The majority of General Practitioners in Australia are employed in the capacity of an Independent Contractor. As in independent contractor you will be responsible for managing your own taxes, managing your superannuation and will not receive holiday or sick pay.
To be an independent contractor you will have to obtain an ABN (Australian Business Number) https://business.gov.au/registrations/register-for-an-australian-business-number-abn
So how do I get paid as an independent contractor?
A GPs income is based on the number of patients you will see and a percentage of your billings. The percentages vary between 65% and 70% for GPs who are a fellow of the RACGP or ACRRM – also called Vocational Registered GP (VR GP).
What will I earn as an independent contractor?
The average annual income of a GP is $350,000 but can vary based on a number of variables i.e., the % of billings you are on at your practice, the number of patients you will see and whether they are bulk billing or private billing patients.
What is the difference between a Bulk Billing or a Mixed Billing practice and how does it affect my earnings?
At a Bulk Billing practice, the consultation will be paid by Medicare. Dependent on the length of the consultation or the kind of services required for a patient will determine the level of rebate you will receive from Medicare.
A Mixed Billing practice has a mix of Private Billings and Bulk Billings. Often children under 16 and pension card holders will be bulked billed.
There are conflicting views of the earning potential of a GP working in a Bulk Billing practice or a Mixed Billing Practice, with arguments for both camps. However Australia is seeing a shift in more practices moving to a Mixed Billing model and GPs generally seem to be happier with most claiming that this model of billing enables them to earn more.
What are the average billings per patient?
The average billing per patient in a bulk billing practice is around the $55. In a practice where there is a mix of bulk patients and private patients, the average billing per patients is around the $65.
Private fees are around the $75 for a standard consultation.
How many patients will I see per hour?
There is no official guideline about how many patients you can see or like to see per hour, but most GPs see on average 4 to 5 patients per hour.
Are there salaried jobs for General Practitioners in Australia?
Salaried positions for GPs are not common in Australia but there are some exceptions to this. Most salaried GP positions are at Aboriginal Medical Services.
They offer a fixed annual base salary from around the $250,000 – $280,000 and 4 weeks paid annual leave and 10.5% superannuation.
At Simple Care Recruitment we can help General Practitioners both with finding jobs and helping with the full application process including finding the best pathway to fellowship for you and your life goals. If we can help you, please contact one of our consultants:
Paula Dennison or Margaret Ryan
Message or call us on WhatsApp – +61 410 284 333