you have worked there and how the bank may calculate the income.
PAYG versus ABN is unclear: check whether your employer withholds tax or you invoice through an ABN.
Permanent part-time base is unclear: check that the payslip matches your guaranteed hours.
The documents now agree: calculate your borrowing power and repayments before applying.
Once the documents agree, I calculate your borrowing power and repayments before choosing a bank or submitting an application. If something is missing, I check whether a payslip, contract variation or more work history would resolve it before recommending that you wait.
Not sure which job rule applies to you?
If these payments form part of your income, check the specific evidence requirements for commission before relying on the full amount in your application.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
- Start here
Find the guide that matches the way you are employed.
- Related guide
How lenders check casual income, hours and work history.
- Related guide
How permanent hours and extra shifts may be assessed.
- Related guide
The difference between PAYG, day rate and ABN income.
- Related guide
What can help when you have changed roles or are still on probation.
- Related guide
What lenders check while you are still in your probation period.
- Related guide
What lenders consider when you work for more than one employer.
Check whether your job and income can work
Send me your job type, start date and the income you need included. I will check which banks may suit the work history you already have and what document you need next.
or call 1300 088 065
Any loan is subject to the lender’s assessment and approval.
About these lender examples: The employment examples on this page were checked from 28 to 31 July 2026. Lenders can change their rules and assess the income, deposit, credit history and property individually.
Hunter Galloway. Australian Credit Licence 389328. Credit Representative 476903. This page contains general information and is not a credit assessment, tax, employment or legal advice, or a promise of approval.
Client examples are based on real situations. Names and identifying details have been changed.
Content reviewed on 17 September 2026. Lender-policy verification dates are stated separately; lender requirements should be confirmed for your application.
Sources and review
How this guide was checked
Editorially reviewed on 17 September 2026. This guide separates employment history, income evidence and the amount a lender may use in its assessment.
Lender comparisons draw on policy sources checked in July to August 2026. Any later checks are dated beside the relevant lender guidance. The public references below support the topics named in each link; they are not a fresh verification of every lender in the comparison.
References
Lender requirements can change. Confirm the rules and documents for your application before relying on an income or borrowing estimate.