Specialist doctor salaries in Australia: public hospital staff specialist pay scales in NSW and Queensland, and what each medical specialty actually earned according to the ATO, with take-home pay in 2026–27.
A public hospital staff specialist earns $197,583 to $266,942 in NSW and $225,305 to $311,764 in Queensland Health, before private practice income and on-call payments.
NSW Health staff specialist salary
Award salary under the Staff Specialists (State) Award, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025, after an interim 3% increase while the award is in arbitration before the Industrial Relations Commission. Staff specialists also choose a private practice arrangement that adds an allowance or a share of private fees.
Postgraduate fellows: $229,514. Managerial allowances for heads of department: Level 1 $27,405, Level 2 $47,961, Level 3 $68,514.
Queensland Health staff specialist salary
Medical officer levels L18 to L29 under the Medical Officers' (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (No.7) 2025, from 1 September 2026. Staff specialists move up one level a year within their band.
Pay by medical specialty
What doctors in each specialty actually earned in 2023-24, from the ATO's tax statistics. These are salary or wage figures, so they leave out income from a doctor's own practice or company.
| Specialty (ATO) | People | Median salary or wage | Average salary or wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic and interventional radiologist | 2,525 | $271,780 | $383,218 |
| Emergency medicine specialist | 2,270 | $281,093 | $293,484 |
| Anaesthetist | 3,735 | $235,037 | $269,923 |
| Surgeon (general) | 1,900 | $208,000 | $239,669 |
| Cardiologist | 1,065 | $195,993 | $253,649 |
| Specialist physician (general medicine) | 2,012 | $221,009 | $247,181 |
| Paediatrician | 1,927 | $207,553 | $231,397 |
| Psychiatrist | 3,335 | $197,138 | $222,121 |
| Gynaecologist | 1,448 | $186,516 | $228,884 |
| General practitioner | 27,776 | $122,319 | $145,370 |
ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Table 15A.
Specialty pages: Radiologist salary · Anaesthetist salary · Surgeon salary. Junior doctors: intern, resident and registrar pay.
Common questions
How much does a specialist doctor earn in a public hospital?
In NSW a staff specialist's award salary is $197,583 in year 1 rising to $266,942 as a senior staff specialist (rates from 1 July 2025). In Queensland Health a staff specialist starts at $225,305 (L18) from 1 September 2026, up to $311,764 at pre-eminent status. Private practice allowances and on-call payments are extra.
Which specialist doctors earn the most?
On ATO figures, diagnostic radiologists, emergency medicine specialists and anaesthetists have the highest median salary or wage. Specialists who bill privately often earn more than these salary figures show.
How long does it take to become a specialist?
Usually a medical degree, one internship year, at least one more junior doctor year, then four to six years of training with a specialist college before fellowship.
Do staff specialists get private practice income?
Often, yes. Public hospitals let staff specialists bill private patients under rights of private practice arrangements, either keeping part of the fees or receiving an allowance on top of salary.
Sources: NSW Health Information Bulletin IB2026_006; Queensland Health medical officer wage rates; ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24. Checked 2026-10-23. General information only.