Locum psychologist
Low $100.00Typical $180.00High $318.00
Rate benchmark
Locum psychologist rates Australia 2026
$180.00typical per hour
Indicative pay ranges for Australian locum psychologists in the current financial year. What's typical, what drives variance, and how to benchmark your own rate against the market.
Ledger | Indicative 2026 range
Low, typical, and high.
APS recommended fee for 2025-26 is $318 per 46 to 60 min session. Medicare rebates under the Better Access Initiative (from 1 July 2026) are $149.05 for item 80010 and $101.55 for item 80000: both are clinical-psychologist items (standard consult vs extended consult). General psychologists without clinical endorsement bill under Focused Psychological Strategies items in the 80100 series. Locums contracted into private practices typically retain 50 to 70% of the session fee. NDIS cap for 2026-27 is $252.99/hr (no clinical/general split). Permanent salaries $105k to $160k; locum contractors with clinical endorsement bill $150 to $280/hr.
| Rangeper hour | LowIndicative | TypicalIndicative | HighIndicative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indicative 2026 range (per hour) | $100.00 | $180.00 | $318.00 |
Indicative 2026 range (per hour)
Figures are educated estimates. Sources include: Australian Psychological Society (APS) 2025-26 recommended fee schedule; Medicare Better Access item numbers (DoHAC, 1 Jul 2025); NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (ndis.gov.au); EAP provider published session rates. Real rates vary by individual contract and market conditions. Sessional doesn't guarantee any specific rate and your individual outcome depends on your negotiation and the workplaces you work with.
01 | Market context
05Rate driversWhat drives the variance
Geography: Regional and remote postings (higher MMM areas) often run 10 to 30% above metro rates to attract cover. Capital-city metros sit near the national mean; rates compress where supply is deepest.
Urgency: Last-minute cover pays more. Workplaces covering a sudden gap often pay 20 to 30% above their standard rate.
Specialty: Out-of-hours, unplanned care, specialist wards, and complex caseload all uplift the base rate.
Volume: Regular weekly bookings are usually offered at a lower rate than ad-hoc shifts in exchange for certainty.
Route to market: Direct bookings pay more than agency routes because no one takes a cut.
02 | Your ledger
04Benchmarking stepsHow to benchmark your own rate
Write down the last ten bookings you accepted and the rate you charged or received.
Break them down by region, urgency, and duration.
Compare each against the typical range above. If you are consistently at or below the low end on standard bookings, you are probably underpriced.
Next time you are asked for your rate on a standard booking at a regional or hard-to-fill workplace, quote the typical figure from the headline above and see what happens. A refusal tells you about the booking, not your rate.
03 | 40 cities
Look up your city
01Locum psychologist in Sydney02Locum psychologist in Melbourne03Locum psychologist in Brisbane04Locum psychologist in Perth05Locum psychologist in Adelaide06Locum psychologist in Canberra07Locum psychologist in Gold Coast08Locum psychologist in Newcastle09Locum psychologist in Sunshine Coast10Locum psychologist in Wollongong11Locum psychologist in Geelong12Locum psychologist in Hobart13Locum psychologist in Cairns14Locum psychologist in Townsville15Locum psychologist in Darwin16Locum psychologist in Ballarat17Locum psychologist in Bendigo18Locum psychologist in Toowoomba19Locum psychologist in Launceston20Locum psychologist in Albury-Wodonga21Locum psychologist in Orange22Locum psychologist in Rockhampton23Locum psychologist in Mackay24Locum psychologist in Pilbara25Locum psychologist in Far North Queensland26Locum psychologist in Regional Northern Territory27Locum psychologist in Central Coast28Locum psychologist in Wagga Wagga29Locum psychologist in Dubbo30Locum psychologist in Tamworth31Locum psychologist in Port Macquarie32Locum psychologist in Coffs Harbour33Locum psychologist in Lismore34Locum psychologist in Mildura35Locum psychologist in Shepparton36Locum psychologist in Warrnambool37Locum psychologist in Bundaberg38Locum psychologist in Mount Gambier39Locum psychologist in Alice Springs40Locum psychologist in Broome
Last revised 24 April 2026
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