Industry data
Doctor and dentist statistics
The numbers behind Australian medicine and dentistry: how many doctors and dentists are registered and where, how many are working and in what roles, how many GPs provide care billed to Medicare, the medical and dental businesses trading, and what doctors and dentists earn. Registered, employed and billing are different measures, so the counts on this page do not all match. Each figure links to the agency or board that published it and shows the period it applies to.
Reviewed 29 October 2026
Key figures
- 153,963 medical practitioners registered with the Medical Board of Australia
- 126,206 registered medical practitioners working in medicine
- 43,383 GPs provided primary care services billed to Medicare
- 21,840 practitioners registered as dentists and in no other dental division
- 52,428 general practice medical services businesses trading
- $156,733 median taxable income of people whose tax return gave their occupation as general practice medical practitioner
Registered doctors
How many medical practitioners are registered in Australia, where they practise and in which specialties, from the Medical Board of Australia's quarterly registrant data. Being registered is not the same as working: the count includes doctors with non-practising registration and doctors with no principal place of practice recorded.
153,963
medical practitioners registered with the Medical Board of Australia
Registrant data for the reporting period 1 April to 30 June 2026. Includes 5,058 practitioners with non-practising registration. 3,534 had no principal place of practice recorded.
Link to this figure73,476
registered medical practitioners are women
Gender as recorded on the register. 80,440 are men.
Link to this figure37,718
doctors with specialist registration in general practice
From the board's count of specialist registrations by area of specialist practice. Doctors who work in general practice without specialist registration are not included.
Link to this figure| State or territory | Registered medical practitioners |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | |
| Victoria | |
| Queensland | |
| Western Australia | |
| South Australia | |
| Tasmania | |
| Australian Capital Territory | |
| Northern Territory |
By principal place of practice. The 3,534 registrants with no principal place of practice recorded are left out.
Link to this chart| Specialty | Specialist registrations |
|---|---|
| Physician | |
| Surgery | |
| Anaesthesia | |
| Psychiatry | |
| Paediatrics and child health | |
| Emergency medicine | |
| Radiology | |
| Pathology | |
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | |
| Intensive care medicine |
The 10 specialties with the most specialist registrations after general practice, each including its fields of specialty practice, as the board groups them. Counts are registrations by specialty, not doctors, so they cannot be added up to a number of doctors.
Link to this chartDoctors at work
How many registered doctors were working in medicine, in what kind of role, how old they are and how many hours they work, from the National Health Workforce Dataset. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing builds it from registration data and the workforce survey doctors complete when they renew their registration.
126,206
registered medical practitioners working in medicine
Registered and employed: doctors employed in medicine in the week they answered the workforce survey. The department imputes answers for doctors who did not complete the survey.
Link to this figure34,269
employed doctors whose main job is in general practice
Counted by the area of their main job, as reported in the workforce survey. Includes GPs in training.
Link to this figure47,381
employed doctors working mainly as specialists
Specialists whose main job is in general practice are counted as GPs.
Link to this figure20,257
employed doctors working as specialists in training
GP trainees are counted with GPs, not here.
Link to this figure45.4 years
average age of an employed doctor
Employed doctors whose main job is in general practice averaged 51.2 years.
Link to this figure40.6 hours
average total hours worked in a week by an employed doctor
Total hours as reported in the workforce survey. Hospital non-specialists averaged 45.8 hours and doctors whose main job is in general practice 35.9 hours.
Link to this figureGPs providing primary care
How many GPs provide primary care services billed to Medicare, who they are, and their workload measured in full-time equivalents, from the department's count built from Medicare claims. The headcount includes every GP who billed any eligible service in the year, so the department describes the full-time equivalent as the more useful measure of the GP workforce.
43,383
GPs provided primary care services billed to Medicare
GPs identified from Medicare claims for items within a GP's scope of practice, by their main billing specialty over the year. Includes vocationally recognised GPs, other GPs and GP trainees. Up from 41,658 in 2024-25.
Link to this figure22,274
GPs providing primary care were women
Provider gender in Medicare data. 21,109 were men. Since 7 June 2025, people recorded in Medicare as non-binary are randomly allocated to the female or male count.
Link to this figure19,842
GPs providing primary care gained their initial medical qualification overseas
Qualified outside Australia and New Zealand. 23,541 gained their initial medical qualification in Australia or New Zealand.
Link to this figure31,060.3 full-time equivalents
GP workload in primary care, measured in full-time equivalents
The department's estimate from Medicare claims, allowing for billable, non-billable and non-clinical time. One GP full-time equivalent is a workload of 40 hours a week for 46 weeks of the year.
