Home › South Australia doctor pay › Consultants
SA Consultant & Specialist Pay 2026–27
South Australian public hospital specialists are employed under the SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Enterprise Agreement 2025 (SMOEA 2025), approved 20 October 2025 with a nominal life to 20 October 2028. Ordinary hours are 37.5 per week, worked 8am–6pm Monday to Friday, and a separate Visiting Medical Specialists Enterprise Agreement 2023 (VMSEA 2023) covers sessional VMOs.
Last updated: 29 July 2026
By Jacob Stretton, RN & final-year medical student · figures sourced from the public EBAs & the ATO · About & methodology →
Key takeaways
$243,212–$320,467Consultant / Senior Consultant base, Steps 1–9 (GPSSSS), from the first full pay period on or after 14 April 2026.
30–67% A&RAttraction & Retention Allowance on top of base, set by specialty; keeping it is conditional on billing private practice to your cap (cl 32.4.2).
Up to 65% of baseCapped Private Practice ceiling for Other Consultants; Emergency Medicine, Paediatric Emergency and MedSTAR have 0% and the 67% A&R instead.
No overtime paySalary is inclusive (cl 30.1); remote call instead pays an annual allowance of 5%–11.5% of annual salary by roster frequency (cl 37.3).
$23,000 + 10 daysProfessional development each year: expense reimbursement plus 10 days PD leave on full pay (cl 48).
$237.95–$323.45/hrVMO all-in hourly rates under VMSEA 2023 Schedule 3, by classification and contracted hours; the last column is the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2025.
- The Attraction & Retention Allowance is worth roughly $73,000–$215,000 a year depending on step and specialty; the per-specialty rates are in the on-call and allowances table below.
- 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.
The award / agreement behind these rates
These salaried rates come from SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Enterprise Agreement 2025 (SMOEA 2025): approval order and agreement (PDF), read together with the determinations and bulletins listed under Sources. It sets the consultant / senior consultant salary scale, allowances, on-call rates and private-practice arrangements:
- Consultant / Senior Consultant – salary
- Private practice
- On-call, callback & penalty rates
- VMO sessional rates
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, on a 9-step scale with the Attraction & Retention Allowance paid on top.
Jump to Consultant / Senior Consultant ↓Visiting Medical Officer (VMO)
Employee under VMSEA 2023 on a sessional appointment, paid an all-in hourly rate that carries a loading for recreation leave and for sick and family carers leave. Employer superannuation is paid, and the hourly rate is reduced by the value of that contribution (cl 15.2).
Jump to VMO ↓Consultant / Senior Consultant – salary
SMOEA 2025 uses a 9-step Consultant / Senior Consultant scale for Fellowship-qualified specialists; the rates below are Schedule 1.1 (GPSSSS) at the 14 April 2026 column, which is in force now. The A&R Allowance (30–67% of base) is payable on top and is not included in the figures below.
| Grade | Base salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Medical Practitioner (non-specialist) Step 1 | $182,805 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3. From ffpp on or after 14 April 2026. |
| Senior Medical Practitioner Step 2 | $192,345 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3. |
| Senior Medical Practitioner Step 3 | $207,445 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3. |
| Senior Medical Practitioner Step 4 | $219,369 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3. |
| Senior Medical Practitioner Step 5 | $227,267 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3. |
| Senior Medical Practitioner Step 6 | $235,449 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.3, Step 6 (top of the SMP scale). |
| Consultant Step 1 | $243,212 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Entry specialist consultant. From ffpp on or after 14 April 2026. |
| Consultant Step 2 | $252,751 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. |
| Consultant Step 3 | $262,291 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. |
| Consultant Step 4 | $276,594 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. |
| Senior Consultant Step 5 | $286,133 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. |
| Senior Consultant Step 6 | $295,670 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. |
| Senior Consultant Step 7 | $303,302 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. |
| Senior Consultant Step 8 | $310,931 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. |
| Senior Consultant Step 9 | $320,467 | GPSSSS Schedule 1.1. Top of Consultant scale. From ffpp on or after 14 April 2026. |
All figures from SMOEA 2025 Schedules 1.1 and 1.3 (GPSSSS), column 'first full pay period to commence on or after 14 April 2026', which is in force now. The agreement adds 3.25% from 14 April 2027 and 3% from 14 April 2028 (cl 6.3), and progression is by annual increment to Step 9 (cl 45.1).
