Can a second job count towards a home loan?

Anthony's main job was coordinating deliveries for a freight company. He earned about $72k. On evenings and weekends, he also worked security shifts, which brought in another $24k a year.

His first lender required 12 months in the security job. Anthony had worked there for 7 months, so it left out that income.

On his main income alone, his borrowing power came out at roughly $390k. He needed a $485k loan.

About $130k more borrowing capacity once the second job was included.

Anthony's actual assessment. It shows what changed in his case, not what another $24k of income will add for every borrower.

His work-history documents helped change the result. Anthony was 7 months into this security job, but he had already spent 4 years working in the industry. He held the right licence, had current payslips and could show that the 2 rosters did not clash.

I looked for a lender that could consider his 7 months in the job alongside his earlier security work. Once both incomes were assessed, his borrowing power moved to about $520k.

The income calculation needs its own check. A permanent part-time wage, casual weekend shifts, sales commission and income invoiced through an ABN are not interchangeable just because they all come from "job number two".

When someone sends me two sets of payslips, I do not begin by adding the annual salaries together. I begin with four questions.

1. How long have both jobs run at the same time? 7 months in one job and four years in another is different from four years of doing both together.

2. Can the hours realistically continue? The lender may ask for both rosters as well as the income figures.

3. What type of income is inside the second job? Contracted base pay is assessed differently from casual shifts, overtime, allowances or commission.

4. Does the application still make sense if the extra work slows down? Check whether you could comfortably keep working those evenings and weekends over a 30 year loan.

Anthony's application addressed all four questions. He could show his work history, knew the industry and had rosters that did not clash. His proposed repayment did not rely on earning his highest weekly income every week.

If a bank has already ignored your second income, send me both sets of payslips and the figure it used.

There is no single Australian rule. In the current lender comparison, the second-job test can be a minimum period, a combined-hours limit or no separate second-job rule at all.

One lender may ask for 6 months, another for 12 months, while others may consider the income sooner. The answer you receive applies to that lender’s rules.

I compared 12 lenders for this guide. Their starting points range from normal PAYG rules to 12 months in the second job.

Lender reviews: CBA; NAB; Teachers Mutual Bank; ANZ; Bankwest; ING; People First Bank; Macquarie; Suncorp; Firstmac; Westpac; St George.

Lender rules checked 31 July 2026. A general starting-point view of the 12 lenders named above, not a ranking, a recommendation or credit advice. Lending policy changes without notice, and any loan is subject to the lender's own credit assessment and approval of your full application.

CBA applies different rules to permanent and casual second jobs. For a permanent full-time or part-time second job, CBA can verify PAYG income from recent salary credits, a recent payslip, or an employment contract supported by the prior year's income statement. A casual second job is different: it generally needs 6 months with the current employer, or 6 months of casual or temporary work in the same industry or role. Earlier permanent experience does not satisfy that casual-history alternative.

If your second job is 7 months old, a 12 month rule does not mean every lender needs another 5 months. It means that particular lender needs another 5 months. I check whether another current policy fits your real work history and income type now.

Anthony's earlier security work mattered because it helped explain why the current role was sustainable. It also gave the assessor something stronger than a brand-new career and one good payslip.

I would still keep the wording precise. Earlier industry experience can support an application, but it does not automatically satisfy every lender's requirement for current or concurrent employment. I would use it where the policy and the documents allow it.

If either job itself is new, the guide on getting a home loan after starting a new job covers the separate employment-history question.

Hours are the other part borrowers rarely hear about until late in the process.

Among the lender rules I compared:

• People First publishes a maximum of 50 hours a week across all employment and counts the primary income source first.

• ING, Resimac and ME Bank publish a combined limit of 60 hours a week on the relevant second-job route.

• Macquarie, Westpac, St George, Firstmac and Bankwest do not state a combined-hours cap in the policies checked for this guide. Their second-job rules focus on history or sustainability instead.

That does not mean a lender without a published cap will ignore an 80 hour week. It means the application is not being decided by a stated 50 or 60 hour threshold. Sustainability can still be questioned.

The distinction matters. A lender may limit how much secondary income it uses when the combined hours exceed its policy. That is not the same as saying the whole home loan application is automatically declined.

It also matters who actually employs you. Extra shifts from the same employer shown on your payslip are usually not a second job. They may be overtime, casual income, shift loadings or allowances. If that is your situation, start with the income and employment home loan guide rather than forcing the income through a second-job rule.

A lender can be comfortable with the fact that you hold two jobs and still use a lower income figure than you expect. The second job has passed the employment check, but the money inside it still has to be calculated.

Usually starts with the contracted hours and rate. Read the part-time employment guide if guaranteed hours are the main issue.

Can bring its own work-history and income-calculation rules. The casual income guide explains the current differences.

These should be separated line by line. A contractual shift loading may be treated differently from optional overtime.

The lender may use a percentage of your past earnings rather than the latest payment or the on-target earnings (OTE) in your employment contract.

This may need a self-employed assessment rather than a PAYG second-job assessment. Start with the contractor income guide.

In Anthony's comparison, the extra $24k increased his estimated borrowing power by about $130k. That is a real result from his case, not a conversion rate you can apply to everyone. HECS, credit cards, car loans, dependants and living costs can all change what another person can borrow.

Maybe, but I would run the numbers before committing to it.

There are two different benefits:

• The extra work can build your deposit. That money remains useful even if a lender does not yet use the income.

• The income may improve borrowing power once it has enough history. If the loan depends on it, assume you may need to keep earning it after settlement.

The second benefit is where I would be careful. A lender may approve a larger loan because two jobs are shown as ongoing. That does not mean giving up every evening or weekend is a comfortable long-term plan.

I compare three versions:

1. the purchase that works on the main job alone

2. the purchase that works once the second income is accepted

3. the monthly position if the second shifts reduce later

If version two only works while you maintain a punishing roster, version one may be the better home loan even if it buys a cheaper home. Technical approval and a sensible household budget are not the same answer.

You may not need every document below. I start with the item that proves the part of the story a lender is most likely to question.

• Two recent payslips from each employer, with year-to-date figures where available.

• The contract or employment letter for each job, showing status, start date and ordinary hours.

• The latest ATO income statement or prior financial-year payslip, especially where the current year-to-date period is short.

• A simple weekly roster, if the assessor could reasonably wonder whether the jobs overlap.

• Bank statements showing both salary credits, where the payment history is part of the documents.

• Earlier same-industry records, such as prior income statements, licences or employer letters, when that experience supports the current arrangement.

Keep the documents focused. Show when both jobs started, how the hours fit, what each income stream contains and which figure can reasonably continue.

Include all your income when asking for an assessment, even if you are unsure whether it will count. For locum work, list who pays you and whether you receive payslips or invoice through an ABN. Keep each part-time role and any side business separate so the broker can check the right income and evidence rules.

Not sure whether you have enough history yet? I can compare applying now, waiting for the next useful date and testing the loan without some or all of the second income.

The lender examples on this page were checked on 31 July 2026. They are general starting positions only. Lenders can change their rules and assess the full application individually.

Hunter Galloway. Australian Credit Licence 389328. Credit Representative 000476903. This page contains general information and is not a credit assessment or promise of approval.

Client examples are based on real situations. Names and identifying details have been changed.

Content reviewed on 17 September 2026. Dates beside the lender rules show when they were checked. Confirm the requirements for your application before applying.