Optometrist salary 2026: take-home pay, tax, and super explained

What is the optometrist salary in Australia?

If you are an optometrist or considering the profession, you want to know what lands in your bank account each fortnight. The most reliable source is the Australian Taxation Office, which publishes income data from tax returns. For the 2023–24 income year, 5,540 optometrists reported a median taxable income of $100,818 and a median salary or wage of $92,133. The average taxable income was $107,824. These figures include part-time workers and practice owners, so they are not a full-time salary rate.

Official government surveys do not provide a separate median. Jobs and Skills Australia publishes "N/A for optometrists and orthoptists because the survey estimate has a high standard error. The Australian Bureau of Statistics classifies optometrists under occupation code 263331, but does not publish salary data. That is why the ATO tax data is the best benchmark.

How tax brackets change your fortnight

Your take-home pay depends on the 2026–27 tax brackets. For a resident earning $100,818:

• First $18,200: tax-free
• Next $26,800 (up to $45,000): taxed at 15 cents per dollar = $4,020
• Next $55,818 (up to $100,818): taxed at 30 cents per dollar = $16,745.40
• Total tax before offsets: $20,765.40
• Less Low Income Tax Offset (LITO): $325 (reduced from maximum due to income)
• Net tax: about $20,440
• Plus Medicare levy: 2% = $2,016
• Total deductions: $22,456
• Take-home: $78,362 a year, or about $3,014 a fortnight

If your salary is $92,133, the calculation is similar but with less tax. The key point: the 30% bracket applies to most optometrist income, and the Medicare levy adds 2%.

The Medicare levy and thresholds

The Medicare levy is a flat 2% on taxable income above $35,013 for singles. The latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your income is between those, you pay a shade rate of 10 cents per dollar over $28,011. Full-time optometrists almost always pay the full 2%. For $100,818, that is $2,016.

Super is on top

From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of your ordinary time earnings. If your salary is $92,133, your employer contributes $11,056 to super. This is not deducted from your take-home; it is additional. Your total remuneration package is salary plus super. When comparing job offers, check whether the advertised figure is base salary or total package. The Super guide explains more.

Take-home pay at a glance

Using the ATO median salary or wage of $92,133, your fortnightly take-home after tax and Medicare levy is about **$2,774 (no HELP debt) or $2,644 with a HELP repayment. On the median taxable income of $100,818, it is about $3,001 a fortnight. These are estimates using 2026–27 rates and the standard Medicare levy. Your actual pay may differ due to rounding by payroll systems.

For context, the national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week. Optometrist salaries are well above that. The average full-time adult ordinary time earnings in Australia are $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year. Your optometrist salary is around that level.

What changes your fortnight

Three main factors affect your take-home:

1. Tax brackets: As your income rises, more is taxed at 30% or higher. The $45,000 to $135,000 bracket covers most optometrists.
2. Medicare levy: A flat 2% unless you are below the threshold.
3. Super: Not a deduction, but part of your total compensation. If you salary sacrifice into super, your taxable income drops, reducing tax and Medicare levy.

Use the Take-home pay calculator to see your own numbers. For more on tax and Medicare, see Tax and Medicare.

Sources

The ATO data comes from Taxation Statistics 2023–24, Individuals Table 15. The Jobs and Skills Australia profile confirms no median is published. The ABS occupation standard describes the role. All figures are before tax and exclude HELP/HECS, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary sacrifice.

This guide is for information only and is not a tax assessment.