Private practice
SA operates a Capped Private Practice scheme (Scheme One of the DH Salaried Medical Officers Private Practice Agreement 2008), which sits outside the enterprise agreement itself (cl 44.2.2), and private practice income is not included in the base salary table. The A&R does not count as 'Base Salary' for private practice purposes (cl 32.3.5), and electing a higher cap or PPA Scheme 2 instead ends the A&R permanently (cl 32.6).
Capped private practice ceiling, by specialty
| Specialty group | Cap (% of base salary) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Other Consultants | 65% | The default ceiling under Scheme One of the PPA 2008. |
| Rural Generalist | 50% | FACRRM or FRACGP-RG Fellows practising in a Regional Local Health Network. |
| Anaesthetics | 45% | Sits with the 50% A&R Allowance for Anaesthetists. |
| Intensive Care | 35% | Sits with the 50% A&R Allowance for ICU consultants. |
| Rehabilitation | 20% | May instead elect the Other Consultants posture: 30% A&R with a 65% cap (cl 32.7). |
| Emergency / Paediatric Emergency / MedSTAR | 0% | No rights of private practice; the 67% A&R Allowance applies instead. |
On-call, callback & penalty rates
| Payment type | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime | None: salary is inclusive (cl 30.1) | No separate payments for overtime or weekend work; the only exceptions are the FHA, A&E/ICU/MedSTAR shift penalties, recall, immediate recall and telephone/telemedicine payments below. Agreed extra hours beyond ordinary hours are paid at recall rates instead (cl 40.9); 'Hourly Rate' below = annual salary plus Managerial Allowance, as a weekly amount divided by 37.5 (cl 29.3.1). |
| A&R Allowance – Other Consultants | 30% of annual base salary | Paid fortnightly on top of base, pro-rata FTE, and during paid leave, but excluded from remote call, penalty and recall calculations (cl 32.3.3). Conditional on best efforts to bill private practice to your cap (cl 32.4.2); absorbs most other allowances (cl 32.4.1). |
| A&R Allowance – Rehabilitation | 37.5% of annual base salary | A Rehabilitation Consultant may irrevocably elect the 'Other Consultants' posture (30% A&R + 65% private practice cap) instead (cl 32.7). |
| A&R Allowance – Rural Generalist | 45% of annual base salary | FACRRM or FRACGP-RG Fellows practising in a Regional Local Health Network. |
| A&R Allowance – Anaesthetist / ICU | 50% of annual base salary | Higher A&R rate for Anaesthetists and Intensive Care Unit consultants. |
| A&R Allowance – Emergency / Paediatric Emergency / MedSTAR | 67% of annual base salary | Highest A&R rate; these groups have no private practice rights (0% cap). MedSTAR consultants are paid the allowance pro-rata to time worked at MedSTAR. |
| Remote call (on-call) – annual allowance | 5%–11.5% of annual salary, by roster frequency (cl 37.3) | Less than 1-in-6 nights/days: 5%; 1-in-6: 7.5%; 1-in-5: 8.5%; 1-in-4: 9.5%; 1-in-3: 10.5%; 1-in-2 or more: 11.5%, of salary plus Managerial Allowance, paid fortnightly (annual salary x %/100 x 12/313) and not payable during leave. The per-event rates in Schedules 3.2A/3.2B apply to Medical Practitioner Group employees, not consultants. |
| Recall | +50% of Hourly Rate + Schedule 4.1 add-on (first 3 hours), then +100% + Schedule 4.2 | Add-ons: $21.74/hr (Consultant Steps 1–4) or $36.24/hr (Senior Consultant Steps 5–9) for the first three hours; $28.98/$50.73 thereafter and on Sundays (Sunday recall is +100% throughout); public holidays +150% + $36.24/$65.22 (Schedule 4.3); minimum 3-hour payment, with time running from leaving home to returning (cl 40.8). Schedule 4 prints only 'Current' and 14 April 2025 columns with no later escalation; designated 'immediate call' consultants use higher Schedule 4.4–4.6 add-ons or may elect CMBS-derived payment for procedural recalls (cl 41). |
