PAY & COMPENSATION

GP Telehealth Pay Rates in Australia: What to Expect in 2026

Published 1 May 2026 · 10 min read · Updated regularly

One of the most common questions GPs ask before moving into telehealth work is deceptively simple: how much will I actually earn? The answer depends on the billing model, the condition area, patient volume, and the platform you work with. This guide provides a detailed, realistic breakdown based on the current Australian telehealth market in 2026.

The Fundamental Split: Medicare vs Private Billing

The single biggest determinant of telehealth GP earnings is the billing model. This distinction matters more than any other factor — more than hours worked, more than experience level, more than the platform itself.

Medicare-billed telehealth operates on the same item numbers and rebate schedule as in-person general practice. The key telehealth item numbers for GPs are defined in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). Standard GP telehealth items range from approximately $39 (Level A, brief consultation) to $75 (Level C, standard consultation) to $112 (Level D, prolonged consultation) in Schedule Fee terms. Bulk-billed consultations attract the Medicare rebate plus any applicable bulk billing incentives.

The challenge with Medicare-billed telehealth is the same as in-clinic bulk billing: the per-consult revenue is relatively low, which means earning a competitive income requires high volume — typically 5–8 patients per hour. At that pace, consults are necessarily brief, the clinical work becomes transactional, and the job satisfaction that attracts most GPs to medicine can evaporate quickly.

Privately billed telehealth operates outside the Medicare rebate structure. Patients pay a private fee (ranging from $150 to $350+ per consultation depending on the service and consult duration), may receive a partial Medicare rebate if applicable, and the balance is an out-of-pocket cost. For the GP, this means significantly higher per-consult revenue, longer consult times, and the ability to deliver more thorough care.

Earnings by Telehealth Model

Generalist telehealth platforms (Medicare-billed):

Effective hourly rate: $120–$180/hour. These platforms operate like a digital version of a bulk-billing clinic. High patient throughput, short consults (6–10 minutes), and Medicare-schedule fees. The economics work through volume. GPs typically receive 60–70% of billings or a per-consult rate. Good for predictable income but lower ceiling and higher risk of burnout. Examples include major national telehealth platforms offering general consultations.

After-hours and on-demand telehealth:

Effective hourly rate: $150–$220/hour. Higher per-consult rates due to after-hours MBS loading (items 5020, 5040, 5060 etc.), but volume can be unpredictable. Weekend and evening shifts may attract premium rates. Suits GPs who prefer shift-based work and don't mind unsociable hours. The Department of Health after-hours guidelines define eligible timeframes and item numbers.

Specialist-interest telehealth (privately billed):

Effective hourly rate: $200–$400+/hour. This is where telehealth GP earnings become genuinely competitive with — and often exceed — traditional general practice. Condition-specific clinics (ADHD, weight loss, men's health, women's health/menopause) charge private consultation fees of $150–$350+ per consult, with GP contractors receiving 60–70% of billings. Longer consults (20–40 minutes) mean a more manageable pace with better patient relationships and clinical satisfaction.

The Maths: Specialist Telehealth Earnings in Detail

Let's work through the numbers for a specialist telehealth GP working within a network like Telehealth Australia Group:

Scenario: ADHD GP doing 3 consults per hour at $280 average fee, 67.5% split

Gross billings per hour: $840. GP share (67.5%): $567/hour. In a 5-hour clinical session: $2,835. Over 20 hours per week: $11,340/week or approximately $567K annualised (before the GP's own ABN-level expenses: professional indemnity insurance, RACGP fees, CPD costs, accounting). Note this is a 20-hour clinical week — many GPs choose to work less.

Scenario: Weight loss GP doing 3 consults per hour at $220 average fee, 65% split

Gross billings per hour: $660. GP share (65%): $429/hour. In a 5-hour clinical session: $2,145. Over 15 hours per week: $6,435/week or approximately $321K annualised. This is a comfortable part-time schedule that many GPs combine with other clinical work.

These figures are realistic and align with what experienced telehealth GPs in specialist networks actually earn. They are, however, dependent on one critical factor: patient volume.

The Hidden Variable: Who Brings the Patients?

Hourly rate projections are meaningless if your calendar isn't full. This is the single most important question to ask any telehealth platform: who is responsible for patient acquisition?

There are three models in the market:

Platform-supplied patients: The platform invests in marketing, SEO, advertising, and referral networks to fill GPs' calendars. The GP simply blocks out available hours and patients are booked in. This is the model used by specialist networks like Telehealth Australia Group — and it's the model that consistently delivers the best GP earnings, because full calendars mean full income.

Shared responsibility: Some platforms provide a base level of patients but expect GPs to contribute their own referral networks. This can work for GPs with established patient bases but defeats the purpose for most GPs seeking flexible telehealth work without the overhead of running their own practice.

BYO patients: Some platforms are essentially practice management software with a telehealth layer — you bring your own patients and they provide the infrastructure. This is functionally running your own practice with extra steps and should be evaluated accordingly.

The RACGP has published guidance on evaluating telehealth opportunities, emphasising the importance of understanding the financial model, patient supply chain, and contractual terms before committing to any platform.

Understanding the Split: What 65–70% Actually Means

The percentage split in telehealth contractor arrangements covers the platform's costs for: patient acquisition (digital marketing, SEO, advertising — often the single largest expense), practice management software, billing infrastructure, clinical governance and compliance, administrative staff, reception and booking management, and technology platform maintenance.

A 65–70% split to the GP is competitive in the Australian market. For comparison, typical in-clinic GP contractor splits range from 60–70% of billings in metropolitan areas, but the clinic GP also deals with room costs, equipment, and often their own patient acquisition. In the telehealth model, the GP's only costs are typically: professional indemnity insurance (~$5K–$8K/year via Avant or MIPS), RACGP membership and CPD costs, home office setup (computer, webcam, reliable internet), and accounting/tax services.

What Top-Earning Telehealth GPs Do Differently

Based on patterns observed across specialist telehealth networks, the GPs who consistently earn the most share several traits:

They specialise rather than generalise. A GP consulting in ADHD, weight loss, or men's health develops deep expertise, consults more efficiently, and earns higher per-consult fees than a generalist seeing a random mix of conditions. Specialisation is the single biggest lever for increasing telehealth earnings.

They commit reliable hours. Consistency matters. A GP who blocks out regular, predictable hours builds a returning patient base (follow-ups, ongoing management) and becomes a reliable part of the clinic's scheduling infrastructure. Sporadic availability leads to empty slots and lower utilisation.

They choose private billing models. The arithmetic is unambiguous: private billing at $200–$350+ per consult at 65–70% will always outperform Medicare billing at $39–$75 per consult at similar splits. The trade-off is lower patient volume (which most GPs actually prefer).

They treat telehealth as a genuine professional commitment. Not a side gig they dip in and out of, but a core part of their professional identity. This means investing in their home office setup (good camera, lighting, quiet space), maintaining CPD in their specialist area, and engaging with the clinical community within their network.

They work with platforms that deliver patients. The GP who joins a network with strong patient demand from day one will always out-earn the one who's still building their own referral pipeline six months later.

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