§-Career vs cost
General practitioner: salary vs cost of living
Median full-time earnings for General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers are $2,616 a week before tax ($136,032 a year). After 2026-27 income tax, the Medicare levy and a $10,102 HELP repayment, that is about $1,766 a week. Median unit rent would take 32% of it in Adelaide and 45% in Gold Coast.
From gross to take-home
| Median full-time earnings | Per year | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $136,032 | $2,616 |
| Income tax (2026-27 resident rates) | -$31,402 | -$604 |
| Medicare levy | -$2,721 | -$52 |
| HELP compulsory repayment (2026-27) | -$10,102 | -$194 |
| Take-home pay | $91,808 | $1,766 |
HELP at the median: $9,028 plus 17c for each $1 over $129,717 ($9,028 + ($136,032 - $129,717) x 17% = $10,101.55). Without a HELP debt, take-home at the median is $1,960 a week.
Rent as a share of median take-home pay
Rent above 30% of take-home pay is a common marker of rental stress. On median earnings for this career, median unit rent is at or under 30% in 0 of 10 cities.
Sources
- Median weekly earnings: yourcareer.gov.au (sourced 2026-09-23)
- ATO: tax rates for Australian residents and study and training loan repayment thresholds