Stay or switch?

For mid-career private-practice work, a 60/40 or 70/30 contractor split usually clears more on paper than the equivalent employed salary. On paper. The gap shrinks fast once you subtract the stuff nobody puts on the job ad: super you pay yourself, unpaid leave, indemnity, AHPRA rego, CPD, and your overheads. The calculator runs the maths on 2024–25 ATO rates so the number on screen is actual take-home.

Stage 3 brackets apply from 1 July 2024. $0–$18,200 is tax-free. $18,201–$45,000 is 16%. $45,001–$135,000 is 30%. $135,001–$190,000 is 37%. $190,001+ is 45%. Add the 2% Medicare levy on top. The calculator uses these by default.

Almost certainly not. Psychology services delivered by a registered psychologist are GST-free under the GST Act 1999, s38-10, so your clients pay no GST on therapy. You’d only register if you deliver supplies that aren’t GST-free (non-clinical consulting, training, book sales) and that turnover crosses the $75,000 threshold. Most psychologists in private practice never register.

The Super Guarantee rate is 11.5% from 1 July 2024 and 12% from 1 July 2025. As a contractor, you pay it to yourself within 28 days of each quarter’s end. Some contractor arrangements do include super from the clinic, but only if it’s written into your agreement. If it isn’t in writing, assume the answer is no.

The percentage is the share of each session fee you keep. The clinic takes the rest to cover rooms, reception, PMS, and marketing. On a $220 session, a 70/30 split pays you $154 and the clinic $66. Some splits skim GST or Medicare admin fees off the top before that math runs, so read the contractor agreement carefully before signing.

Costs vary widely by location and setup, so treat these as ballparks only. Rooms commonly run $250–$400/week for a full day. PMS software (Halaxy, Splose, Power Diary, Cliniko) is generally $50–$150/month depending on plan. Professional indemnity plus public liability is typically $800–$1,500/year through APS, AAPi, or direct. Supervision for clinical psychologists is often quoted around $120–$200/hour. Check current AHPRA registration fees on the AHPRA website. Confirm current figures with your supplier or accountant. The calculator lets you override all of these with your actual numbers.

Not really, once you do the maths. Public roles (HP3–HP5 scales in most states, roughly $95k–$140k) come with employer-paid super, paid leave, study leave, and a CPD budget. Private headline rates look higher but the leave, super, and slow weeks all come out of your pocket. The calculator annualises private work to a salary equivalent so the comparison isn’t rigged in either direction.

Yes. Set the session fee to whatever you actually charge. That can be the current Medicare scheduled fee for your item number, a private billed rate, or a blend. If you bulk-bill, use the rebate as your fee. Take-home is calculated off whatever you enter. Always check current rebate amounts on MBS Online before relying on the result, since schedules update.