AUD/USD is quoted in US dollars, so its pip value is a fixed $10 per lot and the sizing arithmetic is as simple as EUR/USD's. What is different is the behaviour: the Aussie trades with commodity prices and Chinese data, has its most important releases during the Asian session, and moves a little less than the euro on a normal day. This calculator returns the lot size for your balance, risk and stop; the notes below cover the rest.
AUD/USD contract facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard lot | 100,000 AUD |
| Mini / micro lot | 10,000 / 1,000 AUD |
| Pip | 0.0001 |
| Pip value, 1 lot | $10.00 on a USD account |
| Pip value, 0.10 lot / 0.01 lot | $1.00 / $0.10 |
| Typical spread | 0.2–1.2 pips on ECN accounts |
| Typical daily range | roughly 50–70 pips |
| Most liquid hours | Sydney–Tokyo overlap for local data; London–New York overlap for volume |
The lot size formula for AUD/USD
Lot size = (Account balance × Risk %) ÷ (Stop loss in pips × $10)Example 1 — $10,000 account, 1% risk, 20-pip stop:
- Risk amount: $100
- Loss per lot: $200
- Lot size: 0.50 lots
Example 2 — $3,000 account, 1% risk, 30-pip stop:
- Risk amount: $30
- Loss per lot: $300
- Lot size: 0.10 lots
Example 3 — $100,000 prop-firm account, 0.5% risk, 25-pip stop:
- Risk amount: $500
- Loss per lot: $250
- Lot size: 2.00 lots
Quick reference: AUD/USD lot size at 1% risk
| Account | 10-pip stop | 20-pip stop | 30-pip stop | 50-pip stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.02 |
| $5,000 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 0.17 | 0.10 |
| $10,000 | 1.00 | 0.50 | 0.33 | 0.20 |
| $50,000 | 5.00 | 2.50 | 1.67 | 1.00 |
| $100,000 | 10.00 | 5.00 | 3.33 | 2.00 |
Halve for 0.5% risk; double for 2%.
What makes AUD/USD different
- The important data lands in the Asian session. RBA decisions, Australian employment and CPI, and Chinese PMI and trade figures are released while Europe and the US are asleep. A position left open overnight from New York can wake up 50 pips away.
- It is a risk-sentiment pair. AUD/USD tends to rise when equities and commodities rise and fall when markets de-risk. On a bad day for stocks it can fall without any Australian news at all.
- Iron ore and China matter. Australia's export mix ties the currency to Chinese demand. Weak Chinese data is a headwind for the Aussie regardless of the RBA.
- The range is moderate. 50–70 pips is typical, so 15–25-pip intraday stops are common — but the overnight data gap risk means swing traders often want wider ones.
- Correlation with NZD/USD is very high. Long AUD/USD and long NZD/USD is one trade at nearly double size.
Common AUD/USD sizing mistakes
- Holding a tight stop through the Australian data window. RBA and jobs days regularly produce 40–80-pip moves at 00:30–04:30 UTC.
- Ignoring the equity correlation. A long Aussie during a US equity sell-off is a risk-on position in a risk-off market; size it as the correlated exposure it is.
- Stacking AUD and NZD positions. Count them together.
- Sizing on the chart stop. Add spread and slippage before dividing.
Track your AUD/USD trades in Fips
Fips's free trading journal records every trade with its pip result, R-multiple and session, so you can see whether Asian-session entries perform differently from London ones. Connect an MT4, MT5 or cTrader account and trades import automatically. The economic calendar shows RBA and Chinese releases in your local time, and the backtesting tools let you check a setup's historical performance on data days before you trade it.
Frequently asked questions
How much is 1 pip on AUD/USD?
$10 per standard lot, $1 per mini lot and $0.10 per micro lot on a USD account — the same as EUR/USD, because the quote currency is USD.
What lot size should I use on a $5,000 AUD/USD account?
At 1% risk ($50) and a 20-pip stop, 0.25 lots. At a 40-pip stop, 0.13 lots.
When is the best time to trade AUD/USD?
For volume and tight spreads, the London–New York overlap. For the moves that come from Australian and Chinese data, the Sydney–Tokyo hours — but those carry the event risk that goes with them.
What is a reasonable stop on AUD/USD?
Intraday setups commonly use 15–25 pips, 4-hour setups 35–60, daily setups 80–120. Let the lot size follow the stop.