Where doctors salary sits against the national average
Doctors in Australia are paid under the Medical Practitioners Award, which sets minimum weekly and hourly rates for a range of classifications from intern to senior principal specialist. The national full-time adult ordinary-time average, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026, is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year. This is the line against which all salaries on this site are measured.
For doctors, the award minimums span a wide range. An intern starts at $1,277.54 per week ($66,432 per year), which is about 61% of the national average. A resident medical practitioner at pay point 3 earns $1,424.67 per week ($74,083 per year), still below the average. Registrars at pay point 4 earn $1,731.12 per week ($90,018 per year), close to the full-time median of about $90,532. Senior registrars at pay point 2 earn $2,096.35 per week ($109,010 per year), just above the national average.
Career medical practitioners and community medical practitioners have minimums that range from $2,037.52 per week ($105,951 per year) at pay point 1 to $2,531.21 per week ($131,623 per year) at pay point 8. These are above the national average at the higher pay points. Specialists start at $2,570.93 per week ($133,688 per year), and senior specialists at pay point 5 earn $3,193.92 per week ($166,084 per year). Principal specialists and senior principal specialists have minimums of $3,259.00 and $3,374.36 per week respectively, equating to over $169,000 and $175,000 per year.
It is important to note that these are minimum rates under the award. Many doctors, especially specialists and those in private practice, earn significantly more. The ABS does not publish a specific average salary for doctors, but the award provides a clear benchmark.
Comparing to state averages and medians
The national full-time average varies by state. For example, the Australian Capital Territory has the highest state average at about $119,090 per year, while Tasmania has the lowest at about $96,008. A senior registrar at pay point 2 ($109,010) would be above the Tasmanian average but below the ACT average. A specialist at the minimum ($133,688) would be above every state average except possibly the ACT.
The full-time median (all occupations) is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100. Most doctor classifications above intern and resident are above these medians.
The national minimum wage context
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. Even an intern's minimum hourly rate of $33.62 is well above the minimum wage. The award minimums for doctors rose by 4.75% in line with the national wage review.
How the figures are set
The award rates are determined by the Fair Work Commission and published by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings are published twice a year, for May and November. The figures used here are from the May 2026 release. Place a salary on the line to see how any salary compares to the national average. For more detail on how different occupations compare, see Job medians.
Take-home pay considerations
For a doctor earning the national average of $108,352, the 2026–27 tax rates would apply: nil on the first $18,200, 15% on the next $26,800, 30% on the next $90,000, and so on. Plus the Medicare levy of 2%. A senior specialist on $166,084 would be in the 37% bracket for income above $135,000 up to $190,000. After tax and Medicare, take-home pay would be roughly $125,000, depending on deductions and offsets.
Summary
Doctors' salaries under the award range from below the national full-time average (interns, residents) to well above it (senior specialists, principal specialists). The award provides a transparent minimum, but actual earnings for many doctors, especially those in private practice or with additional qualifications, are higher. The national average of $108,352 serves as a useful benchmark for understanding where different medical roles sit in the broader Australian pay landscape.