No, medical students in Australia don't get paid during their university studies, as they are students paying for their education, but upon graduating and starting their internship, they become paid physicians, earning significant salaries (around $70k-$90k AUD+), and continue to earn while training as residents and specialists. The main confusion arises because "intern" means something different for medical graduates than for other fields, with medical interns being fully qualified doctors in paid roles.
Resident doctors in Australia, often referred to as interns or residents, earn a salary that varies depending on the state, hospital, and specific role. As of 2024, the average annual salary for a resident doctor ranges from AUD 70,000 to AUD 90,000 before tax.
Medical Interns are paid a salary of between $68,000 AUD and $79,000 AUD base salary per annum for full-time work, depending on which State or Territory of Australia they are in. The majority of interns are employed on a full-time basis and they can often earn significantly more due to working shifts and overtime.
Junior doctor salary in Melbourne and Perth
In Melbourne, the average annual wage for a junior doctor ranges from AUD $75,000 to AUD $105,000, while in Perth, the average wage falls within a similar range, from AUD $73,000 to AUD $103,000.
Yes, $70k is a fair salary in Australia, often near the median income, making it a decent living for a single person, especially outside major cities, but it can be tight in expensive areas or for those with high living costs like mortgages, with full-time averages now closer to $90k-$100k.
Entry-level GPs: Those who are just starting out or have a few years of experience might earn somewhere in the range of AUD$100,000 to AUD$150,000. This figure often increases as they gain more experience, build a larger patient base, or specialise in specific areas.
Jobs paying $500k+ in Australia are primarily in highly specialized fields like Medical Specialists (surgeons, anaesthetists), Senior Finance/Executive Roles (CFO, Head of Treasury, Investment Directors), and high-end Sales & Construction Management (Elite Stockbrokers, Senior Project Managers/Estimators in complex sectors). While roles like Neurosurgeon and Ophthalmologist average well over $500k, achieving this in other sectors often involves performance-based bonuses or leading major projects, with opportunities listed on job boards like SEEK and Jora.
Yes, $130k is a very good salary in Australia, placing you well above the median income and in the top earnings bracket, but whether it's "comfortable" depends heavily on your location (high-cost cities like Sydney/Melbourne vs. regional areas) and lifestyle, as high rents can still strain finances, though it generally allows for a solid middle-class life with budgeting.
Advantages: In addition to respectable pay, doctors can look forward to advantages including superannuation (similar to the pension plans in the UK and New Zealand), generous yearly leave, and, in some cases, housing or vehicle allowances.
Jobs paying $200k+ in Australia are common in specialized fields like Medicine (Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Specialists), Technology (Data Scientists, Cloud Engineers), Engineering, Executive Management (C-Suite, Directors), Law, and high-end Sales, with significant opportunities also in the Mining sector, alongside specialized roles in Finance, Construction Management, and Healthcare Administration, often requiring significant experience or niche skills.
Paediatrics remains the lowest-paid RACP specialty, with mean taxable income of $266,783 in 2021-22, though it showed solid growth of 10.8% from its 2019-20 figure of $240,800.
1. Surgeon. Surgeons have one of the highest salaries in Australia among healthcare professionals, with salary packages upwards of $500,000 due to their extensive education and training, and the critical nature of their work.
Is residency harder than medical school? In some ways, yes. Medical school is academically demanding—think lectures, exams, USMLE Steps 1 & 2. But residency adds real-life pressure: critical decisions, physical exhaustion, patient emotions, and your own self-doubt.
What Is the UAE Golden Visa for Doctors? The Golden Visa for doctors provides a 10-year UAE residency based on professional qualifications and health sector licensing.
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21 highest-paying nonmedical jobs
To be in Australia's top 1% of individual taxpayers, you generally need an annual income of around $375,000 to $390,000, though figures vary slightly by source and year, with higher thresholds for households (around $530,000). For context, the median individual income is much lower (around $55,000), and while top earners often include surgeons and anaesthetists, reaching the top 1% of net worth requires significantly more wealth, often exceeding $7 million.
FAQs
$100,000/year is above an average salary and if you're frugal enough, on $100,000/year, you should be able to live a good life and save some money too. Usually if you consider living in desirable locations of cities like Melbourne and Sydney, most of your income will be consumed in the house rents.
A GP lifestyle in Australia that's hard to beat
From flexible working hours and well-paid contracts to paid travel and accommodation, Australia offers a lifestyle that's truly hard to match, especially for healthcare professionals looking for both career progression and personal freedom.
How much does a doctor earn in Australia? Curious about the earning potential of junior doctors Down Under? In Australia, doctors-in-training and junior doctors typically earn between AUD $65,000 to $95,000 annually, while top-level consultants may command an average salary of AUD $310,000.
UK GPs reported higher levels of emotional distress - with 71% of UK saying they find their job 'extremely' or 'very stressful' - the highest alongside Germany. Half of UK GPs believe the quality of care they are able to provide has worsened since before the pandemic, and only 14% thought it had improved.