Chiropractor salary guide: what you can expect to take home

Chiropractor salary: what the data shows

If you are looking for a single, official chiropractor salary figure, you will not find one. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish median weekly earnings for chiropractors because the occupation is classified at the 6-digit ANZSCO level (252111). Jobs and Skills Australia notes that median weekly earnings are not produced for 6-digit occupations. That means the pay range is wide and depends on your role, location, and experience.

What we do know from the ABS 2021 Census is that 4,400 people were employed as chiropractors, 57% worked part-time, and the median age was 40. Only 43% worked full-time hours, compared with 64% across all occupations. The average full-time week was 42 hours. These figures suggest many chiropractors work part-time or in mixed roles, which affects annual income.

How chiropractor pay compares with national benchmarks

Even without a specific median, you can compare any offer against the benchmarks we track:

• National minimum wage: $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week (from 1 July 2026). This is the legal floor for award-free employees. Minimum wage
• All employees average weekly total earnings: $1,579.20 a week ($82,118 a year). This includes part-time workers. Average pay
• Full-time adult ordinary time earnings: $2,083.70 a week ($108,352 a year). This excludes overtime and employer super. Benchmarks

A chiropractor working full-time in a clinic might earn somewhere between the all-employees average and the full-time ordinary time figure, but without published data it is impossible to say exactly. Self-employed chiropractors have even more variation.

Tax and Medicare on your chiropractor salary

Once you know your annual salary, you can estimate your take-home pay. For the 2026–27 tax year, the resident tax rates are:

• $0 – $18,200: Nil
• $18,201 – $45,000: 15c for each $1 over $18,200
• $45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000
• $135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000
• $190,001 and over: $51,370 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000

You also pay the Medicare levy of 2% of your taxable income. The latest published single-person Medicare thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your taxable income is below $28,011 you pay no Medicare levy; between $28,011 and $35,013 you pay a reduced rate (10c per $1 over the lower threshold). Full-time salaries will almost always be above the upper threshold, so you pay the full 2%.

For example, if you earn $85,000 a year:

• Income tax: approximately $16,717
• Medicare levy: $1,700
• Take-home: about $66,583 a year, or $2,561 a fortnight

Use the Clearance tool to run your own numbers. Remember this is a resident estimate only; it excludes HELP/HECS, the Medicare levy surcharge, salary sacrifice, and payroll tax-table rounding.

Superannuation for chiropractors

From 1 July 2026, your employer must pay super at 12% of your ordinary time earnings, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830. If your job ad says “$85,000 plus super”, your total remuneration package is $85,000 + $10,200 super = $95,200. The super is not deducted from your take-home pay; it goes into your super fund. See Super for more.

Where to find award rates

Chiropractors may be covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020. Fair Work publishes pay guides for this award, with minimum rates for classifications such as Health Professional Level 1, 2, etc. These rates change from 1 October 2026. Check the Guides page for the latest.

Final note

Because the official data does not support a single chiropractor salary figure, the best approach is to compare any offer you receive against the national minimum wage and the full-time ordinary time benchmark. Use the Take-home pay calculator to see what lands in your bank account after tax and Medicare.