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Ophthalmologist salary in Australia

The median full-time salary for an ophthalmologist is $218,400 per annum, before tax, up $46,500 since 2018.

• Pay depends more on how you work than on how long you have worked.
• Salaried public hospital specialists earn a set rate under the relevant state award, while ophthalmologists in private practice bill Medicare for each consultation and procedure, so income follows surgical volume and case mix.
• Subspecialty and location shape the mix of work too, and full-time procedural practice bills more than a clinic-only public appointment.

How to negotiate a higher ophthalmologist salary

• Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time ophthalmologist salary is $218,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
• Use demand as leverage. Ophthalmologists 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 ophthalmologist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
• 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."

Ophthalmologist salary questions

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