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.
Practice manager recruitment for regional health practices
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help general practices, dental practices, allied health clinics and specialist rooms across regional Australia hire practice managers, from experienced administrators stepping up to managers who have run a multi-doctor practice. The role carries the business side of a clinic, so we search for people who can run staff, systems and money together.
Practice manager hiring at a glance
Health practice managers are a large workforce, and about a quarter of practice manager job ads are in regional areas.
- people worked as health practice managers
- 22,800
- In 2021, the latest count for this occupation; 91% were women.1
- of job ads for practice managers were regional
- 24%
- 79 of 330 ads with a location, three months to September 2026, against 29% of all job ads; the group includes non-health practices.4
- median full-time weekly earnings for practice managers
- $1,655
- National, May 2025; a group that also counts legal, accounting and veterinary practice managers.1
- national rating for Health Practice Manager in 2026
- Not in shortage
- Rated NS on the ANZSCO 2022 sheet.2
What does a practice manager do in a health practice?
Health practice managers organise and control the functions and resources of health practices, such as administrative systems and practice personnel.1 In a clinic the role can span reception and administration staff, billing, the practice software, suppliers and the premises, so tell us which of these sit with your manager.
The national qualification for the role is HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management, which is current.6 The award's Level 8 description says post-secondary qualifications may be appropriate but are not essential, so the brief needs to say which matters more to you: the diploma, years running a practice, or both.5
Licences, tickets and certifications for practice managers
Practice managers hold no licence or registration. Employers ask for the qualification and management experience the practice needs.
What a health practice manager holds, and who sets it, opened 1 November 2026.
| Item | What it means for the hire |
|---|---|
| Registration | No registration: practice management is not one of the 15 national health practitioner boards7 |
| HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management | The current national qualification for practice managers in health6 |
| Award classification | Support Services Levels 8 and 9 are set by duties such as supervising staff, payroll and management reports, not by a qualification5 |
What does a practice manager earn?
The Health Professionals and Support Services Award classifies support staff by their duties. Its Level 9 describes supervising a work group or office and coordinating a range of functions, and Level 8 includes responsibility for payroll and preparing management reports. Where the award covers the role, the full-time minimum runs from $1,283.50 a week at Level 8 to $1,497.80 at the top of Level 9, from 1 July 2026.5 The award covers employers delivering health care, medical and dental services.5
The national median for practice managers, a group that also counts legal, accounting and veterinary practice managers, was $1,655 a week, or $46 an hour, in May 2025, for full-time employees.1 We talk with you about the salary, any incentive tied to the practice's results, and the hours that will compete for your location.
Support Services employee Levels 8 and 9, full-time minimum weekly and hourly rates by pay point, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.5
| Classification | Minimum a week | Minimum an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Level 8, pay point 1 | $1,283.505 | $33.78 |
| Level 8, pay point 3 | $1,409.70 | $37.10 |
| Level 9, pay point 1 | $1,435.00 | $37.76 |
| Level 9, pay point 3 | $1,497.80 | $39.42 |
Where are practice managers in demand?
Job ads are published for practice managers as a whole, a group that also counts legal, accounting and veterinary practice managers. They averaged 332 a month in the three months to September 2026, the same as a year earlier, with New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria carrying the most.3
79 of the 330 ads with a location were regional.4 The group employed 30,600 people in February 2026, 700 more than a year earlier.1
Online job ads for practice managers by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier.3
| State or territory | Job ads a month, September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 1013 | 82 |
| Queensland | 82 | 102 |
| Victoria | 80 | 73 |
| Western Australia | 34 | 36 |
| South Australia | 16 | 21 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 10 | 9 |
| Northern Territory | 6 | 6 |
| Tasmania | 4 | 4 |
Which practice manager roles do we recruit?
Open a role for its pay, workforce facts and what to put in your brief.
General practice managers
Managers for general practices and medical centres.
- Qualification
- HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management is the current national qualification.6
- Pay
- Award minimum: $1,283.50 to $1,497.80 a week (Support Services Levels 8 and 9, from 1 July 2026), where the award covers the role. Market median: $1,655 a week (practice managers, May 2025).1,5
- Workforce
- 58% of health practice managers worked full-time in 2021.1
- What to tell us
- The number of doctors and staff, the billing mix, the practice software, accreditation timing and who the manager reports to.
Dental and allied health practice managers
Managers for dental practices, physiotherapy, podiatry and other allied health clinics.
- Award coverage
- The award covers employers delivering dental services as well as health care and medical services.5
- Rating
- Health Practice Manager is rated not in shortage for 2026.2
- Supply
- 22,800 people worked as health practice managers in 2021.1
- What to tell us
- The clinicians and support staff, the booking and billing systems, health fund and Medicare claiming, and any second site.
Group and multi-site managers
Managers who run several clinics or a practice group.
- Award level
- Level 9 work includes supervising a work group or office and coordinating a range of functions; the top pay point is $1,497.80 a week.5
- Demand
- Job ads for practice managers averaged 332 a month in the three months to September 2026.3
- Workforce
- 68% of the wider practice managers group work full-time hours.1
- What to tell us
- The sites and the travel between them, the managers or team leaders reporting in, the reporting you expect and the owners' plans for growth.
What to put in your brief for a practice manager
Start with the practice: the type of practice, the number of clinicians and staff, the systems you use and the state of the books. Then say which matters most, people leadership, billing and finance, or compliance and accreditation.
Tell us who the manager reports to, how much authority they hold over hiring, spending and rosters, the days and hours, and any relocation help. Tell us, too, how decisions are made between the owners and the manager.
How we help you hire a practice manager
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Local hires and relocation
We search first among managers and senior administrators in and around your town, including people ready to step up from a deputy or office manager role, then widen to experienced managers open to a move and raise relocation help early.
No registration ties a practice manager to a state, so an interstate move needs no paperwork beyond your own requirements.7 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a practice manager role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us the practices you have managed, your systems and billing experience, your qualifications and where you would like to work. Experienced managers and senior administrators ready to step up are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next practice manager hire
Tell us the practice, the team, 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 practice manager need a qualification or registration?
No registration applies: practice management is not one of the national health practitioner boards.7 The current national qualification is HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management.6 The award classifies the role by duties, not by qualification.5 Hire Australia builds your qualification and experience requirements into the brief and asks each candidate for evidence.
What is the award rate for a practice manager in 2026?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a manager whose duties match Support Services Level 8 or 9 earns at least $1,283.50 to $1,497.80 a week from 1 July 2026.5 The median for practice managers was $1,655 a week in May 2025.1 Hire Australia talks through your range early.
Are practice managers in short supply?
Not nationally. Health Practice Manager is rated not in shortage for 2026.2 Regional practices still compete for experienced managers: 79 of 330 ads for practice managers with a location were regional in the three months to September 2026.4 Hire Australia plans each search around your practice, location and the experience you need.
Can a senior receptionist step up to practice manager?
Yes, when the brief allows for it. The award's Level 9 describes supervising a work group and coordinating a range of functions, and the award sets the level by duties, not by qualification.5 Hire Australia asks candidates which of those duties they hold now, so you can judge readiness and the support they would need.
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 same terms apply whether Hire Australia recruits a first-time practice manager or a group manager.
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 (7)
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- training.gov.au, HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management (release 4, 22 December 2025; current). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), National Boards (the 15 National Boards). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