Locum dentists, sorted.
Percentage-of-billings is opaque by design. Sessional logs every treatment, every total gross, your split, and your actual take-home so the clinic cannot fudge settlement.
Dentists in Australia, 2025 to 2026
The market you actually work in
Verified figures for locum dentists, so you can sense-check a rate card before you sign it.
- 28,406 (19,499 dentists, around 9.5% specialist)
- AU dental practitioners on the register
- 30 to 40% (38 to 40% rural)
- Generalist billings share
- $800 to $1,200 metro, $1,500 to $2,000+ rural (plus accom and travel)
- Daily guarantee
- $2,500 to $4,500/day (ortho, endo, OMFS)
- Specialist locum
How Sessional helps
Built for how locum dentists actually work
The admin, compliance, and earnings platform for AHPRA-registered locums and independent contractors. Every agency, every direct clinic, every public pool, source-agnostic.
Percentage-of-billings logged honestly
A typical corporate day (Pacific Smiles, 1300Smiles, Bupa Dental, Abano/Maven) grosses $3,500 to $6,500. At a 30 to 40% split that is $1,250 to $2,900 net. Sessional logs every treatment, the gross total, your split, and the settlement so you know the number before the clinic's spreadsheet lands.
Daily guarantee vs percentage compared like-for-like
Rural placements often guarantee $1,500 to $2,000+/day plus accommodation, flights, and a vehicle. Sessional shows you the guaranteed minimum and the percentage realisation side by side so you can tell which structure is paying better for the week you actually worked.
Conscious sedation endorsement priced
Conscious sedation is a national Dental Board notation (ANZCA PS09 compliance) and attracts premium rates. Sessional stores the endorsement against your profile and the workplaces that require it.
Radiation licence state by state
NSW from 1 Dec 2025: AHPRA-registered dental practitioners are exempt for intra-oral, OPG, and lateral ceph (CBCT still needs IA24). VIC still requires a use licence for all dental X-ray under the Radiation Act 2005. Sessional stores the correct state-level licence and surfaces the NSW exemption where it applies.
CDBS and public dental tracked separately
CDBS requires a Medicare provider number and caps at $1,158 per child per 2 years. QLD Health public dental pays hourly ($108 to $123/hr). Sessional separates CDBS billing, public dental hourly, and private percentage-of-billings so your tax and GST profile is clean.
State by state
AHPRA is national. Your secondary credentials are not.
Radiation licensing is state-administered and the rules moved recently. NSW (from 1 Dec 2025) exempts AHPRA-registered dental practitioners for intra-oral, OPG, and lateral ceph; CBCT still needs an IA24 licence. VIC continues to require a radiation use licence for all dental X-ray under the Radiation Act 2005. QLD, SA, WA, TAS, ACT, and NT each administer their own radiation safety regimes. Sessional stores the state against each workplace so the right licence reminders apply.
AHPRA verified
Your AHPRA number on your profile
Your AHPRA number appears on every invoice you generate and on your public profile. Workplaces verify your AHPRA, Dental Board of Australia registration at a glance. No back-and-forth emails, no chasing paperwork.
Sessional Australia is source-agnostic. Track every channel in one place.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
How much does Sessional Australia cost for locum dentists?
Sessional Australia offers three tiers (AUD). Free ($0) covers shift tracking, a public profile, and basic invoicing. Plus ($29.99/month) adds unlimited shifts, invoicing, expenses, documents, and tax planning. Pro ($39.99/month) adds API access, Xero sync, and advanced reporting. No commission on any plan.
What does Sessional Australia track for dentists?
Every shift with date, rate type (hourly, daily, per-session, or percentage of billings), and workplace. Invoices, expenses with ATO cents-per-km, professional documents including your AHPRA registration, and tax planning for sole trader, Pty Ltd, or Trust structures. All income streams (agency, direct, public, NDIS) in one place.
Is Sessional Australia a locum marketplace?
No. Sessional Australia is the admin, compliance, and earnings platform. We do not compete as a marketplace and we do not take a commission on your work. Keep using Wavelength, Medrecruit, Ochre, HealthCare Australia, direct clinic relationships, and any other source that works for you. Sessional unifies the admin side across all of them.
Does Sessional Australia work with AHPRA registration?
Yes. Sessional Australia understands AHPRA registration and your AHPRA number. It appears on every invoice you generate and on your public profile, so workplaces can verify your AHPRA, Dental Board of Australia registration at a glance.
Does Sessional Australia handle percentage-of-billings arrangements?
Yes. Each shift is logged with a rate type: hourly, daily, per-session, or percentage of billings. Percentage-of-billings shifts skip the invoice step because the workplace bills Medicare or the patient and pays you a net share. Sessional handles the split automatically on the earnings dashboard and tax planner.
Plans (AUD)
Start free. Upgrade when the admin demands it.
Free
Shift diary, public profile, and basic invoicing. Free forever.
Plus
Most popularEarly-access price for the first 3 months, then $29.99/mo. Unlimited shifts, invoicing, expenses, documents, and ATO tax planning.
Pro
Everything in Plus plus API access, Xero sync, and advanced reporting.
Ready when you are
Set up your profile
Manage every locum income stream in one place. Agencies, direct clinics, public pools, NDIS, all source-agnostic. No commission, no marketplace fee, no pressure to take a particular shift.
Learn more
Free tools, guides, and help
Working in a specific city?
City-level guides for locum dentists across Australia.
Set up your profile
Free to start. No card required. No commission.