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General Practitioner salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a general practitioner is $127,200 per annum, before tax, up $27,000 since 2018.
- How a general practitioner is paid matters more than the headline figure.
- Contractors usually take a percentage of the billings they generate, so income tracks how many patients they see, how they mix bulk billing with private fees and how much procedural or after-hours work they take on, while salaried doctors in corporate or hospital clinics trade some of that upside for predictable pay.
- Rural and remote practices often add incentive payments, and contractors typically cover their own super, indemnity insurance and leave.
The median salary rose by $27,000 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than general practitioner
The largest typical pay rise is $304,000 a year, moving into Anaesthetist.
- Anaesthetist+$304,000/yr
- General Physician+$91,200/yr
- Emergency Physician+$75,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher general practitioner salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time general practitioner salary is $127,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. General Practitioners 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 Clinical assessment and treatment and Patient care and support tend to command a premium over general general practitioner experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Anaesthetist pays a typical $304,000 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."
General Practitioner salary questions
How much do general practitioners earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a general practitioner is $127,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is general practitioner pay rising or falling?
The median general practitioner salary is up $27,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than general practitioner?
Anaesthetist pays a typical $304,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to general practitioner.
Related salaries
- General Physician salary
- Emergency Physician salary
- Anaesthetist salary
- Psychiatrist salary
- Paediatrician salary
- Resident Medical Officer salary
Pay advice
- Salary sacrificeSalary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to give up part of your future pre-tax pay in exchange for benefits of similar value, such as extra super, a car through a novated lease, or everyday expenses if you work for a charity or public hospital.
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.