Podiatrist
Podiatrists assess and treat problems with the feet, ankles and lower legs, from sports injuries to the complications of diabetes.
- Median salary*
- $70,200
4.0%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 6,600
3.1%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +35.7%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- 2 out of 10
- Average hours
- 42/wk
+2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
- A podiatrist diagnoses and treats conditions of the foot, ankle and lower leg, from heel pain and sporting injuries to the wounds and circulation problems that come with diabetes.
- Private clinics, hospitals, community health services and aged care homes all employ podiatrists, and the caseload changes with the setting.
- Practising takes a podiatry degree and registration with AHPRA.
How much do podiatrists earn?
The median full-time salary for a podiatrist is $70,200 per annum, before tax, up $14,600 since 2018.
Where you work changes the figure a lot: private clinics often pay a base wage plus a share of what you bill, while hospital and community health roles follow an award with set increments. Part-time work is common, so a full-time median may not match what you actually earn. Before you sign on with a clinic, ask how that share is worked out, whether super is included or added separately, and how many patients a typical week would hold.
What does a podiatrist do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Assessing gait, footwear and lower-limb movement to find what is driving foot, ankle or knee pain
- Fitting orthotics and adjusting footwear, then reviewing how the change has settled at a follow-up appointment
- Managing high-risk feet, checking circulation and sensation, and dressing wounds before they turn into ulcers
- Carrying out minor procedures such as ingrown toenail surgery and nail or callus care, often under local anaesthetic
- Keeping clinical notes and Medicare claims up to date between patients, and referring on to a GP or surgeon when a problem needs more than podiatry can offer
What skills do podiatrists need?
Employers look for clinical assessment and treatment, patient care and support, care planning and coordination, backed by Podiatry assessment equipment (calliper, monofilament, thermometer) fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Clinical assessment and treatment
- Patient care and support
- Care planning and coordination
- Health education and advice
- Infection control and hygiene
Software and tools
- Podiatry assessment equipment (calliper, monofilament, thermometer)
- Orthotic prescription software
- Scalpel and nail care instruments
- Ultrasound imaging
- Electronic health records (EHR)
General skills
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 6,600 people work as podiatrists in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 35.7% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a podiatrist?
Here's the path most podiatrists take, step by step.
- 1Complete an accredited podiatry degree
A four-year Bachelor of Podiatry is the most direct route, and some universities take you through a health science degree followed by a postgraduate podiatry qualification. The program has to be accredited by the Australian and New Zealand Podiatry Accreditation Council, because only accredited study leads to registration.
- 2Make the most of your clinical placements
Supervised hours in university clinics, hospitals, community health centres and high-risk foot services are built into the degree, and you treat real patients under a supervisor. Each placement tells you something about the caseload you want, so pay attention to which settings you look forward to.
- 3Register with the Podiatry Board of Australia
The board's registration, managed by AHPRA, is what allows you to treat patients, and the process includes criminal history checks and English language requirements. You can't work as a podiatrist until that registration is in place, and it has to stay current for as long as you practise, locum and part-time work included.
- 4Add an endorsement or a postgraduate qualification
An endorsement for scheduled medicines lets you prescribe certain drugs, and it takes extra study and supervised practice after you register. Postgraduate certificates in diabetes foot care, sports podiatry or paediatrics are other common next moves, and they bring a caseload that general clinics don't carry.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine
A recognised route into this role
Complete a Board-approved podiatry programme and satisfy registration requirements. Podiatric surgery requires a separate specialist route. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
- Bachelor of Podiatry
A recognised route into this role
Complete a Board-approved podiatry programme and satisfy registration requirements. Podiatric surgery requires a separate specialist route. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
Ready to apply as a podiatrist?
Whether you're working toward becoming a podiatrist or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a podiatrist move to?
Moving into University Lecturer typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $81,800 a year more on average.
- University LecturerSuggested move$152,000+$81,800
- Practice ManagerSuggested move$86,100+$15,900
Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
University Lecturer Podiatrist brings clinical podiatry expertise to teaching and research, though a higher degree is required. | +$81,800 | 3% | requalify |
Practice Manager Podiatrist brings clinical and patient care understanding to running a practice, with a short course in management. | +$15,900 | 6% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a podiatrist?
The typical podiatrist is 43 years old; 58% are women, 75% work full-time, and full-timers average 42 hours a week.
- 43
- Median age
- 58%
- Female share
- 75%
- Full-time
- +2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a podiatrist?
Your day is a run of short appointments, and you spend it on your feet, often bent over to look at, feel and treat someone's foot. The variety keeps it interesting: a runner with heel pain, a wound check on a patient with diabetes and a child's gait assessment can all land in the same morning. Patients usually arrive after weeks or months of pain, so there is real satisfaction when a change to footwear or an orthotic settles it. If you need long stretches of quiet to think, the appointment rhythm is hard going.
