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Physiotherapist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a physiotherapist is $98,200 per annum, before tax, up $20,400 since 2018.
- Where you work changes your pay more than your experience does in the early years: public hospital roles pay against a state award with penalty rates, while private practice often offers a base salary plus commission on what you bill.
- Ask how the commission is worked out, whether you are paid for admin time, and whether professional development and leave are included.
- A figure quoted for a clinic is often a package built on hitting a billing target, so check what happens in a quiet month.
The median salary rose by $20,400 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 physiotherapist
The largest typical pay rise is $53,800 a year, moving into University Lecturer.
- University Lecturer+$53,800/yr
- Resident Medical Officer+$5,800/yr
- Occupational Therapist+$1,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher physiotherapist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time physiotherapist salary is $98,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Physiotherapists 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 physiotherapist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. University Lecturer pays a typical $53,800 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."
Physiotherapist salary questions
How much do physiotherapists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a physiotherapist is $98,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is physiotherapist pay rising or falling?
The median physiotherapist salary is up $20,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than physiotherapist?
University Lecturer pays a typical $53,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to physiotherapist.
Related salaries
- Resident Medical Officer salary
- Occupational Therapist salary
- Exercise Physiologist salary
- Myotherapist salary
- University Lecturer salary
- Allied Health Assistant salary
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.