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Perfusionist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a perfusionist is $137,800 per annum, before tax, up $29,300 since 2018.
Public hospital perfusionists are usually paid under state health enterprise agreements, so pay moves with your classification and years on bypass rather than with caseload. On-call and after-hours work adds loadings, and private hospitals and transplant units may set their own arrangements. Certification and experience with ECMO or ventricular assist devices also affect what you are paid, particularly in senior and specialist posts.
How to negotiate a higher perfusionist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time perfusionist salary is $137,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Perfusionists 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 Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general perfusionist 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."
Perfusionist salary questions
How much do perfusionists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a perfusionist is $137,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is perfusionist pay rising or falling?
The median perfusionist salary is up $29,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.