| Shift penalties (A&E, ICU and MedSTAR only) | +15% / +25% / +50% of Hourly Rate (cl 34) | +15% for rostered duty commencing from midday and extending beyond 6pm; +25% midnight–8am; +50% midnight Friday to midnight Sunday (in lieu of the other two). No shift penalties for consultants in other units unless expressly agreed between DHW and the Association (cl 34.1.4). |
| Public holiday worked | +150% of Hourly Rate per hour (cl 35.3–35.4) | All consultants other than casuals, in lieu of shift and weekend penalties. |
| FHA (Flexible Hours Arrangement, voluntary) | +25% for 7–8am and 6–10pm Mon–Fri; +50% for 7am–10pm Sat/Sun (cl 33.9) | Only for consultants who voluntarily elect to participate. Public holidays +150% in lieu of the other loadings. Cannot apply to A&E, ICU or MedSTAR rostering (cl 33.11.1). |
| Telephone / telemedicine while on call | +50% of Hourly Rate + Schedule 4.1 add-on, per 15-minute segment (cl 43.1) | For on-call work that does not result in a recall; no 3-hour minimum applies. |
| Managerial Allowance | $10,333–$72,838/year (Schedule 3.1) | Small unit or sub-unit $10,333; large unit $24,242; divisional/clinical director $42,920; clinical services director $72,838 (ffpp on or after 14 April 2026). Counted in the Hourly Rate (cl 29.3.1). |
| Regional Incentive Allowance | $20,391–$40,777/year by MMM zone (cl 12) | MMM4 $20,391; MMM5 $27,189; MMM6 $33,986; MMM7 $40,777 (from ffpp 14 April 2026). Only for appointments commencing in a Regional Zone on or after 20 October 2025, while living in the zone; ceases after the fifth year. |
| Professional development | $23,000/year expenses + 10 days leave (cl 48) | Expense reimbursement (inclusive of FBT, not taxable cash) from 14 April 2026, accumulable to $46,000 over two years ($11,500 if employed under five nominal half-days/week); plus 10 days PD leave on full pay, accumulable to 20 days. |
VMO sessional rates
SA has a dedicated SA Health Visiting Medical Specialists Enterprise Agreement 2023 (VMSEA 2023) for visiting specialists, a separate instrument from the salaried SMOEA. The minimum period of engagement is 3.5 hours ('sessional hours') under cl 14.2, and you are appointed for specified hours per week, capped at 20 hours (cl 7.2, cl 14.1) and allocated across 47 weeks a year (cl 14.5).
VMSEA 2023 came into force on 23 October 2023 with a nominal life to 2 February 2025, and it keeps operating because the SAET enterprise agreement register lists no successor and no variation as at 29 July 2026. Schedule 3 prints no rate column after the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2025, so the rates below carry no further escalation.
Leave is taken unpaid because the loading already sits in the hourly rate: up to 5 weeks of recreation leave a year (cl 23.2) and sick or family carers leave without pay (cl 24.2), with 16 weeks paid maternity or adoption leave after 12 months of continuous service (cl 25.2). Fee-for-service VMOs bill Medicare directly and are not covered by the VMSEA: rates and terms are set by individual contract, and private practice billing is separate from health service sessional fees.
- Visiting Medical Specialist: $237.95/hr for specified hours up to and including 7 a week, and $265.57/hr for more than 7 hours a week (Schedule 3, first full pay period on or after 1 January 2025).
- Senior Visiting Medical Specialist: $295.84/hr up to and including 7 hours a week, and $323.45/hr for more than 7 hours a week. The senior classification requires at least four years in the specialty since gaining the specialist qualification (cl 3.1).
- The higher rate also applies to sessional hours above 17.5, and no payment is made for any period beyond 20 hours a week unless prior written approval under cl 7.2 lifts that ceiling (Schedule 3 headnote).
- The rates are 'all-in': they include a loading for recreation leave and for sick and family carers leave (cl 15.2), so they do not compare like for like with a salaried consultant's derived hourly rate.
