TAS Specialist Medical Practitioner Pay 2025–26
Tasmanian public hospital specialists are called 'Specialist Medical Practitioners' (SMPs). Their pay is set by the Medical Practitioners (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2025 (TIC T15338 of 2026); the salaries below are the TAS Department of Health published rates, effective from 24 May 2026. TAS uses the most granular progression ladder nationally: 11 annual increment levels plus 3 Senior SMP levels. A separate Visiting Medical Practitioners (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement covers sessional VMPs.
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
- TAS Specialist Medical Practitioner salary runs $222,789 (SMP Level 1) to $305,539 (SMP Level 11) with annual increments, then continues through Senior SMP levels to $319,701 — all rates confirmed from the TAS Department of Health salary schedule effective 24 May 2026.
- Current pay is set by the Medical Practitioners (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2025 (T15338 of 2026) — the wage rates printed in the award are historic and understate SMP pay by roughly $60,000 per level.
- TAS has the most granular specialist progression scale nationally — 11 annual levels plus 3 Senior SMP levels — providing predictable incremental growth of roughly $8,300 a year.
- 20 days sick leave per year applies to TAS specialists, the highest sick leave entitlement of any Australian state for medical practitioners.
- A separate Visiting Medical Practitioners (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement governs sessional rates; rates were updated effective 6 July 2025.
Which model applies?
Most Tasmania specialists work as Specialist Medical Practitioners, 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.
Specialist Medical Practitioner
Salaried employee of the Tasmanian State Service. 11-level scale (SMP1–11) plus 3 Senior levels. Entry base $222,789 (SMP1) rising to $305,539 (SMP11); Senior SMP to $319,701. 20 days sick leave per year.
Jump to Specialist Medical Practitioner ↓Visiting Medical Officer (VMO)
Sessional contractor paid per session. No leave, no employer super. Suits doctors working across multiple facilities.
Jump to VMO ↓Specialist Medical Practitioner — salary
SMP Level 1 is entry for a newly Fellowship-qualified specialist; progression is annual by default. Not all specialists start at Level 1 — years of prior specialist experience may allow entry at a higher level. The full published scale is shown below.
| Grade | Base salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SMP Level 1 | $222,789 | Entry level for a newly Fellowship-qualified specialist. |
| SMP Level 2 | $231,066 | |
| SMP Level 3 | $239,343 | |
| SMP Level 4 | $247,620 | |
| SMP Level 5 | $255,897 | |
| SMP Level 6 | $264,174 | |
| SMP Level 7 | $272,451 | |
| SMP Level 8 | $280,728 | |
| SMP Level 9 | $289,006 | |
| SMP Level 10 | $297,284 | |
| SMP Level 11 | $305,539 | Top of the SMP scale. |
| Senior SMP Level 1 | $309,222 | |
| Senior SMP Level 2 | $314,461 | |
| Senior SMP Level 3 | $319,701 | Top of the published TAS specialist scale. |
All rates are full-time equivalent salaries published by the TAS Department of Health, effective from 24 May 2026, under the Medical Practitioners (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2025. Increments between SMP levels are roughly $8,300. Superannuation: 12% (statutory minimum from 1 July 2025).
Private practice
On-call, callback & penalty rates
| Payment type | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime (weekday) | 150% for first 2 hours, then 200% | After ordinary shift hours. |
| On-call (rostered) | 5–15% of ordinary rate per on-call hour | Percentage varies by roster frequency under the state agreement. |
| Saturday | 150% of ordinary rate | |
| Sunday | 150% of ordinary rate | |
| Public holiday | 250% of ordinary rate |
VMO — sessional rates
Tasmania has a dedicated Visiting Medical Practitioners (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement with rates updated periodically. Sessional rates effective 6 July 2025 are published by the Tasmanian Department of Health on their Visiting Medical Practitioners salary rates page.
| Service type | Rate per session (4 h) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General / non-procedural | Per VMP Agreement (updated Jul 2025) | Published on TAS Dept of Health Visiting MP salary rates page. |
| Procedural / specialist | Per VMP Agreement (updated Jul 2025) | Higher rate; see TAS Dept of Health rates page for specialty amounts. |
- One session = 4 hours. TAS VMP rates were updated effective 6 July 2025.
- Current rates are published on the Tasmanian Department of Health Visiting Medical Practitioners salary rates page — check there for the full specialty breakdown.
- Penalty rates and Award overtime do not apply to VMP sessions — the sessional rate is the full payment. Any on-call obligations are specified in the individual VMP contract.
- Fee-for-service VMPs billing Medicare directly are not covered by the VMP Agreement.
- Leave, superannuation, and insurance are the VMP's responsibility.
- TAS has 20 days sick leave per year for salaried SMPs — VMPs do not receive sick leave.
Specialist Medical Practitioner vs VMO
| Feature | Specialist Medical Practitioner | VMO |
|---|---|---|
| Employment type | Salaried employee (Tasmanian State Service) | Sessional contractor |
| Progression | 11 annual levels + 3 Senior levels | No set progression |
| Annual leave | Paid | No — self-funded |
| Sick leave | 20 days/year — highest nationally | No |
| Superannuation | 12% employer contribution | Self-funded |
| On-call | 5–15% loading for rostered on-call | Negotiated |
| Private practice | Via TAS Health arrangement | Independent billing |
| Insurance | WorkCover covered by employer | Self-funded medical indemnity + income protection |
| Governing instrument | Agreement 2025 (T15338 of 2026); award for conditions | VMP Agreement (updated Jul 2025) |
| Salary packaging | ~$9,010 FBT-free (EPHA — standard public hospital) | Not applicable |