SA Consultant & Specialist Pay 2025–26
South Australian public hospital specialists are employed under the SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Enterprise Agreement 2025 (SMOEA 2025). The agreement provides a 9-step Consultant / Senior Consultant salary scale plus a substantial Attraction and Retention Allowance (A&R) of 30–67% of base salary, depending on specialty — a major feature unique to SA. A separate Visiting Medical Specialists Enterprise Agreement 2023 (VMSEA 2023) covers sessional VMOs. SA Health job advertisements often reference 'MD1/MD2' or 'MDP' codes that roughly map to steps within the SMOEA Consultant and Senior Practitioner scales.
Last updated: 2026-07-04
By Jacob Stretton — RN & final-year medical student · figures sourced from the public EBAs & the ATO · About & methodology →
Key takeaways
- SA Consultant base salary runs $235,557–$310,380 (Steps 1–9, GPSSSS, effective 14 April 2025) under SMOEA 2025 — before the A&R Allowance.
- Attraction & Retention Allowance of 30% (other specialties), 50% (Anaesthetics/ICU), or 67% (Emergency/MedSTAR) is paid ON TOP of base salary — adding $70,000–$208,000/year to a senior rate.
- Capped Private Practice allows Other Consultants to earn up to 65% of base salary from private billing — Emergency Medicine/MedSTAR receive 0% but a higher A&R instead.
- SA has a dedicated Visiting Medical Specialists Enterprise Agreement 2023 (VMSEA 2023) for sessional specialists — one of few states with a formally separate VMO instrument.
Which model applies?
Most South Australia specialists work as Consultant / Senior Consultants, VMOs, or hold concurrent appointments across both models. For a national overview of how the two employment models differ on pay, leave, super and private practice, see staff specialist vs VMO explained.
Consultant / Senior Consultant
Salaried employee of SA Health under SMOEA 2025. Consultant/Senior Consultant (Steps 1–9): $235,557–$310,380 (GPSSSS, Apr 2025). Attraction & Retention Allowance of 30–67% of base paid on top. Separate VMSEA 2023 covers sessional VMOs.
Jump to Consultant / Senior Consultant ↓Visiting Medical Officer (VMO)
Sessional contractor paid per session. No leave, no employer super. Suits doctors working across multiple facilities.
Jump to VMO ↓Consultant / Senior Consultant — salary
SMOEA 2025 uses a 9-step Consultant / Senior Consultant scale for Fellowship-qualified specialists. Rates shown are from Schedule 1.1 (GPSSSS — applicable to most specialists; appears in SA Health job ads). A parallel MOSSSS scheme (Schedule 2.1) has lower base rates ($197,410–$260,117) but higher salary sacrifice packaging benefit. Non-specialist Senior Practitioners are on a separate scale (Schedule 1.3, steps $177,051–$228,037). The A&R Allowance (30–67% of base) is payable on top and is NOT included in figures below.
| Grade | Base salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Medical Practitioner (non-specialist, Step 1) | $177,051 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3, Step 1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Senior Medical Practitioner (non-specialist, Step 6) | $228,037 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3, Step 6 (top). Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Consultant Step 1 | $235,557 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Entry specialist consultant. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Consultant Step 2 | $244,795 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Consultant Step 3 | $254,035 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Consultant Step 4 | $267,888 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Senior Consultant Step 5 | $277,126 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Senior Consultant Step 6 | $286,363 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Senior Consultant Step 7 | $293,755 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Senior Consultant Step 8 | $301,144 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Effective 14 April 2025. |
| Senior Consultant Step 9 | $310,380 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Top of Consultant scale. Effective 14 April 2025. |
All figures from SMOEA 2025 Schedule 1.1 (GPSSSS), effective 14 April 2025. The Attraction & Retention Allowance (30–67% of base) is paid in addition and is not included above. A parallel MOSSSS scheme has lower base rates ($197,410–$260,117) but medical-specific salary sacrifice benefits. Superannuation: ~12%.
Private practice
On-call, callback & penalty rates
| Payment type | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A&R Allowance — Other Consultants | 30% of annual base salary | Paid fortnightly on top of base. Not included in salary table above. Applies to most specialties except EM, ICU, Anaesthetics, MedSTAR. |
| A&R Allowance — Anaesthetist / ICU | 50% of annual base salary | Higher A&R rate for Anaesthetics and Intensive Care consultants. |
| A&R Allowance — Emergency / MedSTAR | 67% of annual base salary | Highest A&R rate (67%); these specialties have 0% private practice access instead. |
| Remote call (night, pt-Sat/Sun/PH) | $50.07/event (Schedule 3.2A) | Confirmed from SMOEA 2025 Schedule 3.2A, effective 14 April 2025. |
| Remote call (full Sat/Sun/PH) | $79.54/event (Schedule 3.2B) | Confirmed from SMOEA 2025 Schedule 3.2B, effective 14 April 2025. |
| Recall minimum | 3 hours at 150% + Schedule 4.1 hourly add-on | Consultant Step 1–4: $21.74/hr add-on; Senior Consultant Step 5–9: $36.24/hr (after 14 April 2025). Sunday/PH rates higher. |
| FHA (Flexible Hours Arrangement, voluntary) | +25% for 7am–8am and 6pm–10pm Mon–Fri; +50% Sat/Sun | Only for consultants who elect to participate. Public holidays +150%. |
VMO — sessional rates
SA has a dedicated SA Health Visiting Medical Specialists Enterprise Agreement 2023 (VMSEA 2023) for sessional visiting specialists. This is a separate instrument from the salaried SMOEA. Re-bargaining for a new VMSEA commenced September 2024.
| Service type | Rate per session (4 h) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General / non-procedural | Per VMSEA 2023 schedule | Rate determined by VMSEA 2023 specialty classification. |
| Procedural / specialist | Per VMSEA 2023 schedule | Higher tier; see VMSEA 2023 for specialty-specific rates. |
- One session = 4 hours under VMSEA 2023.
- SA Health does not publish the full VMSEA 2023 rate schedule on its public website — download the agreement directly to confirm current rates: https://www.agd.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/809297/SA-Health-Visiting-Medical-Specialists-Enterprise-Agreement-2023-Approved.pdf
- Leave, superannuation, and insurance are the VMO's responsibility.
- Sessional VMOs are paid per session by SA Health. Fee-for-service VMOs bill Medicare directly and are not covered by the VMSEA — rates and terms are set by individual contract.
- Private practice billing is separate from health service sessional fees.
- Re-bargaining for VMSEA 2024/2025 commenced September 2024 — a new agreement may be in effect.
Consultant / Senior Consultant vs VMO
| Feature | Consultant / Senior Consultant | VMO |
|---|---|---|
| Employment type | Salaried employee of SA Health | Independent contractor |
| Classification | MDP3/MDP4 (non-specialist) or MD1/MD2 (specialist) | Per VMSEA 2023 category |
| Annual leave | 5 weeks paid + 17.5% loading | No — self-funded |
| Sick leave | Paid | No |
| Superannuation | ~12% employer contribution | Self-funded |
| Private practice | SA Private Practice Scheme (SMOEA 2025) | Independent billing |
| Total package potential | Step 9 + 30% A&R + 65% PP cap ≈ ~$605k (Other specialty); EM Step 9 + 67% A&R, no PP ≈ ~$518k | N/A — sessional only |
| Insurance | WorkCover covered by employer | Self-funded medical indemnity + income protection |
| Governing instrument | SMOEA 2025 | VMSEA 2023 |
| Salary packaging | ~$9,010 FBT-free (EPHA — standard public hospital) | Not applicable |