Consultant / Senior Consultant vs VMO
| Feature | Consultant / Senior Consultant | VMO |
|---|---|---|
| Employment type | Salaried employee of SA Health | Employee under VMSEA 2023 on a sessional appointment; only fee-for-service VMOs outside the agreement are contractors |
| Classification | MD2 (Consultant / Senior Consultant); MDP3/MDP4 (Senior Medical Practitioner, non-specialist) | Per VMSEA 2023 category |
| Annual leave | 28 calendar days (35 if rostered or on call over 7 days) + 17.5% loading (capped) | Up to 5 weeks a year unpaid (cl 23.2); the loading is already inside the all-in hourly rate (cl 23.1) |
| Sick leave | Paid | Leave without pay (cl 24.2); the loading is already inside the all-in hourly rate (cl 24.1) |
| Superannuation | 12% Superannuation Guarantee (SMOEA 2025 sets no rate), paid up to the 2026-27 maximum contribution base of $270,830, which caps employer super near $32,500 | SG contributions paid by the employing authority (cl 15.2.1); the Schedule 3 hourly rate is then reduced by the value of that contribution |
| Private practice | Capped Private Practice (PPA 2008 Scheme One) | Independent billing |
| Total package potential | Step 9 + 30% A&R + 65% PP cap ≈ ~$625k (Other specialty); EM Step 9 + 67% A&R, no PP ≈ ~$535k | N/A (sessional only) |
| Insurance | WorkCover covered by employer | Self-funded medical indemnity + income protection |
| Governing instrument | SMOEA 2025 | VMSEA 2023 (nominal life ended 2 February 2025; still operative, no successor registered) |
| Salary packaging | ~$9,010 FBT-free (EPHA, standard public hospital) | GPSSSS only, under a salary sacrifice agreement (cl 16.2); you are liable for any FBT (cl 16.3) |
Frequently asked questions
Does every SA consultant get the Attraction and Retention Allowance?
Every non-casual Consultant gets it, but the rate is specialty-specific under cl 32.2 of SMOEA 2025: 30% of base salary for 'Other Consultants', 37.5% for Rehabilitation, 45% for Rural Generalists, 50% for Anaesthetists and ICU, and 67% for Emergency Medicine, Paediatric Emergency and MedSTAR consultants. It is paid fortnightly on top of base and continues during paid leave, but it is excluded from remote call, penalty and recall calculations, it absorbs most other allowances, and keeping it is conditional on billing private practice to your cap. Senior Medical Practitioners on Schedule 1.3 are covered by the separate Medical Practitioner Group provisions, not cl 32.
What's the difference between GPSSSS and MOSSSS?
Both are salary-sacrifice schemes under SMOEA 2025. GPSSSS (General Public Sector Salary Sacrifice Scheme) applies to everyone who commenced on or after 28 November 2003 and has the higher published base rates ($243,212–$320,467 at Consultant Steps 1–9), but you bear any fringe benefits tax on what you package (cl 9.4). MOSSSS (Medical Officer Specific Salary Sacrifice Scheme) is closed to new members (cl 9.7): its base rates are lower ($203,826–$268,571) but members can sacrifice up to 30% of salary (excluding the A&R Allowance) with the employer meeting FBT under the s57A exemption cap. MOSSSS members can transfer one-way to GPSSSS.
As an Emergency Medicine consultant in SA, can I do any private billing?
No. Emergency Medicine and Paediatric Emergency consultants under SMOEA 2025 are 'not entitled to rights of private practice or compensation for lack of such rights (0%)', and MedSTAR consultants must pay over any private practice receipts for MedSTAR work. This is a deliberate trade-off: those specialties receive the highest A&R Allowance (67% of base salary) in place of private practice income, and the agreement notes this 'has regard to particular circumstances of not having access to private practice arrangements'.
How does the capped private practice scheme work for other specialties?
Salaried Consultants can bill private patients in the public hospital setting up to a ceiling set as a percentage of base salary by specialty, under Scheme One Capped Private Practice of the PPA 2008 (referenced by cl 44 of SMOEA 2025 but sitting outside the agreement); the ceilings are in the private practice table above. Keeping the A&R Allowance requires best efforts to bill to your cap (cl 32.4.2), and electing a higher cap or PPA Scheme 2 ends it permanently (cl 32.6).
How is on-call paid for SA consultants?
It is not paid per shift. Remote call is an annual allowance of 5%–11.5% of salary set by roster frequency, paid fortnightly but not during leave, with a separate allowance for each additional roster (cl 37.3, cl 39); actually attending is then paid as recall, with a 3-hour minimum counted door to door (cl 40.8). Both sets of rates are in the on-call table above.
I'm a UK-trained specialist: what step would I start at and does the A&R Allowance apply to me?
The A&R Allowance applies to all non-casual Consultants in the cl 32.2 specialty categories employed by SA Health, regardless of training background. Your starting step is set at appointment by SA Health, as the agreement does not prescribe entry steps; from there, progression is by annual increment to Step 9 based on years of experience (cl 45.1).
Is the VMSEA 2023 still current for SA VMOs?
Yes. VMSEA 2023 came into force on 23 October 2023 with a nominal life to 2 February 2025, and the SAET enterprise agreement register lists no successor and no registered variation as at 29 July 2026, so it remains the operative VMO instrument. It has been past its nominal term since February 2025, and its Schedule 3 rates stop at the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2025, with no further increase built into the agreement.