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Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an ear, nose and throat surgeon is $234,000 per annum, before tax, up $48,800 since 2018.
Specialists in public hospitals are paid under state enterprise agreements, so your classification, years of service and how much on-call and recall work you take on set the figure. Private practice changes the mix, because you earn from the consultations and procedures you perform, which is often where the ceiling is higher and the income less predictable. Subspecialty and location also shape referrals, with paediatric, head and neck oncology and skull base work among the areas that draw patients.
How to negotiate a higher ear, nose and throat surgeon salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time ear, nose and throat surgeon salary is $234,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeons are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, 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 ear, nose and throat surgeon 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."
Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon salary questions
How much do ear, nose and throat surgeons earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an ear, nose and throat surgeon is $234,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is ear, nose and throat surgeon pay rising or falling?
The median ear, nose and throat surgeon salary is up $48,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.