Where does a physiologist salary sit against the national line?
If you are a physiologist in Australia – whether you work in clinical exercise physiology, cardiac physiology, or another specialty – you may be wondering how your pay compares to the national full-time average. The short answer is that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish a separate average or median for physiologists. The occupation is grouped under broader health categories, and the most specific published data is for physiotherapists, whose median full-time weekly earnings are $1,888 according to Jobs and Skills Australia. But physiologists are a distinct profession, so that figure is only a rough guide.
Instead, the best benchmark is the national full-time adult ordinary-time average: $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). This is the line that Average line uses as its reference. It represents the average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults across all industries and occupations, before tax. Place a salary on the line to see how any figure compares.
Take-home pay: a resident sketch
To give you a sense of what that national average means in your pocket, let’s run a quick take-home calculation for a resident earning $108,352 in 2026–27. The tax-free threshold is $18,200. From there, the first bracket (15%) applies up to $45,000, then 30% up to $135,000. On $108,352, the tax would be roughly:
- $0 on the first $18,200
- 15% on $26,800 ($4,020)
- 30% on $63,352 ($19,005.60)
- Total tax about $23,025.60
Add the Medicare levy of 2% ($2,167.04), and total deductions come to about $25,193. That leaves an annual take-home of approximately $83,159, or about $1,599 per week. This is before any salary sacrificing or deductions. If your actual physiologist salary is different, you can adjust accordingly. The national average gives you a solid reference point.
How the national average is measured
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey is published twice a year, for May and November. The May 2026 figure of $2,083.70 is the most recent. It covers full-time adult employees and measures ordinary time earnings – that is, base pay plus regular bonuses and allowances, but not overtime. The all-employees average (including part-time and casual) is lower, at about $1,563 per week. For a more typical full-time worker, the median full-time earnings are about $90,532 per year, meaning half of full-time employees earn less and half earn more. Job medians can help you see where specific roles sit.
State differences
Where you work matters. The full-time average varies significantly by state and territory, reflecting different industry mixes and cost of living. The highest is the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090, followed by Western Australia at $115,825. New South Wales is $109,658, Victoria $106,137, Queensland $106,064, South Australia $102,450, the Northern Territory $103,173, and Tasmania $96,008. If you are a physiologist in Tasmania, your pay may be closer to the state average than the national one. States and territories provides a full breakdown.
What about the minimum wage?
For context, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week – about $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% in the same period. Most physiologists are likely covered by an award or agreement that pays above the minimum, but it is a useful floor. Fair Work sets these rates.
Why no specific physiologist figure?
The ABS earnings surveys classify occupations using the ANZSCO system. Physiologists fall under broader categories such as "Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals" or "Medical Scientists," and the sample sizes are often too small to publish a reliable separate estimate. Jobs and Skills Australia provides occupation profiles for some roles, but physiologist is not one of them. The closest published occupation is physiotherapist, with a median full-time weekly earnings of $1,888 and a median hourly rate of $50 per hour. That may be a useful reference, but it is not the same as a physiologist salary. If you want a precise figure, the on-site tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows the week and hour on a 38-hour week, plus distance from the national average. How the figures are set explains the methodology.
Final thoughts
Without a published average for physiologists, the national full-time average is your best anchor. Whether you are considering a new role, negotiating a pay rise, or just curious, the line at $108,352 gives you a clear, authoritative reference. Use it to see where your own salary sits – or to understand what a typical Australian full-time worker earns. About this site explains more.