Anesthesiologist salary in Australia: your after-tax take-home pay
The median full-time employed anaesthetist earns $8,293 per week ($431,236 a year), and the ATO reports a median taxable income of $457,287, giving a take-home of about $10,634 a fortnight.
Anesthesiologist salary in Australia: what you actually take home
If you are an anaesthetist or considering the career, the headline figures can be impressive. But the amount that reaches your bank account after income tax and the Medicare levy is what matters most. This guide uses the latest public data from the Australian Taxation Office and Jobs and Skills Australia to show you the real take-home pay.
Where the numbers come from
The Australian Taxation Office publishes tax-return data for occupation code 253211 (Anaesthetist). For 2023–24, 3,735 people reported an average taxable income of $475,455 and a median of $457,287. Those who were paid a salary or wage had an average of $269,923 and a median of $235,037. Jobs and Skills Australia (using the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025) gives median full-time earnings of $8,293 a week ($218 an hour) for anaesthetists (ANZSCO 2532).
Calculating your take-home pay on the median
For a resident earning the median taxable income of $457,287 in 2026–27:
- Income tax: $171,649 (using the 2026–27 tax brackets)
- Medicare levy: $9,146 (2% of taxable income)
- Total deductions: $180,795
- Take-home a year: $276,492
- Take-home a fortnight: $10,634
If you earn the full-time employee median of $8,293 a week ($431,236 a year), your take-home is about $10,103 a fortnight after tax and the Medicare levy.
Public hospital staff specialist scales
A public hospital anaesthetist is employed as a staff specialist on the same scale as other specialties. In NSW a first-year staff specialist's base salary is $197,583 ($231,962 with the 17.4% special allowance) from July 2025. In Victoria it is $262,099 a year (Year 1) from March 2025. In Queensland the L18 entry level is $222,059 from 1 July 2026, before a 50% attraction and retention allowance.
Medicare thresholds
The latest published single-person Medicare thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. Full-time salaries pay the full 2% Medicare levy. If your income is below the lower threshold, you pay no levy; between the thresholds, a shading rate applies.
What about super?
Employer super is 12% from 1 July 2026, on top of your salary. It is not deducted from your take-home pay. The maximum contribution base is $270,830.
Key points to remember
- The ATO figures include part-time and private practice income, so they are not a full-time salary rate.
- The Jobs and Skills Australia median is for full-time non-managerial employees only.
- Take-home estimates exclude HELP/HECS, the Medicare levy surcharge, salary sacrifice, and payroll rounding.
For more on how tax works, see Tax and Medicare. To calculate your own take-home, use the Clearance tool.
Questions
What is the average anesthesiologist salary in Australia?
The Australian Taxation Office reports an average taxable income of $475,455 for anaesthetists in 2023–24, with a median of $457,287. Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings at $8,293 per week ($431,236 a year).
How much tax does an anaesthetist pay?
On the median taxable income of $457,287, income tax is about $171,649 and the Medicare levy is $9,146 (2% of taxable income). The total deduction is roughly $180,795, leaving $276,492 a year.
What is the take-home pay for an anaesthetist?
After income tax and the Medicare levy, the median anaesthetist takes home about $276,492 a year, or $10,634 a fortnight. If you earn the full-time employee median of $8,293 a week, take-home is about $10,103 a fortnight.