Paediatrician recruitment for regional employers

Paediatricians investigate, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in children from birth up to and including adolescence.⁵ The qualification is Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in paediatrics and child health. After basic training, advanced training in general paediatrics takes 3 years (36 months) full-time equivalent and prepares the doctor to care for infants, children and young people aged up to 19.⁶

To practise as a specialist, a paediatrician needs specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia in paediatrics and child health. The specialty has 21 fields, from general paediatrics and neonatal and perinatal medicine to community child health, each with its own specialist title.⁷ Under the registration standard in force since 21 October 2024, a paediatrician newly granted specialist registration needs supervised practice, an orientation to the Australian health system and cultural safety education, though some exemptions apply.⁸ If the paediatrician was awarded an approved qualification in the specialty, they may be exempt from the six months of supervised practice, and supervised practice completed in accredited training can count towards it; a paediatrician who isn't exempt may be registered with a condition to complete it.⁹ You can check the paediatrician's current registration on Ahpra's online register.⁸

A specialist covered by the Medical Practitioners Award 2020 earns at least $2,337.21 a week, or $121,535 a year, from 1 July 2026.¹⁸ Including the 10% on-call allowance the award pays specialists, who must be available for reasonable on-call and recall duties, the pay guide rate is $2,570.93 a week.¹⁹ The award applies to doctors employed in hospitals, community health centres, Aboriginal health services and the other settings in clause 4.2, but not to employees under a state public sector award.¹⁸

Paediatrics leans towards the public system: 72% of Queensland's paediatricians work in the public sector.³ Public hospital paediatricians are paid under each state's instrument, such as the Staff Specialists (State) Award in New South Wales,²⁰ the Medical Officers' (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (No.7) 2025²¹ and Western Australia's 2024 AMA agreement.²²

The wider Specialist Physicians group, which includes paediatricians and registrars training as specialist physicians, had median full-time earnings of $3,620 a week in May 2025, nationally.⁵ There is no published median for paediatricians alone or for regional areas, so we agree the salary, on-call and private practice terms with you before we approach anyone.

A paediatrician seeing private patients needs specialist recognition and a Medicare provider number to bill Medicare.²⁶ The government advises allowing at least 6 weeks for a provider number from November to March.²⁷

Overseas trained specialists and foreign graduates covered by section 19AB generally need to work in a District of Workforce Shortage for 10 years from registration to access Medicare.²⁷ Paediatrics isn't one of the eight specialties with their own ratio test, so for paediatricians the classification covers outer regional, remote and very remote areas.²⁸ A salaried public hospital role that doesn't attract Medicare benefits carries no such restriction.²⁷

Tell us the service: inpatient paediatrics, the special care nursery and the level of neonatal care, outpatient and outreach clinics, child protection or developmental work, and whether the role is a staff specialist, visiting medical officer or private practice position.

Then the details paediatricians weigh up: the on-call frequency, cover for births and the nursery overnight, registrar and resident doctor support, transfer arrangements with the nearest children's hospital, the outreach travel and whether the role bills Medicare.

About one in four paediatricians works part-time hours: 75% worked full-time in 2021.⁵ A roster that allows part-time or shared appointments can widen the field for a regional unit.

We start with paediatricians who already live in or have ties to your region, then widen the search to those planning a move. Tell us early about housing, relocation costs, school options and support for a partner's career, and we raise them in the first conversation.

If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Register with Hire Australia and tell us your fellowship, registration, the settings you have worked in and where you would like to work. We talk with you about permanent roles that suit your practice and your family.