Dentist salary Melbourne: how pay compares to the national average

Dentist salary in Melbourne

Melbourne is home to a large share of Australia's dental workforce, but the ABS and the ATO do not publish a Melbourne-specific salary figure for dentists. The most reliable national benchmarks come from the ATO's tax statistics and Jobs and Skills Australia's occupation profiles. This page compares those figures to the national full-time average and Victoria's state average, and gives a take-home pay sketch using the median.

National dentist pay data

The ATO's 2023–24 tax statistics (the latest available) cover 8,859 people who identified as dentists (occupation code 252312). Their average taxable income was $162,722 and the median was $131,588. Taxable income includes business and investment income, so these figures reflect both employed dentists and practice owners. For those who reported salary or wages only, the average was $108,448 and the median was $95,289.

Jobs and Skills Australia, using the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), reports median full-time weekly earnings of $3,232 for dental practitioners (ANZSCO 2523, which includes specialists). That works out to about $168,064 a year. Only 60% of dental practitioners work full-time, and the average full-time week is 42 hours.

How does this compare to the national average?

The national full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings are $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). Place a salary on the line to see how any figure compares. The all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100 a year, and the full-time median is about $90,532 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).

A dentist on the ATO median taxable income of $131,588 earns about 21% more than the national full-time average. The JSA median full-time earnings of $168,064 are about 55% above that average. Even the ATO median salary or wage of $95,289 sits just above the full-time median for all occupations.

Victoria and Melbourne context

Victoria's full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings are about $106,137 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That is slightly below the national average. States and territories shows how each state compares. No Melbourne-specific average is published, but the Victorian figure is a reasonable proxy for the city. A dentist earning the national median taxable income of $131,588 would be about 24% above the Victorian full-time average.

Take-home pay sketch

Using the ATO median taxable income of $131,588 and 2026–27 tax rates (nil up to $18,200, 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, 45% above, plus 2% Medicare levy), the annual tax bill is about $31,020 plus $2,632 in Medicare levy, leaving roughly $97,936. That is about $3,767 a fortnight. If the dentist has a HELP debt, a compulsory repayment of about $9,346 a year (7% of income) would reduce take-home further.

For an employed dentist on the ATO median salary or wage of $95,289, take-home would be about $74,276 a year ($2,857 a fortnight) after tax and Medicare levy.

No award rate for dentists

No modern award names dentists. The Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers dental practices but lists only dental hygienists, therapists, oral health therapists and prosthetists. Employed dentists who are award-free are still entitled to the National Minimum Wage ($26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026) and the National Employment Standards. Public dental service dentists are covered by state awards and agreements, which are not reproduced here.

What this means for Melbourne dentists

Without a Melbourne-specific published figure, the national data are the best guide. Dentists in Melbourne can expect earnings broadly in line with the national medians, adjusted for the local market. The Victorian full-time average provides a useful benchmark: a dentist earning the national median taxable income is comfortably above it. For a more precise comparison, Place a salary on the line lets you enter any annual figure and see how it stacks up against the national average, state averages, and the minimum wage.

Questions

What is the average dentist salary in Melbourne?

Neither the ABS nor the ATO publishes a Melbourne-specific average or median for dentists. Nationally, the ATO reports an average taxable income of $162,722 and a median of $131,588 for the 2023–24 income year (covering all dentists, including part-time and self-employed). Jobs and Skills Australia, using ABS survey data from May 2025, gives a median full-time weekly earnings of $3,232 for dental practitioners (about $168,064 a year). For a Melbourne comparison, Victoria's full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings are about $106,137 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026).

How does a dentist's pay compare to the national full-time average?

The national full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings are $2,083.70 a week, about $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). The median full-time earnings for all occupations are about $90,532 a year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). A dentist's median taxable income of $131,588 sits well above both figures. The median full-time earnings for dental practitioners ($168,064) is about 55% higher than the national full-time average. Even the median salary or wage for dentists ($95,289) is slightly above the all-occupations median but below the full-time average.

What is the take-home pay for a dentist in Melbourne?

Using the national median taxable income of $131,588 (ATO 2023–24) and 2026–27 tax rates, a dentist would pay about $31,020 in income tax and $2,632 in Medicare levy, leaving roughly $97,936 a year, or $3,767 a fortnight. If the dentist has a HELP debt, a compulsory repayment of about $9,346 a year would apply. This is a national estimate; Melbourne-specific take-home pay would depend on the same tax rates and any state-specific factors like the absence of a payroll tax on wages. Note that many dentists are self-employed or practice owners, so their taxable income may include business profits rather than salary alone.