Home Dental Therapist Salary
Dental Therapist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a dental therapist is $83,200 per annum, before tax, up $17,200 since 2018.
Public sector employers, mainly state and territory health departments, set pay through their own awards and enterprise agreements, so earnings differ noticeably between jurisdictions. Private practice roles tend to pay differently again and may include commission or a higher hourly rate. Because a large share of dental therapists work part time in school programs, weekly hours often shape annual earnings more than the rate itself.
Roles that pay more than dental therapist
The largest typical pay rise is $84,900 a year, moving into Dentist.
- Dentist+$84,900/yr
- Dental Hygienist+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher dental therapist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time dental therapist salary is $83,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Dental Therapists are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Patient care and support and Clinical assessment and treatment tend to command a premium over general dental therapist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Dentist pays a typical $84,900 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Dental Therapist salary questions
How much do dental therapists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a dental therapist is $83,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is dental therapist pay rising or falling?
The median dental therapist salary is up $17,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than dental therapist?
Dentist pays a typical $84,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to dental therapist.