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Anaesthetist salary in Australia: how it compares to the national full‑time average

The median full‑time anaesthetist earns $8,293 a week, well above the national full‑time average of $2,084.

This sits on the Australian full-time average.

Week, hour, and a tax sketch

$2,084 a week · $54.83 an hour if spread over 38 hours

About $83,159 after resident income tax and a 2% Medicare levy.

2026–27 resident rates and a 2% Medicare levy. Not a tax assessment.Open the full line

Anaesthetist pay in Australia

In Australia, the occupation is spelled anaesthetist (ANZSCO 2532) is one of the highest‑paid medical specialities. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the median full‑time weekly earnings for anaesthetists are $8,293 before tax. That is based on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, and covers non‑managerial employees paid at the adult rate. The average full‑time hours worked by anaesthetists are 46 hours per week, so the hourly median is $218 per hour.

How it compares with the national full‑time average

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026 puts the national full‑time adult ordinary‑time average at $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 a year (multiplied by 52). The anaesthetist median of $8,293 a week is nearly four times that figure. On an annual basis, the median anaesthetist earns about $431,236 (52 × $8,293).

It is important to note the difference between an average and a median. The national full‑time average is an arithmetic mean, while the anaesthetist figure is a median – the middle point of all full‑time anaesthetists’ earnings. The median is less affected by a few extremely high or low earners, so it is a more representative measure for this occupation.

State and territory comparisons

The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey also provides state‑by‑state full‑time averages. For example, the highest state average is in the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090 a year, and the lowest is Tasmania at about $96,008. Even the highest state average is far below the anaesthetist median. See the state averages on our states page.

How the figure is set

The anaesthetist salary is not set by an award or enterprise agreement for most specialists. Instead, earnings are determined by individual arrangements, often through contracts with hospitals or private practice. The ABS data shows that 38.5% of all employees have their pay set by individual arrangement, and that is especially common for high‑income professionals. The national minimum wage, set by Fair Work from 1 July 2026, is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38‑hour week. Anaesthetists earn many times that minimum.

Tax considerations

For the 2026‑27 financial year, the tax‑free threshold is $18,200, then 15% up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that. The Medicare levy of 2% applies. An anaesthetist on the median $431,236 would be in the top bracket for most of their income, so the effective tax rate is high. Our guides on tax and salary have more detail on how tax affects take‑home pay.

Other earnings benchmarks

The ABS also publishes medians for all employees: the full‑time median is about $90,532 a year, and the all‑employees median is about $74,100 (from ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The anaesthetist median is many times those figures. For men, the full‑time ordinary‑time average is about $113,412; for women, about $100,594. Anaesthetists are 32% female, and the median earnings are the same for both genders in the published data.

Where to find more

If you are an anaesthetist or considering the career, you can [place your salary on the line](/line] to see how your personal pay compares. You can also explore job medians for other occupations or industry medians. The data on this page comes from the ABS and Jobs and Skills Australia, both reliable sources for Australian earnings statistics.

Questions

How is the anaesthetist salary figure calculated?

The figure comes from Jobs and Skills Australia, which uses the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025. It is the median weekly earnings for full‑time non‑managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. The median is used because it is not skewed by a few very high earners. The average hours worked by anaesthetists are 46 per week, so the weekly figure reflects those hours.

How does the anaesthetist salary compare with other medical specialists?

Anaesthetists are among the highest‑paid medical specialists in Australia. For comparison, the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey shows that the median hourly earnings for all Professionals is $64.50 per hour. Anaesthetists earn a median of $218 per hour, more than three times that. Other specialists such as surgeons and psychiatrists also earn well above the national average, but anaesthetists consistently rank at the top.

What is the after‑tax income for an anaesthetist on the median salary?

Using the 2026‑27 tax rates, a single anaesthetist earning the median $431,236 per year would pay tax on income above $190,000 at 45% plus the 2% Medicare levy. The exact tax depends on deductions and offsets. As a rough guide, the top marginal rate applies to most of their income, so the effective tax rate is high. The national minimum wage is $26.26 per hour, so anaesthetists earn many times that rate.

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