Surgeon salary: a high-earning profession
Surgeons are among the highest-paid professionals in Australia. According to the latest data from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), the median full-time surgeon salary is $3,905 per week before tax. That works out to roughly $203,060 a year and an hourly rate of $80 based on actual hours worked.
This figure is a median, meaning half of surgeons earn more and half earn less. It is not an average, which can be skewed by a small number of very high earners. The data comes from the ABS and covers full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate.
How surgeon pay compares to the national average
The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70 (about $108,352 a year) according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026. That is the figure used as the line on this site. A surgeon's median weekly pay is about **87% higher than that national line.
For context:
- National full-time adult average: $2,083.70 per week
- All-employees median (including part-time): $1,579.20 per week
- National minimum wage (from 1 July 2026): $1,004.90 per week on 38 hours
Surgeons also work longer hours than most occupations. The average full-time surgeon works 54 hours per week on average, compared to 44 hours for all occupations. That means the hourly rate of $80 is based on those longer hours, not a standard 38-hour week. If you divide the weekly median by 38, the implied hourly rate would be about $102.76, but the actual median hourly earnings reported by the ABS is $80.
Where surgeons fit among other high-paying jobs
Surgeons are at the top of the pay ladder. Other medical specialists like specialist physicians earn a median of $3,620 per week. Mining remains the industry with the highest proportion of full-time workers (95%) and also offers high wages, but surgeons still lead on a per-week basis.
Gender and age profile
Only 26% of surgeons are women, according to the same ABS data. The median age is 43, slightly older than the all-occupations median of 39. This reflects the long training pathway required to become a surgeon.
State and territory differences
While the national median is $3,905, earnings can vary by location. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 shows state full-time averages ranging from $96,008 in Tasmania to $119,090 in the Australian Capital Territory. Surgeons in higher-paying states may earn more than the national median, but the ABS does not publish surgeon-specific medians by state.
How the site presents your salary
When you place a salary on the line, the tool converts your yearly figure into a weekly amount (divided by 52) and an hourly amount (based on a 38-hour week). It then shows how far above or below the national full-time average your pay sits. For a surgeon earning $203,060 a year, that would be about $94,708 above the national average line.
Important distinctions: average, median, minimum wage
It is easy to confuse different measures of pay. This site uses the national full-time adult average from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings as its benchmark. That is an average of ordinary time earnings for full-time adults. The median figures (like the surgeon median) come from a different ABS survey and represent the middle point of earnings. The national minimum wage is set by Fair Work and is a legal floor. For 2026–27, it is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026.
Tax on a surgeon's salary
For the 2026–27 income year, a surgeon earning $203,060 would fall into the 37% marginal tax bracket (which applies from $135,000 to $190,000) and the 45% bracket on income above $190,000. The Medicare levy of 2% also applies, though some reductions are available. The actual effective tax rate would be lower than the top marginal rate due to the tax-free threshold and progressive brackets.
Where to find more detail
For a full list of median earnings by occupation, visit the job medians page. To understand how the national average is calculated, see how the figures are set. And for more about this site's methodology, check about this site.
Summary
The surgeon salary in Australia is a median of $3,905 per week, or about $203,060 per year before tax. That is nearly double the national full-time average. While the hourly rate of $80 reflects long hours, the weekly pay places surgeons firmly at the top of the earnings distribution.