Link to this figureDentists and dental practitioners
How many dentists and other dental practitioners are registered and where, from the Dental Board of Australia's quarterly registrant data, and how many were working, from the National Health Workforce Dataset. Dental practitioners are registered in divisions: dentist, dental hygienist, dental prosthetist, dental therapist and oral health therapist.
21,840
practitioners registered as dentists and in no other dental division
Practitioners registered as a dentist and in another division, such as dentist and oral health therapist, are listed separately by the board and are not included. Includes practitioners with non-practising registration.
Link to this figure29,351
dental practitioners registered with the Dental Board of Australia
All divisions: dentists, dental hygienists, dental prosthetists, dental therapists and oral health therapists. Includes 1,059 with non-practising registration.
Link to this figure2,064
dental specialist registrations
Counted by dental specialty. Orthodontics has 650, periodontics 303 and oral and maxillofacial surgery 244.
Link to this figure24,512
registered dental practitioners working in dentistry
All dental divisions, registered and employed, from the National Health Workforce Dataset. Their average age was 42.3 years.
Link to this figure| State or territory | Registered dentists |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | |
| Victoria | |
| Queensland | |
| Western Australia | |
| South Australia | |
| Australian Capital Territory | |
| Tasmania | |
| Northern Territory |
Practitioners registered in the dentist division only, by principal place of practice. The 790 with no principal place of practice recorded are left out.
Link to this chart| Division | Registered practitioners |
|---|---|
| Oral health therapist | |
| Dental hygienist | |
| Dental prosthetist | |
| Dental therapist |
Practitioners registered in that division only. Those registered in more than one division, such as dental hygienist and oral health therapist, are listed separately by the board and left out.
Link to this chartMedical and dental practices as businesses
How many businesses are trading in general practice, specialist medical services and dental services, from the ABS count of actively trading businesses by industry class. The ABS counts businesses, not clinic locations, and classifies each business by its main activity.
52,428
general practice medical services businesses trading
ANZSIC class 8511. The ABS may perturb class counts slightly to protect confidentiality.
Link to this figure24,365
specialist medical services businesses trading
ANZSIC class 8512. 15,421 of them had no employees in ABS terms.
Link to this figure20,296
dental services businesses trading
ANZSIC class 8531. 11,381 of them had no employees in ABS terms, and 3,856 had 5 to 19 employees.
Link to this figure| Employees | Businesses |
|---|---|
| No employees | |
| 1 to 4 | |
| 5 to 19 | |
| 20 to 199 | |
| 200 or more |
ANZSIC class 8511. Non-employing in ABS terms: no active payroll withholding role with a remittance to the ATO in the past five quarters, or three years for annual remitters. The ABS may perturb these counts slightly, so the bars may not add to the class total.
Link to this chartWhat doctors and dentists earn
Official figures on what doctors and dentists earn come from the ATO and the ABS, and they measure different things. The ATO publishes the taxable income of people who give a medical or dental occupation on their tax return, from all their income sources. The ABS publishes the cash earnings of employees, from a survey of employers, so self-employed doctors and dentists and working partners in a practice are not covered.
$156,733
median taxable income of people whose tax return gave their occupation as general practice medical practitioner
ATO occupation code 253111, medical practitioner - general practice. Taxable income from all sources, after deductions, for 27,776 individuals. The average was $196,060. From 2024 returns processed by 31 October 2025, so not necessarily complete.
Link to this figure$131,588
median taxable income of people whose tax return gave their occupation as dentist
ATO occupation code 252312, dentist. Taxable income from all sources, after deductions, for 8,859 individuals. The average was $162,722. From 2024 returns processed by 31 October 2025, so not necessarily complete.
Link to this figure2,654.30 dollars a week
average weekly total cash earnings of all employees, full-time and part-time, working as GPs or resident medical officers, before tax
All employees in ANZSCO unit group 2531, general practitioners and resident medical officers, full-time and part-time. Total cash earnings before tax, including amounts salary sacrificed. Self-employed doctors and working partners are not covered.
Link to this figure2,471.80 dollars a week
average weekly total cash earnings of all employees, full-time and part-time, in the dental practitioners occupation group, before tax
All employees in ANZSCO unit group 2523, dental practitioners, full-time and part-time. Total cash earnings before tax, including amounts salary sacrificed. Self-employed dentists and working partners are not covered.
Link to this figure| Occupation group on the tax return | Median taxable income |
|---|---|
| Anaesthetist | |
| Surgeon | |
| Internal medicine specialist | |
| Psychiatrist | |
| Other medical practitioners | |
| General medical practitioner | |
| Dental practitioner |
Every medical and dental occupation unit group in the ATO table, as described on individual tax returns and coded by the ATO. General medical practitioner includes resident medical officers, and other medical practitioners combines several specialties. Taxable income from all sources, after deductions. From 2024 returns processed by 31 October 2025, so not necessarily complete.
