Podiatrist Salary in Australia: Where It Sits on the Salary Index

What is a podiatrist salary?

When you search for a podiatrist salary, you are asking how much a podiatrist earns in Australia. Podiatrists prevent, diagnose and treat foot disorders. They work mostly in health care and social assistance. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, there are about 6,600 podiatrists employed, with 75% working full-time. The median age is 43, and 58% are women. But the median weekly earnings are not published because the data has a high standard error. That means we cannot give a precise figure from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

How the salary index works

Salary Index measures gross annual earnings against a national line. The index sets 100 as full-time adult ordinary-time earnings. Based on the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026, that line is $2,083.70 per week, or $108,352 per year. Men earn $2,181 per week (index 104.7), women $1,934.50 (index 92.8). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, annualised $52,255, index 48.2. A casual worker gets a 25% loading, so $33.05 per hour. Entry-level award floors start at $25.74 per hour.

To find where a podiatrist salary sits, you divide the annual gross pay by $108,352 and multiply by 100. For example, if a podiatrist earns $90,000, the index is 83.1. If they earn $120,000, the index is 110.8. Without a published median, we use industry and award benchmarks.

What the data says about podiatrist pay

Jobs and Skills Australia does not publish median weekly earnings for podiatrists. The ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours for May 2025 shows N/A for this occupation. The reason is a high relative standard error – the sample is too small to be reliable. So we cannot say the average podiatrist salary from official sources.

However, we know podiatrists work in health care and social assistance. That industry has an index of 97.8, annualised to about $105,800. This is slightly below the national line. But podiatrists are skilled health professionals, so their pay may be above the industry average. The median age of 43 suggests experienced workers. The part-time share is 25%, which can lower average earnings.

The award floor for podiatrists

Podiatrists are covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award (MA000027). The Fair Work Ombudsman provides pay guides for this award. Minimum rates vary by classification. From 1 July 2026, award rates increased by 4.75%. An entry-level health professional under this award earns at least $25.74 per hour. For a full-time worker (38 hours per week), that is $978.12 per week, annualised $50,862, index 46.9. That is below the national minimum wage index of 48.2, but note that the award rate for a qualified podiatrist is higher than the entry-level classification. The award has multiple levels based on experience and responsibility. A more experienced podiatrist might be at a higher classification, earning perhaps $30 to $35 per hour. Casual workers get a 25% loading.

Many podiatrists work in private practice or as sole traders. Their pay can be higher than the award, especially if they have a patient base. Some work in public hospitals under enterprise agreements. The actual podiatrist salary depends on location, reputation and business model.

State and industry context

State indexes vary. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest index at 109.9 ($119,090). Western Australia is 106.9 ($115,825). New South Wales is 101.2 ($109,658). Victoria is 98 ($106,137). Tasmania is 88.6 ($96,008). A podiatrist in Canberra might earn more than one in Hobart. The health care industry index is 97.8, but within that, podiatrists may be above or below. For comparison, the professional, scientific and technical services index is 114.7.

Take-home pay estimates

If a podiatrist earns $100,000 per year, the index is 92.3. After tax, using 2026–27 rates with the tax-free threshold and 2% Medicare levy, the take-home is about $73,000. If they earn $120,000 (index 110.8), take-home is about $85,000. These ignore HELP repayments, salary sacrifice or Medicare levy surcharge. Super guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2026, on earnings up to $270,830.

For a junior podiatrist under 21, the national minimum wage percentages apply unless the award sets a different rate. For example, a 20-year-old podiatrist would get at least $25.83 per hour under the national minimum, but the award may have its own junior rates.

Where the podiatrist salary sits on the index

Given the lack of a published median, we can only estimate. The award floor for a qualified podiatrist is likely above the national minimum wage index of 48.2. The health care industry index of 97.8 is a reasonable proxy. Many podiatrists probably earn between index 85 and 110, depending on experience and location. That puts them around or slightly below the national line of 100. Without better data, this is the best we can say.

For more on how the index works, see how the index works. For state comparisons, visit states. For industry benchmarks, see industries.