Veterinarian Salary Guide: Award Rates, Hourly Pay, and Annual Earnings
A veterinary surgeon Level 1A earns $34.20 per hour, or $1,299.60 per week based on 38 hours, equating to approximately $67,582 per year before tax and super.
Understanding Veterinarian Salary Under the Animal Care Award
If you are a veterinary surgeon in Australia, your minimum pay is set by the Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award 2020 [MA000118]. This award covers practice managers, veterinary nurses, receptionists, and veterinary surgeons. For veterinarians, the classification structure runs from Level 1A to Level 4, each with a minimum hourly rate. This guide explains how to convert those hourly rates into a weekly, fortnightly, and annual veterinarian salary, and what to expect for tax and super.
Award Rates for Veterinary Surgeons
According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, the minimum hourly rates for full-time and part-time veterinary surgeons from 1 July 2026 are:
| Classification | Annual Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1A | $67,582 | $34.20 |
| Level 1B | $71,300 | $36.08 |
| Level 2 | $77,032 | $38.98 |
| Level 3 | $84,628 | $42.83 |
| Level 4 | $95,593 | $48.38 |
These rates are for ordinary hours – an average of 38 per week. The annual salary is calculated by dividing by 52 and then by 38 to get the hourly figure. For casual employees, a 25% loading applies, so a casual Level 1A earns $42.75 per hour. provides the full award.
Converting Hourly Rate to Annual Veterinarian Salary
The standard formula for annual gross pay is:
Annual gross = hourly rate × hours per week × 52
Assuming a 38-hour week (the award standard for full-time), a Level 1A veterinarian earning $34.20 per hour would have:
- Weekly pay: $34.20 × 38 = $1,299.60
- Fortnightly pay: $1,299.60 × 2 = $2,599.20
- Annual gross: $1,299.60 × 52 = $67,579.20 (rounds to the award annual salary of $67,582)
This calculation works for any hourly rate. If you are part-time, use your agreed weekly hours instead of 38. The hourly conversion page has more examples.
Casual Loading and How It Works
Casual employees receive a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate. This compensates for not receiving paid leave (annual, personal, etc.). The loading is applied to the base rate – you should never enter a rate that already includes casual loading into a calculator. For a Level 2 veterinarian, the base rate is $38.98, so the casual rate is $38.98 × 1.25 = $48.73 per hour. The casual loading guide explains the rules.
Superannuation: Paid on Top
Under the Superannuation Guarantee, your employer must contribute 12% of your ordinary earnings to a super fund (for 2026–27). This is paid on top of your hourly rate, not deducted from it. For a Level 1A veterinarian earning $67,582, the super contribution would be about $8,110 per year, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. The award also specifies that contributions must go to a fund like AustralianSuper unless the employee chooses another. See super and packaging for details.
Tax and Medicare
Your take-home pay depends on the 2026–27 resident tax rates:
- Nil tax on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus a Medicare levy of 2% (with possible reductions for low-income earners). For a Level 1A veterinarian earning $67,582, the tax would be approximately $11,067 plus Medicare $1,352, leaving about $55,163 after tax (excluding HELP or surcharges). Use the take-home pay page to estimate your net income.
Comparing with National Minimum Wage and Average Earnings
The National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for 38 hours. Award rates for veterinarians start well above this. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings of $2,083.70 (May 2026). A Level 4 veterinarian at $48.38 per hour earns $1,838.44 per week, which is below that average but reflects the award minimum – many veterinarians earn more through experience or enterprise agreements.
Important Disclaimer
Annual pay here is hourly rate × hours per week × 52. It assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, no penalty rates, no allowances, and no salary sacrifice. Super is estimated at 12% of ordinary earnings only, paid on top, and stops at the $270,830 maximum contribution base. Tax is the 2026–27 resident scale with the full tax-free threshold. Medicare uses the 2025–26 single reduction thresholds because the 2026–27 reduction thresholds were not confirmed here. HELP, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary packaging are not deducted. This is an estimate, not a determination of your pay or tax.
For more accurate calculations, use the timesheet to enter your base hourly rate and see the annual, fortnightly, and weekly figures. The pay guides page links to official Fair Work summaries.
Open the same rate on the home timesheet. Read the reference tables before treating a figure as your pay.