Cardiothoracic surgeon pay in Australia
If you are looking for a single published figure for the average or median salary of a cardiothoracic surgeon in Australia, you will not find one. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Jobs and Skills Australia do not release a specific earnings estimate for this occupation (ANZSCO 253512). The most authoritative source is the minimum pay set by the Medical Practitioners Award, which covers all doctors including surgeons.
What the award says
Fair Work’s Medical Practitioners Award (MA000031) sets minimum weekly and hourly rates for doctors. For a specialist – the classification that applies to a qualified cardiothoracic surgeon – the minimum weekly pay from 1 July 2026 is $2,570.93. On a standard 38-hour week, that works out to $67.66 per hour and about $133,688 per year before tax. Senior specialists (pay points 1 to 4) have higher minimums, up to $3,149.16 per week for senior specialist pay point 4.
These are minimums. Most cardiothoracic surgeons in public hospitals or private practice earn more, sometimes substantially more, but the ABS does not capture a reliable average or median for this small occupation (only about 170 employed nationwide, according to the 2021 Census).
How the national average compares
The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70 (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That is about $108,352 per year. Even the award minimum for a specialist is 23% higher than this national benchmark. For context:
- Full-time median earnings (all occupations) are about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).
- The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $52,255 per year on 38 hours.
A cardiothoracic surgeon, even at the award floor, earns more than double the minimum wage and well above the typical full-time worker.
Reading the same pay as a year, week, and hour
The Place a salary on the line tool on this site lets you enter a yearly salary and see it as a weekly and hourly figure, plus how it compares to the national full-time average. For a cardiothoracic surgeon, if you use the award minimum of $133,688 per year, the tool will show:
- Weekly: $2,570.93
- Hourly: $67.66 (based on a 38-hour week)
- Distance from the national average: about +$25,336 per year above the line.
If you have a specific salary in mind – perhaps from a contract or job offer – you can check it against the national average and state averages.
State comparisons
Average weekly earnings vary across states and territories. The ABS publishes full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings for each state (May 2026). The on-site figures are:
- New South Wales: $109,658 per year
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
A cardiothoracic surgeon earning the award minimum of $133,688 would be above every state average. Actual earnings for surgeons are likely much higher, especially in private practice or after years of experience. For more detail on state-by-state pay, see States and territories.
Where to find more data
Because cardiothoracic surgeons are a very small occupation (only 170 people in the 2021 Census), the ABS does not publish a separate earnings estimate. Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile for cardiothoracic surgeons lists median weekly earnings as “N/A”. The best alternative is to look at the broader category of Surgeons (ANZSCO 2535), which includes general surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, and others. The ABS may publish data at the 4-digit level, but not for the 6-digit occupation.
If you are comparing salaries across medical specialties, the Job medians page on this site shows median earnings for many occupations, though not for cardiothoracic surgeons specifically. You can also explore Industry medians for health care and social assistance.
Tax and take-home pay
For the 2026–27 income year, resident tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus a 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions). A cardiothoracic surgeon on the award minimum of $133,688 would fall into the 30% bracket (plus Medicare), giving a marginal rate of 32%. Actual take-home pay depends on deductions and offsets.
Summary
- No official average or median salary is published for cardiothoracic surgeons.
- The minimum award rate for a specialist is $2,570.93 per week ($133,688 per year).
- This is well above the national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week ($108,352 per year).
- Actual earnings are typically higher, but no reliable public figure exists.
For a personalised comparison, use the Place a salary on the line tool. For more on how these figures are calculated, see How the figures are set.