Anesthetist Salary in Australia: What You Take Home After Tax

Anesthetist Salary: The Key Figures

If you are looking at an anesthetist salary in Australia, the numbers vary by source and whether you count private practice income. The Australian Taxation Office's 2023-24 tax statistics show 3,735 anaesthetists reported a median taxable income of $457,287 and an average of $475,455. Those who were paid a salary or wage had a median of $235,037. Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time weekly earnings at $8,293 ($218 an hour) for full-time non-managerial adults, based on ABS data from May 2025. That works out to about $431,236 a year.

Where the Figures Sit Against Benchmarks

The national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week. Full-time adult ordinary time earnings average $2,083.70 a week. An anaesthetist's median hourly rate of $218 is more than eight times the minimum and over four times the average full-time ordinary hourly rate. The Take-home pay on the full-time employee median of $8,293 a week is about $10,103 a fortnight after tax and Medicare levy (no HELP).

What Reaches Your Bank Account

Using the 2026-27 tax rates and the single-person Medicare thresholds ($28,011 and $35,013), the take-home on the ATO's median taxable income of $457,287 is $276,492 a year, or $10,634 a fortnight. That is after $171,649 of income tax and $9,146 of Medicare levy. Super is paid on top at 12% from 1 July 2026. If you have a HELP debt, repayments would reduce that further. These are estimates, not a tax assessment.

State-by-State Differences

The ATO data shows variation by state. Victoria has the highest median taxable income at $517,732, while New South Wales is lower at $385,733. Queensland and Western Australia also sit above the national median. The number of anaesthetists per state ranges from 34 in the Northern Territory to 1,075 in Victoria.

How the Salary Is Structured

An anaesthetist employed in a public hospital is paid on the state's specialist scale. For example, a NSW staff specialist starts at $231,962 base plus allowances. Private hospitals must pay at least $121,535 under the Medical Practitioners Award from July 2026. Many anaesthetists also do private work, which is not on a payslip and is taxed through PAYG instalments. The Super guarantee applies to employment income only.

Key Takeaways

• The anesthetist salary is among the highest in Australia, with median full-time earnings over $430,000 a year.
• Take-home pay after tax and Medicare is around $10,600 a fortnight at the median.
• The figures are well above the national minimum wage and full-time ordinary time averages.
• Use the Clearance tool to estimate your own take-home pay with your specific deductions and HELP debt.