How much are healthcare professionals earning in 2026?
Pay is one of the first questions on everyone’s mind, and one of the hardest to answer cleanly. Salaries vary a lot by state, experience, setting, and whether a figure includes superannuation or is full-time or part-time. The ranges below are indicative, drawn from advertised market data in 2026, and should be read as a rough guide rather than a guarantee.
Sonographers and medical imaging
Sonographers remain in strong demand and are paid accordingly. Advertised full-time roles commonly sit in the range of around $125,000 to $145,000, though entry-level roles and part-time arrangements can be lower, and rates vary noticeably between states and between public and private settings.
Registered nurses
Nursing pay is largely shaped by state awards and grades, which makes a single figure misleading. As a rough guide, registered nurse salaries often fall somewhere in the region of $70,000 to $95,000 or more depending on grade, experience and location, with senior, specialist and management roles paying above that.
GPs and general practice
GP income is the hardest to generalise, because most GPs work as contractors and earn a percentage of their billings rather than a fixed salary. That means earnings swing widely with hours worked, billing model and patient load. The recent bulk billing changes are also shifting the picture. Rather than quote a single number, it’s more useful to talk through a specific practice and arrangement.
What’s pushing pay in 2026
A few forces are at play: ongoing workforce shortages in several disciplines, strong demand from the expansion of community and urgent care, and the bulk billing reforms reshaping practice revenue. In a tight market, employers competing for scarce skills tend to push pay, and conditions, upward.
Want to know what you’re really worth in today’s market, or what you should be offering to attract the right people? That’s a conversation worth having with someone who places these roles every week.
