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Public Health Physician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a public health physician is $176,800 per annum, before tax, up $37,500 since 2018.
Most public health physicians are paid under state and territory health department agreements or public service classifications, so the grade of the role matters more than the job title. Seniority, whether the position carries a clinical component, and whether it sits in a hospital, a department or a university all move the figure.
How to negotiate a higher public health physician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time public health physician salary is $176,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Public Health Physicians 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 Data analysis and Statistical modelling tend to command a premium over general public health physician 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."
Public Health Physician salary questions
How much do public health physicians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a public health physician is $176,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is public health physician pay rising or falling?
The median public health physician salary is up $37,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.