How to become a General Practitioner

Also called: General Medical Practitioner

Diagnoses, treats and prevents human physical and mental disorders and injuries.

Main tasks

• Consults with, and conducts examinations on, patients to determine the nature of disorders and illnesses, and maintains patient records
• Creates patient-centric care plans as part of a treatment team, and refers patients to and exchanges medical information with, other Health Professionals
• Requests laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures, and interprets findings to assist diagnosis
• Provides overall care for patients, and prescribes and administers treatments, medications and other remedial measures
• Monitors patient progress and response to treatment
• Performs medical and minor surgical procedures

Ways in

• University: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 34 universities in Australia
• Licence or registration: Registration or licensing is required.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $127,192 a year
• About 89,000 people work in this job group now, and about 118,300 are projected by 2035. (+33%)
• AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Related jobs

• Cardiothoracic Surgeon
• Neurosurgeon
• Orthopaedic Surgeon
• Anaesthetist
• General Medicine Physician
• Cardiologist

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a General Practitioner?

Ways in include: Medicine & Dentistry degrees.

How much does a General Practitioner earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $127,192 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a General Practitioner a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 33% by 2035, from about 89,000 to about 118,300 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a General Practitioner?

Usually. 96% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a General Practitioner?

AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04