How much do GPs earn in Australia?

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We are excited to bring you the results of our latest Annual GP Salary Survey. Acknowledging the fact that GPs don’t technically earn a ‘salary’ however we have used this word for the purpose of simplicity.

Based on our latest GP salary survey (published May 2023), the average GP salary in Australia is $334,000 for GPs who work 7 or more sessions per week (full-time).

The annual General Practitioner salary for part-time GPs, working 6 sessions or less per week, amounts to an average of $164,000 pa.

Comparing GP Salaries in Australia to other countries, Australian GPs come third in terms of highest average yearly income. However, what has to be noted, is that GP salaries vary depending on the city you live in, metro, regional or rural, whether your work in a bulk or mixed billing practice and other factors discussed below.

Click below to download the latest Salary Survey Results for the 2021/2022 financial year.

DOWNLOAD 2021/2022 GP SALARY GUIDE

*All GP salary figures on this page are indicative only. Most stats are drawn from our annual salary survey while others are from trusted external sources.

BULK BILLING (WORKING FULL-TIME)
$230,000

Average full-time bulk billing earnings

MIXED BILLING (WORKING FULL-TIME)
$356,000

Average full-time mixed billing earnings

The first thing to say about GP earnings and career in Australia is that Australian GPs generally live well and have a comfortable lifestyle.

Generally, Australia is more affordable to live in than most other countries due to a lower cost of living. But more importantly, they are not paid a salary! Instead, they are paid a percentage of what they bill. So technically, we are talking about your earnings, rather than a salary. Your percentage of earnings will be set out in your contract terms. Here are some of the factors that will impact your earnings.

Surfers on the beach

How GPs work in Australia

GPs in Australia work as individual contractors meaning essentially they are business owners. GPs are almost never ‘salaried employees’ as in most other countries.

Australian GPs bill Medicare for the fee according to the type and number of consultations. A percentage of these fees is then paid to the practice as a service fee, and the GP keeps the remainder which is usually 65-70% of the total billings. Earnings quoted on refer to what the GP gets to keep, not the gross billings.

GPs working in Australia are paid gross billings (before tax), as they are contractors and are responsible for paying their own tax to the Australian Tax Office (ATO). They also select their preferred method of saving for retirement through ‘superannuation’.

A significant change in the last 2 years is the steep decline in the number of practices that only offer bulk billing consultations.

These are indicative earnings of GPs in Australia, based on a 40-hour
working week and taking 4 weeks annual leave a year.

GP Salary Considerations

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The number of work hours

For our national calculations, we have assumed 40 hours a week. The more hours you work the more you earn.

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Your average hourly billings

Bulk-billing practices average 5-6 consultations per hour, mixed billing is a little less, perhaps 4-5 per hour.

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% of billings you receive

Most practices pay 70%, with a large number still paying 65%.

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Number of weeks of leave

For our calculations we have assumed 4 weeks of leave, which is about average for a full-time GP.

Common GP Benefits & Perks

It’s no secret that General Practitioner jobs are difficult to fill in many locations across Australia. In fact, many practices struggle to find FRACGP doctors with satisfactory qualifications. The situation was exacerbated by the introduction of the Visas for GPs Initiative on 11 March 2019, the switch from DWS to the new Distribution Priority Areas (DPA) system and the need for practices to obtain a Health Workforce Certificate (HWC) if they want to hire OTDs.

As a result of this GP shortage, many practices started offering additional benefits and perks beyond the comparatively high doctor salaries in Australia.

Here are some of the more common benefits practices are offering to find a suitable GP:

A road in the middle of a forest in Australia
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Lump sum payments

Some practices (often larger corporates) offer lump sum payments and sign on bonuses around $20,000. Lump sum payments are often tied to certain contractual conditions that need to be met by the GP.

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Minimum guarantees

Minimum guarantees are often offered in form of a certain hourly rate for a specified period (e.g. 3 months at $150 p/hr). Minimum guarantees are very common for locum GP jobs.

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Relocation packages

Relocation packages cover specific expenses, such as travel, living, car and more) and are offered to attract qualified GPs from other locations. Allowances can be in form of a one-off payment or ongoing, but are often dependant on certain contractual commitments.

GP registrar salary in Australia

All practices in Australia are bound by the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER) agreement, covering GP registrar salary, leave, working hours, education and supervision provisions.

Check out the NTCER GP registrar pay rates for 2023/24:

DOWNLOAD 2023 GP SALARY GUIDE
Female officemates discussing a project together

GPT1/PRRT1

Base salary of full-time GP registrar

$84,888.96 p.a

+11% superannuation

$1,632.48 per week (38 hours) or $42.96 per hour.

GPT2/PRRT2

Base salary of full-time GP registrar

$102,060.40 p.a

+11% superannuation

$1,962.70 per week (38 hours) or $51.65 per hour.

GPT3/PRRT3

Base salary of full-time GP registrar

$108,996.16 p.a

+11% superannuation

$2,096.08 per week (38 hours) or $55.16 per hour.

Source: gpra.org.au

GP consultation fees
(item 23) in Australia

GP practices operate as businesses in Australia and they are free to determine their own GP consultation fees.

RACGP provides support and guidelines to GPs and practices with regard to consultation fees. It maintains, that besides Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) rebates, practices should take the cost of running a sustainable business into consideration in order to provide quality care to their patients.

To assist practices with setting their fees, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) releases a GP consultation fees guideline list which is updated annually.

In addition to RACGP’s guidelines and AMA’s recommendations, medical practices often seek advice from our independent medical practice consultants who will provide recommendations based on industry knowledge and a thorough analysis of the location, demographics, the market, the practice itself as well as external factors.
Check out the NTCER GP registrar pay rates for 2021/22:

DOWNLOAD 2023 GP SALARY GUIDE
AVERAGE GP CONSULTATION FEES
IN AUSTRALIA:
BULK BILLING

$39.10 per consultation

MIXED/PRIVATE BILLING

$80 per consultation

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