Home General Practitioner Salary
General Practitioner salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a general practitioner is $127,200 per annum, before tax, up $27,000 since 2018.
How a general practitioner is paid matters more than the headline figure. Contractors usually take a percentage of the billings they generate, so income tracks how many patients they see, how they mix bulk billing with private fees and how much procedural or after-hours work they take on, while salaried doctors in corporate or hospital clinics trade some of that upside for predictable pay. Rural and remote practices often add incentive payments, and contractors typically cover their own super, indemnity insurance and leave.
Roles that pay more than general practitioner
The largest typical pay rise is $304,000 a year, moving into Anaesthetist.
- Anaesthetist+$304,000/yr
- General Physician+$91,200/yr
- Emergency Physician+$75,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher general practitioner salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time general practitioner salary is $127,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. General Practitioners 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 Clinical assessment and treatment and Patient care and support tend to command a premium over general general practitioner experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Anaesthetist pays a typical $304,000 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."
General Practitioner salary questions
How much do general practitioners earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a general practitioner is $127,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is general practitioner pay rising or falling?
The median general practitioner salary is up $27,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than general practitioner?
Anaesthetist pays a typical $304,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to general practitioner.