Helping children thrive is incredibly rewarding—but can it also fund Sydney rent or support a regional mortgage? If you’re wondering what the pediatric occupational therapist salary looks like in 2025, you’re in the right place. This comprehensive guide offers real-world data, clear pay bands, and actionable strategies for boosting your income—whether you work in public health, a private clinic, or under the NDIS.
All salary figures come from government award schedules, enterprise agreements, and current job ads across Australia. Bookmark the relevant links and revisit them as you map your own career trajectory.
1. National Pay Snapshot: How Much Do Pediatric OTs Earn?
| Career Stage | Typical Annual Package* | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate OT Level 1 | A$74,000 | NSW Health Professionals Award – Schedule F |
| Early career (2–4 years) | A$80,000 – A$90,000 | Same award + penalty averages |
| Senior paediatric clinician | A$95,000 – A$110,000 | 2024 QLD Health EBA |
| Private/NDIS contractor | A$115,000 – A$150,000 | SEEK job ads, NDIA pricing guide |
| Service lead/manager | A$125,000 – A$145,000 | Labour Market Insights |
*Figures include base salary, 11% super, and common allowances.
2. Public vs Private Pediatric Roles: What’s the Difference?
Public Sector (Hospitals & Community Health):
- Pros: Guaranteed incremental pay rises, up to $9,010 in tax-free salary packaging, paid CPD leave.
- Cons: Less flexibility in caseload and service delivery models; limited pay progression without promotion.
Private Clinics:
- Job listings from April 2025 show senior paediatric OTs earning $105,000–$125,000, often with performance bonuses.
- Pros: Freedom to specialise, control your schedule, and earn bonuses based on billables.
- Cons: No salary packaging and variable access to professional development funding.
NDIS Contracting:
- The NDIA therapy cap is $197.71/hour (Item 15_055_0128_1_3). See NDIS Pricing.
- Net take-home rate: $110–$135/hour after admin and overheads.
- Full caseload earnings: With 25 treated hours/week, earnings exceed $140,000/year.
- Downsides: You’re responsible for report writing, insurance, scheduling, and gaps between sessions.
3. Five Quick Levers to Increase Your Salary
- Grade Progression: Moving from OT Level 1 to Level 2 adds ~15% in base salary.
- Early-Intervention Endorsement: Opens access to more Medicare billables in private settings.
- Rural Incentives: WA Country Health currently offers $8,000 sign-on bonuses plus relocation support.
- Shift Penalties: Some children’s wards pay 15–25% extra for evenings, weekends, or holidays.
- Salary Packaging: Use Health Employees Salary Packaging Australia to offset rent, HECS, or expenses—see Services Australia.
4. Tax and Take-Home Pay in 2025
Using the ATO’s 2025-26 rates (ATO calculator):
- Gross salary of $100,000 leaves roughly $74,600 after tax and Medicare.
- Add 11% super, and total remuneration is around $111,000.
- Salary packaging up to $9,000/year can effectively increase your disposable income by ~$2,000.
5. Cost-of-Living Checkpoints
| Monthly Expense (Sydney 2025) | Average Cost |
| Rent (2-bed apartment) | A$2,800 |
| Childcare (3-day gap fee) | A$660 |
| Opal card + petrol | A$260 |
| HECS repayment on $100k income | A$545 |
Sources: ABS CPI Dashboard, Transport NSW, and ASIC’s Budget Planner.
6. How to Negotiate a Higher Salary
- Use Award Tables: Clearly identify your step in the pay scale. Employers respect transparent benchmarking.
- Showcase Clinical Wins: Example: Your SOS feeding training opens new referral pathways.
- Use Workforce Data: NSW Health currently lists a 12% vacancy rate in paediatric OT teams—leverage that for salary negotiation.
- Request PD Leave or Funding: A $3,000 training course can equal a 3% salary bump without impacting the department budget.
- Bring Hard Data: Share outcomes like NDIS billables/hour, caseload growth, or goal attainment metrics.
7. Career Progression and Income Growth
| Career Move | Timeframe | Typical Uplift |
| Level 1 → Level 2 | 3 years + portfolio | +15% |
| Senior → Team Lead | 2 years + PD | +10% |
| Team Lead → Service Manager | 4 years + postgrad admin | +15% |
| Add 1 NDIS Day Weekly | Immediate | +$500–$800/week (@$120/hour) |
8. Final Takeaways
- New grads start around $74,000, rising past $90,000 by year four in public systems.
- Private clinics pay well for specialisations—feeding, autism, or assistive tech can lift your billable rate.
- NDIS offers the highest earnings, but you’ll manage your own admin and insurance.
- Use packaging, rural incentives, and upskilling to increase your effective income without increasing your burnout risk.
Explore more: Physical Therapist Salary with Doctorate: 2025 Guide
Want help planning your next step? Contact us to speak with a career advisor and map your future in pediatric OT.
