General practitioner: salary vs cost of living
Job Outlook publishes a full-time weekly-earnings figure of $4500 for General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers. After estimated PAYG income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP compulsory repayment, take-home pay is approximately $2,586.19 per week.
From gross to take-home
| Component | Annual AUD | Weekly AUD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $234,000 | $4500 |
| Income tax (2024-25 resident scale) | -$71,438 | -$1374 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | -$4,680 | -$90 |
| HECS-HELP compulsory repayment | -$23,400 | -$450 |
| Take-home pay | $134,481.88 | $2,586.19 |
| Without HECS | $157,881.88 | $3,036.19 |
Sanity check: income tax 71438 AUD plus Medicare and HECS-HELP repayment of $23400 AUD.
Rent as a share of take-home pay
The 30% threshold is the conventional definition of rental stress. Anything below is considered comfortable; anything above squeezes everything else.
| City | Unit rent (/wk) | % of take-home | House rent (/wk) | % of take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | $460 | 18% | $580 | 22% |
| Brisbane | $580 | 22% | $650 | 25% |
| Canberra | $580 | 22% | $700 | 27% |
| Darwin | $600 | 23% | $700 | 27% |
| Geelong | $460 | 18% | $520 | 20% |
| Gold Coast | $620 | 24% | $800 | 31% |
| Hobart | $480 | 19% | $560 | 22% |
| Melbourne | $580 | 22% | $600 | 23% |
| Newcastle | $560 | 22% | $640 | 25% |
| Perth | $600 | 23% | $670 | 26% |
| Sydney | $720 | 28% | $780 | 30% |
Weekly earnings figure is sourced from Job Outlook (jobsandskills.gov.au). Tax and Medicare estimates use the 2024-25 ATO resident scale; HECS-HELP repayment uses the 2024-25 ATO Schedule. ExamExplained does not provide financial advice. For tailored advice, see a licensed financial adviser or registered tax agent.