Dermatologist salary in Australia: award minimum and what to expect

Understanding the dermatologist salary picture

When searching for a dermatologist salary in Australia, you will quickly notice that reliable, publicly available figures are scarce. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish median weekly earnings for dermatologists because the occupation (ANZSCO 253911) is a six‑digit code with too few respondents to meet statistical reliability standards. This means any figure you see online that claims to be the “average dermatologist salary” should be treated with caution unless it comes from a known employer or survey with a clear methodology.

What we do have is a clear legal minimum set by the Fair Work Commission through the Medical Practitioners Award 2020. This award covers all dermatologists who are not covered by an enterprise agreement or a higher‑paying individual contract.

The legal minimum under the Medical Practitioners Award

The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the pay guide for the Medical Practitioners Award. As of the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the minimum annual salary for a Specialist (the classification that includes dermatologists) is $121,535. For a full‑time employee working 38 ordinary hours per week, that works out to:

• $2,337.21 per week
• $61.51 per hour

These rates are before tax and before superannuation. The award also provides for higher rates for senior specialists (pay points 1 to 5), with the top step at $150,985 per year.

It is important to separate this award minimum from a survey average or a negotiated salary. The award is the floor – no employer can pay less. But many dermatologists in private practice or public hospitals earn well above this figure through enterprise agreements or individual contracts. The ABS Labour Force Survey shows that dermatologists work an average of 46 hours per week, and 65% work full‑time, but those hours often include private billing or on‑call work that is not captured in the award rate.

What about the national minimum wage?

The national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026. However, the Medical Practitioners Award sets a much higher minimum for dermatologists, so the national minimum does not apply to them. The award rate overrides the national minimum for award‑covered employees.

Superannuation and the weekly packet

Superannuation is an employer payment on top of the salary. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings. For a dermatologist on the award minimum:

• Annual salary: $121,535
• Super contribution (12%): $14,584
• Total cost to employer: $136,119

Super is not part of your take‑home pay; it is paid into a fund and preserved until retirement. When comparing a dermatologist salary to other roles, always check whether the figure quoted includes super or is “base salary” before super.

Tax and Medicare

For the 2026‑27 income year, a dermatologist earning the award minimum of $121,535 would pay approximately:

• Income tax: about $31,388 (using resident rates with full tax‑free threshold, excluding offsets)
• Medicare levy: 2% of taxable income, about $2,431

That leaves a net annual income of roughly $87,716, or about $1,687 per week. If you earn above the award, your tax and Medicare will be higher.

Where to find more information

For a full breakdown of award rates across all medical practitioner classifications, see our Rate tables. To understand how the Fair Work Commission sets these figures and how they compare to other occupations, read How the figures work.

Key takeaways

• The legal minimum for a dermatologist is $121,535 per year under the Medical Practitioners Award.
• No official median salary is published by the ABS for this occupation.
• Superannuation of 12% is paid on top of the salary.
• Enterprise agreements or individual contracts can set a higher rate.
• Always check whether a quoted salary includes super and whether it is an award rate or a market rate.