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GP Salary Guide For Australia

GP Salary Guide Australia

 Introduction

NOTE: This information in this document is general in nature and relates to our records regarding GPs working in General Practices only. Individual circumstances will vary and may not reflect all this information in this document.

The potential earnings of a GP in Australia can vary depending on the way GPs actually work in Australia:

  1. General Practitioners work as individual contractors meaning essentially they are “business owners”. GPs are almost never salaried employees as in most other countries.
  2. General Practitioners 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.

General Practitioners are paid gross billings (before tax) as they are contractors and are responsible for paying their own tax to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). They also select their preferred method of saving for retirement through superannuation.


CONTENTS

01. Considerations

1. Number of working hours
2. Percentage of billings
3. Number of consultations
4. Patient consultation types

02. Consultation fees

03. Average hours

04. Average GP salary

Commencing GP work in Australia

05. We are here to guide you

06. Sources


01. Considerations

  1. Number of working hours: whether you are working full-time (32-40 hours per week) or part time (hours vary in each case).
  2. Percentage of billings: each practice offers a different pay rate (usually between 65% and 75%). Higher percentages may be applied to evening and weekend sessions.
  3. Number of consultations: most General Practitioners see between 4-6 patients per hour. It just depends how you like to work.
  4. Patient consultation types: Medicare reimburses GPs at differing levels, depending on the complexity of the patient needs, time spent and type of procedure. See here what GPs need to know about the recent changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

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02. Consultation fees

Although the Australian Medical Association (AMA) publishes a consultation fee guideline, it is not binding on GPs and there is no government regulation of fees. GPs are free to set prices in response to market conditions.

The Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) longitudinal survey found that the average gross price for all patients is $42.06 per consultation and the average price for non-bulk-billed patients is $50.10.

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03. Average hours

One of the biggest motivating factors for those who are moving to Australia is the work-life-balance compared to other countries.

According to Medical Recruitment’s database, on average:

  • 77% of GPs work 35-40 hours per week.
  • 46% of female GPs work 30-39 hours per week.
  • Those working over 40 hours per week are 64% male.
  • 62% of males worked 40-45 hours per week.
  • These hours include all GP roles including paperwork, meetings, patient consultations, etc.

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04. Average GP salary

Based on a salary survey in Australia, a full-time General Practitioner on average earns between $200,000 and $350,000 per annum. However, by working more shifts in the evenings, weekends, completing procedures and managing chronic disease patients, earnings could increase to $500,000+.

These averages apply regardless of whether you are working in a bulkbilling or mixed billing practice.

After allowing for tax these figure provide a weekly income of:

  • $200,000 = $2,600 a week.
  • $350,000 = $4,230 a week.
  • $400,000 = $4,750 a week.

Commencing GP work in Australia

Your earnings in the first 12 months may be slightly lower, as it can take a few months to build up your patient base. It all depends on the number of patients in the practice. Usually patient numbers are higher in well-established bulk-billing practices.

After your first 12 months in Australia you should have a loyal patient following and your earnings should be strong.

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05. We are here to guide you

The experienced professionals at Medical Recruitment intimately know the employment requirements of general practices here in Australia.

Partnering with Medical Recruitment gives you access to an effective and smooth recruitment process where the outcome is a successful matching of GPs and their goals with employment and their requirements.

You can browse the most current list of GP job opportunities by visiting our doctor job vacancies page.

Alternatively, call us on 1300 137 142 or fill the form below your enquiry and experience our unique personalised approach.


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06. Sources

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