Link to this chartCommon questions
How many doctors are there in Australia?
153,963 medical practitioners were registered with the Medical Board of Australia. That count includes doctors with non-practising registration. The National Health Workforce Dataset counted 126,206 registered doctors working in medicine.
How many GPs are there in Australia?
It depends on the measure. 43,383 GPs provided primary care services billed to Medicare, counting every GP who billed any eligible service. 34,269 employed doctors were counted as GPs by the area of their main job in the workforce survey. 37,718 doctors held specialist registration in general practice.
How many dentists are there in Australia?
21,840 practitioners were registered as dentists with the Dental Board of Australia, not counting those also registered in another dental division. Across all dental divisions, including hygienists, prosthetists, dental therapists and oral health therapists, 29,351 dental practitioners were registered.
Which state has the most doctors?
New South Wales has more registered medical practitioners than any other state or territory, followed by Victoria and Queensland, counting doctors by their principal place of practice in the Medical Board's registrant data. The chart above shows each state and territory.
How many female doctors are there in Australia?
73,476 registered medical practitioners are women, which is 47.7% of the register. Among GPs providing primary care billed to Medicare, 22,274 were women.
How many specialist doctors are there in Australia?
47,381 employed doctors worked mainly as specialists, and 20,257 more were working as specialists in training. Specialists whose main job is in general practice are counted as GPs instead. The chart above shows specialist registrations by specialty.
How much do doctors earn in Australia?
People whose tax return described them as a general practice medical practitioner had a median taxable income of $156,733 , according to the ATO. The chart above shows the median for each medical and dental occupation group. In the ABS survey of employers, which covers employees only, employees working as GPs or resident medical officers, full-time and part-time together, had average total cash earnings of 2,654.30 dollars a week before tax.
How much do dentists earn in Australia?
People whose tax return described them as a dentist had a median taxable income of $131,588 , according to the ATO. In the ABS survey of employers, which covers employees only, employees in the dental practitioners occupation group, full-time and part-time together, had average total cash earnings of 2,471.80 dollars a week before tax.
Using these figures
You are welcome to quote any figure on this page. Please credit the original publisher named beside it, and link to this page if it saved you time. Each figure has its own link, so you can send readers straight to it.
How these figures are put together
Every figure on this page comes from the published source linked beside it and applies to the period shown with it. Figures are copied as published. Nothing is estimated, adjusted or combined from different sources.
Each figure is checked against its source when the page is reviewed, and the review date is shown at the top of the page. If a source publishes a newer figure before then, or you spot an error, let us know through the contact page.
Sources
- Medical Board of Australia: Medical Board of Australia registrant data, reporting period 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026. The national register of medical practitioners kept by Ahpra for the Medical Board of Australia. Listed as Registration Data Table - June 2026 on the board's statistics page, https://medicalboard.gov.au/News/Statistics.aspx. Updates: Quarterly. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- Dental Board of Australia: Dental Board of Australia registrant data, reporting period 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026. The national register of dental practitioners kept by Ahpra for the Dental Board of Australia. Listed as Registration Data Table - June 2026 on the board's statistics page, https://www.dentalboard.gov.au/About-the-Board/Statistics.aspx. Updates: Quarterly. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Summary Statistics, Medical Profession (Health Workforce Data), updated 30 September 2026. National Health Workforce Dataset 2025: Ahpra registration data combined with the workforce survey medical practitioners complete when they renew their registration, with missing survey answers imputed by the department. Registered and employed means employed during the week the practitioner answered the survey. Updates: Annual. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Summary Statistics, Allied Health, All Professions (Health Workforce Data), updated 12 December 2025. National Health Workforce Dataset 2024: Ahpra registration data combined with the workforce survey practitioners complete when they renew their registration, with missing survey answers imputed by the department. Updates: Annual. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: General Practice Workforce providing Primary Care services in Australia, 2020-21 to 2025-26 financial years. Medicare Benefits Schedule claims data. Workbook dataset-gp-financial-years-202021-to-202526.xlsx, last updated 10 September 2026. Method paper: Number of GPs providing Primary Care Services, version 1.2, August 2025. Updates: Periodic. Figures for earlier years may be revised. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, July 2021 to June 2025 (data cube 2). ANZSIC classes 8511 general practice medical services, 8512 specialist medical services and 8531 dental services, released 16 December 2025. Updates: Annual. Industry class detail is released each December. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation statistics 2023-24, Individuals Table 15: average and median taxable income, salary or wages, and total income, by occupation and sex. 2024 individual income tax returns processed by 31 October 2025. Occupation is as described on the return and coded by the ATO to ANZSCO. Updates: Annual. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2025 (data cube 11). ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, a survey of employers for the last pay period on or before 16 May 2025, released 23 January 2026. Updates: Every two years. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
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