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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.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- 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.
The median salary rose by $34,700 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 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.
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Pay advice
- 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.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.