Podiatrist
Podiatrists assess and treat problems affecting 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
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 42/wk
+2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
Podiatrists are registered allied health professionals who examine, diagnose and manage conditions of the foot, ankle and lower leg, using everything from gait analysis to minor surgery. Most work in private clinics, seeing a list of patients through the day, though hospitals, community health services and aged care also employ them. Registration with the Podiatry Board of Australia through AHPRA is required to practise, and the job is hands-on: assessment, orthotics, wound care and small procedures.
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.
Pay in podiatry moves with the setting rather than the title. Public hospital and community health roles are paid under enterprise agreements with set bands and penalty rates, while private practice usually pays a base plus a percentage of what you bill, so income depends on how full your book is and how much of it is higher-value work such as surgery. Practice owners carry the costs of running a clinic but keep the margin, which is often where earnings grow over a career.
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 work out 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.
- 1Finish Year 12 with chemistry and biology
Accredited podiatry degrees assume a science background, and a strong ATAR opens the courses. A diploma or another health degree can be a route in for people who left school early or changed direction later.
- 2Complete an accredited Bachelor of Podiatry
Four years full time, including clinical placements in hospitals, community clinics and private practices. Some universities offer graduate entry for people who already hold a degree.
- 3Register with the Podiatry Board of Australia
Registration through AHPRA is required before you can treat patients, and it renews each year with a continuing professional development requirement. Registration, indemnity insurance and association fees come out of your own pocket.
- 4Add an endorsement or postgraduate qualification if you want to specialise
Endorsement for scheduled medicines, or postgraduate study in paediatrics, sports podiatry or high-risk foot care, widens what you can treat and bill for. Most podiatrists do this after a few years in practice.
- 5Choose between public and private practice
Public hospital and community health roles are salaried under enterprise agreements, while most private roles pay a base plus a share of billings. Private practice is also the usual route to owning a clinic.
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.
| 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?
The day is a list of appointments, most of them 15 to 30 minutes, so the work is on your feet and conversation-heavy, with notes left for the end. Much of the caseload is routine foot care and orthotics, and the cases that hold attention are the higher-risk ones, such as a patient with diabetes whose ulcer needs watching or a runner whose knee pain traces back to how they land. The work tends to suit people who like solving mechanical problems with their hands and seeing improvement over weeks rather than years.
What people like
- You can see the difference you make. A lot of foot pain eases once the cause is identified, so patients often leave walking better than they arrived and say so.
- Hands-on and varied. One appointment might be biomechanics and an orthotic review, the next nail surgery, the next a diabetic wound check, so the day moves between different kinds of work.
- You can work in several settings. Private clinics employ most podiatrists, but hospitals, community health, aged care and sports teams all need them, and the clinical skills carry across.
- Clinical independence. Once registered, you assess and treat patients on your own judgement, with referrals to a GP, surgeon or diabetes team when the case calls for it.
What people find hard
- It is feet, with everything that comes with them. Fungal nails, verrucae, sweaty shoes and infected ulcers are a normal part of the week, and some of it smells.
- Appointments run back to back. Many private practices book short consultations, so there is little slack in the day, and paperwork often gets done after the last patient.
- Funding rules take time. Medicare care plans, item numbers and private health claiming add administrative work that has nothing to do with treating anyone.
- Routine care repeats. Much of the caseload is the same handful of problems, such as ingrown toenails, callus and heel pain, and the fourth case of the day can feel like the first.
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?
Podiatry is one of the less exposed allied health jobs, because the core of it happens with your hands on a patient's foot. Software helps around the edges: pressure-plate scanning and gait analysis measure how someone walks, CAD programs design orthotics from a 3D scan, and practice systems manage records and claiming. None of that decides whether a wound is infected, checks sensation in a diabetic foot or performs a nail procedure.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Hands-on treatment and minor proceduresNail surgery, wound debridement, callus reduction and orthotic fitting all depend on hands, eyes and immediate judgement about what the tissue is doing.30%low
- Assessment and diagnosisGait analysis software and pressure plates give measurements and images, but interpreting them alongside a physical examination and the patient's history is still the podiatrist's call.25%moderate
- Care planning for high-risk feetMonitoring a diabetic foot means checking circulation and sensation, spotting a changing ulcer and coordinating with a GP or diabetes team in person.25%low
- Records, referrals and claimingPractice software can draft notes and letters, but the clinical detail, the item numbers and the decision to refer stay with the treating podiatrist.20%low
Common questions about becoming a podiatrist
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do podiatrists earn in Australia?
Podiatrists earn a median of $70,200 per year before tax. As with most clinical roles, that figure is a midpoint, so pay varies with whether you work in a public hospital under an enterprise agreement or in private practice on a share of billings, and with how much of your week goes to higher-billing work like surgery.
How do you become a podiatrist?
You complete a four-year accredited Bachelor of Podiatry, then register with the Podiatry Board of Australia through AHPRA before you can see patients. Entry usually needs Year 12 chemistry and biology or an equivalent pathway, and some universities offer graduate entry for people who already hold a degree. Clinical placements during the degree are where most students work out which part of the job they want.
Are podiatrists in demand?
Podiatrists are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 35.7% over the decade to 2035. That combination is worth checking against where you want to live and work, since most openings sit in private practice rather than hospitals, and regional areas can be easier to enter than city clinics with established books.
Will AI replace podiatrists?
Not the clinical work. Pressure-plate scanning and gait analysis measure how a patient walks, CAD programs design orthotics from a 3D scan, and practice software handles records and claiming, but none of it examines a foot, decides whether an ulcer is infected or performs an ingrown toenail procedure.
What can a podiatrist move into later?
Experienced podiatrists often move into practice management or open their own clinic, and that is usually where earnings grow, with management roles paying $15,900 more compared with clinical work. Teaching and research is another route, paying $81,800 more, though it needs a higher degree. Both moves rest on the clinical knowledge you build first, so they usually come after several years in practice.
What is the difference between a podiatrist and a physiotherapist?
A physiotherapist treats movement and rehabilitation problems across the whole body, while a podiatrist works on the foot, ankle and lower leg. There is overlap in ankle rehabilitation, but podiatrists also handle nail and skin procedures, orthotics and diabetic foot care, which sit outside physiotherapy training.
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