Dietitian salary and the national full‑time average
A dietitian’s salary in Australia is not a single number. It depends on the award classification, years of experience, the employer’s sector, and the state or territory. The national full‑time adult ordinary‑time average, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026, is $2,083.70 a week – about $108,352 a year. That is the line this site uses. But a dietitian’s pay can sit well below or above that line, and the reasons are worth understanding.
The Health Professionals award sets the floor
Most dietitians are covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020. Fair Work publishes the minimum rates. A dietitian with a bachelor’s degree (AQF Level 5) in their first year at Level 1 must be paid at least $1,232.70 a week, or $32.44 an hour. That works out to about $64,100 a year – roughly 59 % of the national full‑time average. After seven years at Level 1, the minimum rises to $1,541.30 a week ($80,148 a year).
Once a dietitian moves to Level 2 (which typically requires more responsibility or a higher qualification), the minimum jumps. Level 2.1 pays $1,945.40 a week ($101,160 a year), and Level 4 pays $2,499.10 a week ($129,953 a year). So a dietitian’s salary can range from well below the national average to comfortably above it, purely based on classification and experience.
How the national average is built
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings figure of $2,083.70 is an average of all full‑time adult ordinary‑time earnings across every industry and occupation. It is not a median. The full‑time median, from the ABS Employee Earnings survey (August 2025), is about $90,532 a year. That means half of all full‑time employees earn less than that, half earn more. A dietitian at Level 2.1 would be above the median but still below the average, because the average is pulled up by very high earners in fields like mining or finance.
State differences matter
Where you work as a dietitian also shifts the comparison. The ABS publishes state‑by‑state full‑time averages. For example:
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090 a year
- Western Australia: $115,825
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Tasmania: $96,008
A dietitian in the ACT or WA is likely to be paid more than one in Tasmania or SA, even under the same award, because the overall labour market is tighter and employers must compete. The public sector also pays more on average: the public‑sector full‑time ordinary‑time average is $2,263.10 a week ($117,681 a year) versus $2,034.10 in the private sector ($105,773). Many dietitians work in public hospitals, which may push their pay closer to the public‑sector average.
The minimum wage and award rises
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, about $52,255 a year. Award minimums, including the Health Professionals award, rose by 4.75 % at the same time. That means the floor for a dietitian is well above the national minimum, but still far from the national average for a junior employee.
Putting it on the line
When you place a salary on the line, the tool compares your yearly pay (before tax) to the national full‑time average of $108,352. It also shows the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38‑hour week. For a dietitian earning $80,000 a year, that is about $1,538 a week – below the line. For a senior dietitian on $110,000, that is about $2,115 a week – just above the line.
State averages help explain why the same job can feel different in different places. See states and territories for the full breakdown. And if you want to see how dietitian pay compares with other occupations, the job medians page uses ABS data to show the middle of the distribution.
What the figures do not tell you
The ABS average and median are broad measures. They do not capture the exact pay of a dietitian in a specific hospital or private practice. The award minimums are just that – minimums. Many dietitians are paid above the award, especially in senior roles or in areas with high demand. The ATO tax tables for 2026–27 show that a dietitian earning $90,000 would pay about $21,267 in tax plus the 2 % Medicare levy, leaving about $66,933 after tax.
Summary
A dietitian salary in Australia is shaped by the award classification, experience, sector, and state. The national full‑time average of $108,352 is a useful benchmark, but it is not a target. A dietitian early in their career will be below that line; a dietitian at Level 2 or above may be above it. The award provides a clear ladder, and state averages show where the market is stronger. For more detail on how the figures are set, see How the figures are set.