Introduction
Exercise physiologists and physiotherapists are both allied health professionals who use exercise to improve health, but their roles and salary outcomes differ. Exercise physiologists focus on preventing and managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Physiotherapists treat a broader range of injuries and movement disorders, often in acute or rehabilitation settings. When comparing salaries, the most reliable data comes from the ABS and Jobs and Skills Australia. This article examines how each occupation's pay sits against the national full-time adult ordinary-time average of $2,083.70 per week (about $108,352 per year), as reported in the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026.
Earnings data
Physiotherapists
According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the median full-time earnings for physiotherapists are $1,888 per week (before tax). That equates to roughly $98,176 per year on a 52-week basis. This figure is based on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, and reflects pay for full-time non-managerial adult employees. The median is below the national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week, meaning half of physiotherapists earn less than $1,888 and half earn more. The occupation has a female share of 58% and a median age of 33 years, which is younger than the all-occupations median of 39.
Exercise physiologists
For exercise physiologists, the ABS does not publish a median weekly earnings figure. Jobs and Skills Australia lists the median as "N/A". This is because exercise physiologists are classified under a 6-digit ANZSCO code (234915), and the ABS suppresses data for occupations where the relative standard error is 25% or higher. The occupation is small, with about 5,100 employed nationally according to the 2021 Census. The median age is 29, and 52% are female. Without a published median, it is not possible to give a precise salary figure, but we can examine factors that influence pay.
Factors that move pay above or below the average
Industry and sector
Both professions work in public hospitals, private practices, community health, and aged care. Public sector employees often have award-based pay scales, while private practitioners may earn more or less depending on client volume. The national full-time average includes all industries, so those in higher-paying sectors (e.g., mining or private specialist clinics) may exceed it. Physiotherapists in private practice may earn above the median if they have a strong caseload, but many are employees on awards.
Location
State full-time averages vary significantly. For example, the Australian Capital Territory has the highest state average at about $119,090 per year, while Tasmania is lowest at $96,008. Western Australia ($115,825) and New South Wales ($109,658) are above the national average. An exercise physiologist or physiotherapist working in a high-average state may earn more than one in a lower-average state, all else being equal.
Experience and seniority
Median earnings reflect all experience levels. Early-career professionals earn less; those with several years of experience or in management roles earn more. The median age for physiotherapists is 33, suggesting many are mid-career. For exercise physiologists, the median age is 29, indicating a younger workforce that may be earlier in their careers, which could pull median pay down if it were published.
Award coverage and minimum wage
Many allied health professionals are covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020. From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage rose to $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week, about $52,255 per year). Award minimums increased by 4.75%. However, most full-time professionals earn above the award rate. The median for physiotherapists ($1,888 per week) is well above the minimum, but entry-level or part-time roles may be closer to award rates.
How the figures are set
The national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey, which measures ordinary time earnings for full-time adults across all industries. This is the figure used as the line on this site. It is an average, not a median, so it can be pulled up by high earners. The median for all full-time employees is lower, at about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). For occupations, the ABS publishes medians from the Employee Earnings and Hours survey, which excludes managers and part-time workers to give a clearer picture of typical pay. When a median is not available, as for exercise physiologists, it is because the sample size is too small or the error margin too high.
Conclusion
Physiotherapists have a clear median salary that sits below the national full-time average, while exercise physiologists lack published data. Both professions are younger than the workforce average, and pay is influenced by location, sector, and experience. For a more personalised comparison, you can Place a salary on the line to see how your pay compares to the national average, or explore Job medians for other allied health roles. Understanding the difference between averages and medians helps put these figures in context.
About this site provides further detail on how the data is sourced and calculated.