What people like
- Simple fixes that change someone's week. Heel pain, an ingrown nail or shoes that rub often settle with treatment you can plan over one or two visits, and patients notice the difference quickly.
- You see whether your plan worked. Diabetic foot checks, orthotic reviews and wound care bring people back over months, so you find out whether what you prescribed held up.
- The caseload changes hour to hour. A morning might hold a child's gait assessment, a nail procedure and a wound dressing, which keeps the work from settling into one routine.
- You can steer your career towards an interest. Sports podiatry, paediatrics, diabetes care and surgery each need different skills, and you can build your caseload around the one you like.
What people find hard
- A full book leaves no slack. Appointments run back to back, so one long consultation pushes the whole afternoon and the notes wait until the last patient has gone.
- On your feet and bent over all day. Wrists, neck and lower back carry the strain of treating patients hour after hour, which adds up over a long career.
- Paperwork follows the clinical work. Medicare claims, care plan documentation and insurer forms come with every course of treatment, and they have to be done whether or not the waiting room is full.
- Some feet are confronting. Infected wounds, long-neglected nails and patients who have put off care for years are normal in high-risk foot work, and you need a strong stomach for it.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ podiatrists?
Health Care and Social Assistance employs the largest share of podiatrists.
Top employing industries
- 1Health Care and Social Assistance
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 65.1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 25.7% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 6.7% | |
| Year 12 or below | 0.4% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 0.3% |
Will AI replace podiatrists?
Low exposure. Unlikely. AI will change some of the work around this job, not the job itself.
Podiatry's exposure to automation stays low because the work happens through your hands on a patient's foot and through the conversation about what hurts and what they can manage. Technology helps around the edges: pressure-plate scanning, ultrasound and CAD software for orthotic design give you better information, while dictation and template notes trim the paperwork after each patient. Build your confidence with those scans and with clinic software early, but keep your manual assessment and your explanations sharp, because those are what patients come back for.
How a typical week splits
- Clinical notes, Medicare claims and referrals15% of the week
Dictation and template letters take minutes off every file, and claim checking software catches item numbers you would otherwise have to chase with Medicare.
- Orthotic design and prescription25% of the week
A scanner and CAD software can model a shell from a foot scan, but you still set the prescription and adjust it when symptoms change.
- Hands-on assessment and treatment45% of the week
Testing pulses, checking sensation with a monofilament and cutting nails or callus are judgements made with your hands and eyes, and no sensor replaces them.
- Explaining care and keeping patients on track15% of the week
Getting someone with diabetes to check their feet daily, or a runner to wear the right shoes, depends on a conversation and on their trust in you.
How we work this out
We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.
Common questions about becoming a podiatrist
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do podiatrists earn in Australia?
Podiatrists earn $70,200 per year before tax at the median. What moves that figure most is where you work, since private clinics often tie part of your pay to what you bill while hospital and community roles follow an award.
How do you become a podiatrist?
You finish an accredited podiatry degree, then register with AHPRA before you can treat patients. A four-year bachelor degree is the common route, and some universities offer a health science degree followed by a postgraduate podiatry qualification. Check the accreditation listing first, since a program that isn't accredited won't lead to registration.
Are podiatrists in demand in Australia?
Podiatrists are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 35.7% over the decade to 2035. For someone choosing a direction now, the settings likely to keep hiring are diabetes foot services, aged care and community health, where foot checks are part of routine care.
Will AI replace podiatrists?
No, because treatment means examining and touching someone's feet, which can't be done through a screen. Software is more useful behind the scenes, drafting notes, sorting referrals and flagging patients overdue for a diabetes foot check. Getting quick with that software is now part of working efficiently in a busy clinic.
What can a podiatrist move into later?
Many podiatrists end up owning or buying into a clinic, which usually lifts income above the award-based range but brings rent, staff, equipment and the risk that patient numbers dip. Practice management roles typically pay $15,900 more and lean on your knowledge of how a clinic runs, while university teaching or research pays $81,800 more but needs a higher degree and published work behind you.
Can podiatrists specialise?
Yes, and the area you choose changes the working week you have. Sports injuries, paediatrics, diabetes and high-risk foot care, surgery and aged care all call for different skills, and a postgraduate certificate or the training for a scheduled medicines endorsement is how you get there. When you weigh up job offers, ask what share of the caseload sits in the area you want to build.
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Career advice
- Salary sacrificeSalary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to give up part of your future pre-tax pay in exchange for benefits of similar value, such as extra super, a car through a novated lease, or everyday expenses if you work for a charity or public hospital.
- How to change careers, and which moves are realisticData on 1,573 career moves across 350 Australian occupations shows 63.3% need no more than a short course, though skill overlap alone won't tell you which ones. Six worked examples, and how to check your own move.
- Skills to put on your resume (with skills finder)A resume skills section built for the job you're applying for. Search your occupation to see the specialist skills, tools and general skills it calls for, with worked examples and what to write if you have no work history yet.