Regional Queensland
Regional recruitment specialist for Queensland employers, from Cairns to Toowoomba and Mount Isa. See how hard each region is to hire in, and how we help.
Dentist recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help private dental practices, dental groups, community dental services and Aboriginal health services across regional Australia hire dentists, from graduates to experienced general dentists and dental specialists. Registration, the X-ray licence your state requires and the realities of a regional practice are part of the search from the first conversation.
Dentist hiring at a glance
Dentists are rated in shortage, and a third of the job ads for dental practitioners are outside the major cities.
- national rating for Dentist and Dental Specialist in 2026
- Shortage
- In shortage means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage); both occupations are rated S.1
- online job ads a month for dental practitioners
- 503
- Dentists and dental specialists, three-month average to September 2026, against 521 a year earlier.2
- of those ads were for regional areas
- 34%
- 149 of 441 ads placed in a major city or regional area, against 29% of all job ads.3
- median full-time weekly earnings
- $3,232
- Dental practitioners (dentists and dental specialists) nationally, May 2025.4
What does a dentist do, and which registration do they hold?
Dentists diagnose and treat dental disease, injuries, decay and malformations of the teeth, gums and other structures of the mouth, using surgery and other techniques. They also lead the dental team of hygienists, therapists and dental assistants.4
Every dentist must be registered with the Dental Board of Australia, and registration is national.5 A dentist with further training can also hold specialist registration in one of 13 recognised specialties, such as orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics or oral and maxillofacial surgery. The public register shows each dentist's specialty.6 At 30 June 2026, 21,840 practitioners were registered in the dentist division alone.7
Which registration and X-ray licence does a dentist need in each state?
Registration is national, but the licence to take dental X-rays is set by each state and territory. New South Wales removed the user licence for most dental X-rays on 1 December 2025, while Victoria still requires a use licence for every unit type.
Dental X-ray (radiation use) licensing for registered dentists, as published by each state or territory regulator, read on 1 November 2026. Registration with the Dental Board of Australia applies in every state.
| State or territory | Dental X-ray licence for a registered dentist |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | No user licence for intra-oral, OPG or lateral cephalometric X-rays since 1 December 2025; a licence is needed for cone beam CT8,9 |
| Victoria | Use licence; Ahpra registration for intra-oral units, plus a recognised course or degree for panoramic and cephalometric units; 3D (cone beam) units also need DEN4 and DEN5 training within the last 12 months10 |
| Queensland | Deemed to hold a use licence for intra-oral X-rays; other dental X-ray equipment needs a use licence11 |
| Western Australia | No licence for intra-oral, OPG or lateral cephalometric X-rays; cone beam CT needs a Radiological Council licence, with specialist dentomaxillofacial radiology registration or a recognised CBCT course12,13 |
| South Australia | Radiation licence from the EPA to operate X-ray apparatus14 |
| Tasmania | Licence under the Radiation Protection Act 2005 to use a radiation source15 |
| Northern Territory | Licence needed; Ahpra registration covers intra-oral X-rays, and OPG and cone beam CT need evidence of training16 |
| Australian Capital Territory | Radiation licence; Ahpra registration for general dental X-rays, plus radiation safety training for 3D and cone beam CT units17 |
What does a dentist earn?
The Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers employers that deliver dental services and their health professional employees, apart from medical practitioners and anyone covered by a state public sector award.18 Its list of professions doesn't name dentists, so where the award covers the role a dentist is classified by the AQF level of the profession's standard entry qualification.18 A first-year dentist's full-time minimum is $1,308.80 a week at AQF level 7, or $1,444.90 at AQF level 9, from 1 October 2026.18
Market pay sits well above the award floor. Dental practitioners, a group that includes dental specialists, had median full-time earnings of $3,232 a week, or $85 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.4 No regional pay series exists for dentists, so we talk with you about the salary, relocation help and housing that will compete for your location.
Health Professional employee Level 1, full-time minimum weekly rates by AQF level and years of experience, from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2026.18
| AQF level of the entry qualification | 1st year a week | 4th to 6th year a week | 7th year and after a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 7 | $1,308.8018 | $1,565.30 | $1,689.50 |
| Level 9 | $1,444.90 | $1,659.30 | $1,755.00 |
Where are dentists in demand?
Queensland and New South Wales carry the most job ads for dental practitioners. Ads fell in New South Wales over the year to September 2026, from 152 to 127 a month, and rose in Victoria and Western Australia.2
Regional areas held steady at 149 ads a month, against 152 a year earlier.3 Most registered dentists practise in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.7
Online job ads for dental practitioners by state and territory (three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier), and practitioners registered in the dentist division only at 30 June 2026.2,7
Which dentist roles do we recruit?
Open a role type for its rating, the checks that matter and what to put in your brief.
General dentists
Dentists for private practices, dental groups and regional clinics.
- Shortage
- Dentist is rated in shortage for 2026.1
- Registration
- General registration with the Dental Board of Australia, which covers every state.5
- X-ray licence
- Set by each state, as in the table above; Victoria requires a use licence even for intra-oral X-rays.10
- What to tell us
- Your patient mix, the number of chairs, the equipment on site such as OPG or cone beam CT, the support team and any after-hours or emergency roster.
