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Periodontist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a periodontist is $166,400 per annum, before tax, up $34,700 since 2018.
How you are paid depends on the setting, because specialists in private practice usually take a share of the fees they bill, so the referral base and case mix matter more than a set salary. Public hospital and university clinic roles pay against a health service or academic classification, which is steadier but generally lower. Practice owners carry the costs of equipment such as CBCT imaging and a surgical team, and their income reflects what is left after those.
Roles that pay more than periodontist
The largest typical pay rise is $1,700 a year, moving into Dentist.
- Dentist+$1,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher periodontist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time periodontist salary is $166,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Periodontists 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 periodontist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Dentist pays a typical $1,700 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."
Periodontist salary questions
How much do periodontists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a periodontist is $166,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is periodontist pay rising or falling?
The median periodontist salary is up $34,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than periodontist?
Dentist pays a typical $1,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to periodontist.