What is the minimum salary for a doctor in Australia?

There is no single minimum salary for all doctors. The Medical Practitioners Award 2020 sets minimum rates for different classifications. For example, an intern must be paid at least $33.62 per hour (or $1,277.54 per week) from 1 July 2026. A registrar at pay point 1 gets at least $40.61 per hour. A specialist gets at least $67.66 per hour. Actual salaries can be higher under enterprise agreements or individual contracts.

Does the national minimum wage apply to doctors?

The national minimum wage ($26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026) applies only to employees not covered by an award or agreement. Most doctors in Australia are covered by the Medical Practitioners Award 2020, which has higher minimum rates. So the award rates are the legal floor for those doctors. If a doctor is award-free (rare), the national minimum would apply, but the award covers virtually all medical practitioner classifications.

How does the Medical Practitioners Award affect doctor pay?

The award sets minimum hourly, weekly, and annual salaries for each classification (intern, resident, registrar, senior registrar, specialist, senior specialist, principal specialist). It also includes penalty rates for Saturday, Sunday, public holidays, and overtime. Employers must pay at least these rates. Many doctors are paid above the award through enterprise agreements or individual contracts. Superannuation (12% from 1 July 2026) is paid on top of the award rate.

Doctor Salary Australia: Understanding the Pay Floor Under the Medical Practitioners Award

The minimum pay for doctors in Australia is set by the Medical Practitioners Award 2020, with rates from $33.62 per hour for interns to over $88 per hour for senior specialists, effective 1 July 2026.

Doctor Salary Australia: Award Rates vs Common Misunderstandings

When searching for "doctor salary australia", it is easy to come across broad averages or figures that mix up different types of doctors. This guide explains the legal pay floor for medical practitioners and how it compares with other salary concepts.

The Legal Minimum: The Medical Practitioners Award 2020

The Fair Work Commission sets the national minimum wage, but for doctors the relevant pay floor is the Medical Practitioners Award 2020 (MA000031). This award covers all medical practitioners in Australia in the classifications listed, from interns to senior principal specialists. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes a pay guide and enforces compliance.

From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the award rates are:

Intern: $33.62 per hour / $1,277.54 per week
Resident Medical Practitioner (pay point 1): $35.69 per hour / $1,356.33 per week
Registrar (pay point 1): $40.61 per hour / $1,543.23 per week
Senior Registrar (pay point 1): $53.07 per hour / $2,016.81 per week
Specialist: $67.66 per hour / $2,570.93 per week
Senior Specialist (pay point 1): $72.35 per hour / $2,749.01 per week
Principal Specialist: $85.77 per hour / $3,259.00 per week
Senior Principal Specialist: $88.80 per hour / $3,374.36 per week

These are minimum rates. An employer must pay at least these amounts for ordinary hours (38 per week for full-time). Superannuation of 12% is paid on top of these rates. Penalty rates apply for Saturday, Sunday, public holidays, and overtime.

What People Often Mix Up

A common mistake is to treat a single figure like "doctor salary australia" as a universal number. In reality:

Award rate vs survey average: The award rate is the legal minimum. Survey averages from the ABS or professional bodies reflect actual earnings, which are often higher due to experience, location, or enterprise agreements. The ABS May 2026 data shows full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 per week, but that is for all occupations, not specifically doctors.
Negotiated salary: Many doctors, especially specialists and senior registrars, work under enterprise agreements or individual contracts that pay above the award. The award is a safety net, not a ceiling.
Casual loading: Casual doctors in training receive a 25% loading on the ordinary hourly rate (e.g., intern casual rate $42.03 per hour).

How the Pay Floor Works

If you are a doctor covered by the Medical Practitioners Award, your employer must pay at least the classification rate. If you are award-free (very rare for doctors), the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour applies, but this is lower than any award classification. The award also includes provisions for juniors, but most doctors are adults.

For more detail on which minimum applies to you, see Which minimum wage applies. For a full list of award rates, see Rate tables.

Superannuation and Other Entitlements

Superannuation is an employer payment on top of the salary. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings. For an intern on the minimum weekly rate of $1,277.54, the employer must contribute an additional $153.30 per week to super.

When an Award or Agreement Sets a Higher Rate

If your workplace has an enterprise agreement, it may set higher rates than the award. The award is the minimum; agreements cannot undercut it. Always check your employment contract and any applicable agreement.

For more on how we calculate these figures, see How the figures work.

Summary

When researching "doctor salary australia", remember that the legal minimum varies by classification under the Medical Practitioners Award. The figures above are the starting point. Actual earnings can be significantly higher. Always verify your classification and any applicable agreement.