Are psychiatrists covered by an award?

No. The Health Professionals and Support Services Award explicitly excludes medical practitioners (clause 4.6(d)). Psychiatrists are therefore award-free unless a state award applies in limited circumstances. The national minimum wage is the backstop, but employers and employees can agree on higher rates.

How does superannuation apply to a psychiatrist salary?

Employers must pay the superannuation guarantee of 12% on top of ordinary time earnings. For a psychiatrist on the national minimum wage, that adds about $120.59 per week to the super fund. Actual contributions are higher if the salary is higher.

Psychiatrist salary: legal minimums, award coverage, and what the data shows

Q: What is the minimum wage for a psychiatrist?

Psychiatrists are medical practitioners and are not covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award. The legal minimum is the national minimum wage set by the Fair Work Commission: $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) from 1 July 2026. Most psychiatrists earn well above this under enterprise agreements or individual contracts.

The legal minimum for a psychiatrist is the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week), but no specific award rate applies; actual earnings are typically much higher.

Psychiatrist salary: what the law and data say

When researching a psychiatrist salary in Australia, the first thing to understand is that there is no single award rate. Psychiatrists are medical practitioners, and the Health Professionals and Support Services Award – which covers many allied health roles – explicitly excludes them (clause 4.6(d) of the award). That means the legal minimum pay floor is the national minimum wage set by the Fair Work Commission.

The legal minimum: national minimum wage

From 1 July 2026, the adult national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week based on a 38-hour ordinary week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual rate $33.05 per hour. These rates apply to award-free employees in the national system. Most private-sector psychiatrists are in the national system, though some state public sector roles may be covered by state awards.

Importantly, the national minimum is a floor. An enterprise agreement or individual contract can set a higher rate, and in practice psychiatrists are paid well above this floor. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains and enforces the national minimum, but does not set it.

Award coverage: none for psychiatrists

The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Health Professionals and Support Services Award lists minimum rates for health professionals at various qualification levels, but medical practitioners are excluded. Psychiatrists fall under the ANZSCO code 2534 and are classified as medical practitioners. Therefore, no modern award prescribes a minimum rate for a psychiatrist salary. If you are employed in a public hospital, your pay is likely governed by an enterprise agreement or a state award. In private practice, your salary is negotiated individually.

What the data shows: median earnings not published

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects earnings data for occupations, but for psychiatrists the median full-time weekly earnings are not published due to a high standard error (as noted by Jobs and Skills Australia). The ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, does not provide a figure for this occupation. For comparison, the median full-time weekly earnings for all occupations is $1,852. Psychiatrists are likely to earn significantly more, but a precise national median is not available from official sources.

Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile for psychiatrists (based on ABS data) shows that 66% work full-time, with an average of 44 hours per week. The median age is 46, and 52% are female. These demographics help contextualise the workforce, but not the pay level.

Superannuation: 12% on top

Regardless of the salary level, employers must pay the superannuation guarantee of 12% on top of ordinary time earnings. For a psychiatrist earning the national minimum wage, that adds about $120.59 per week to super. For higher salaries, the super contribution increases accordingly. The super guarantee is legislated under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 and is enforced by the ATO.

How to compare a psychiatrist salary with the minimum

If you are evaluating a job offer or setting a pay rate, start with the national minimum wage as the absolute floor. Then check whether an enterprise agreement or contract specifies a higher rate. Because psychiatrists are award-free, there is no step-by-step classification ladder. The rate you receive should reflect your qualifications, experience, and the market.

For more context on how minimum wages work in Australia, see our Which minimum wage applies guide and the Rate tables for award-covered occupations. Remember that the figures on this site are for orientation only and are not a pay determination.

Key takeaways

Psychiatrists are not covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.
The legal minimum is the national minimum wage: $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) from 1 July 2026.
No official median psychiatrist salary is published by the ABS due to data limitations.
Superannuation of 12% is paid on top of ordinary time earnings.
Enterprise agreements or individual contracts can set higher rates.

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