Dental specialists
Orthodontists, endodontists, periodontists, oral surgeons and other specialists.
- Registration
- Specialist registration in one of 13 recognised specialties, shown on the public register.6
- Supply
- Registrants held 2,064 specialties at 30 June 2026, including 8 held by practitioners based in the Northern Territory and 30 in Tasmania.7
- Shortage
- Dental Specialist is rated in shortage for 2026.1
- What to tell us
- The specialty, the referral base you serve, visiting or outreach clinics, and whether the role shares a practice with general dentists.
Public and community dental services
Dentists for state, community and Aboriginal community controlled dental services.
- Award position
- Employees covered by a state public sector award fall outside the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.18
- Registration
- General registration with the Dental Board of Australia, the same in every state.5
- Demand
- 149 job ads a month for dental practitioners were in regional areas in the three months to September 2026.3
- What to tell us
- The service model (clinic, school program or outreach), the eligible patient groups, travel between sites and the support for a newer dentist.
What to tell us about your dentist role
Start with the practice: its location, patient base, number of chairs and the dentists already working there. Then the level you need, from a graduate who wants mentoring to an experienced dentist who can run the clinical side, or a specialist for referred patients.
The details that decide a regional move matter just as much: the days and hours, any after-hours roster, the X-ray and imaging equipment, the support from hygienists, therapists and dental assistants, and help with relocation and housing.
How we help you hire a dentist
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Relocation and regional practice
We raise the practical side of a move with every dentist we approach: the caseload, the referral network, housing and the distance from family. Tell us early what you offer for relocation costs, professional development and mentoring, so we can put it in front of candidates from the first conversation.
We search first among dentists who already live in or have ties to your region, then among those planning a move. A dentist moving from interstate keeps their national registration but may need your state's X-ray licence before taking radiographs.10 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a dentist role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your registration, any specialty, the work you enjoy and where you would like to practise. Graduate and experienced dentists are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next dentist hire
Tell us the role, the practice, the location and your start date.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Does a dentist from another state need to register again?
No. Registration with the Dental Board of Australia is national, so one registration covers every state and territory.5 The licence to take dental X-rays is set by each state: Victoria requires a use licence, while New South Wales exempts registered dentists for most dental X-rays.8,10 Hire Australia raises your state's rule with dentists moving from interstate.
What is the award rate for a dentist in 2026?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a first-year dentist's minimum is $1,308.80 a week at AQF level 7, or $1,444.90 at AQF level 9, from 1 October 2026.18 Market pay is far higher: dental practitioners' national median was $3,232 a week in May 2025.4 Hire Australia talks through your pay range early.
How hard is it to recruit a dentist in a regional area?
Dentist is rated in shortage for 2026.1 Job ads for dental practitioners averaged 503 a month in the three months to September 2026, and 149 of them were for regional areas.2,3 Hire Australia plans each regional dentist search around your start date, the practice and the support you can offer.
Does Hire Australia check a dentist's registration?
We ask every dentist about their registration, any specialty and the X-ray licence they hold, and we pass on what they tell us. The public register of practitioners shows each dentist's registration and specialty.6 Hire Australia leaves the formal registration, licence and reference checks with you as the employer.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The fee terms are the same whether Hire Australia recruits a graduate dentist or a dental specialist.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
Sources (18)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings, files dated October 2026, ANZSCO 2022 coding. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026), rounded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional; unclassified ads excluded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings and employment). Medians: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, 4-digit groups. Employment: 4-digit February 2026, trend; 6-digit occupations, 2021 Census. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dental Board of Australia, Registration (dental practitioners must be registered with the Board; registration types). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dental Board of Australia, Specialist registration (13 recognised dental specialties; page reviewed 18 March 2025). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dental Board of Australia, Registrant data, 1 April to 30 June 2026 (Tables 2.1 and 4.1). Registrants at 30 June 2026 by principal place of practice, including non-practising; published 21 September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Environment Protection Authority, Radiation user licence: exemptions and supervision requirements (updated 14 April 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Environment Protection Authority, Changes to the regulation of radiation (Protection from Harmful Radiation Regulation 2025). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Victorian Department of Health, Dentists: use licences. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Queensland Health, Dental use licence (last updated 3 September 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Western Australian Government (legislation.wa.gov.au), Radiation Safety (General) Regulations 1983, regulations 34 and 38 (official version as at 1 July 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Radiological Council of Western Australia, Licence Prerequisites: Dental Practitioners (exemption for dentists; CBCT prerequisites; interim exemption licence for hygienists, therapists and OHTs; last updated 4 April…. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Environment Protection Authority South Australia, Radiation licensing (licences to operate ionising radiation apparatus). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Tasmanian Department of Health, What is radiation protection? (a licence is needed to deal with a radiation source). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Northern Territory Government, Radiation licences for medical and dental practitioners: dental practitioners. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- ACT Government, Radiation licence for dental use (last updated 5 March 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], clauses 4, 16, 17 and Schedules A and B. Consolidated award incorporating amendments to 1 October 2026 (PR814029). Coverage: clause 4; state public sector awards excluded (clause 4.6). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