Workforce
Registration, growth, and distribution of physiotherapists across Australia.
47,761
Total AHPRA-Registered Physiotherapists
Represents 5.0% of all AHPRA-registered health practitioners (959,838 total). Fourth-largest regulated health profession
6.4%
Annual Registration Growth
Above the all-professions AHPRA average of 4.3%. Driven by 4,125 first-time registrants (2,365 domestic, 1,760 international)
145
Physiotherapists per 100,000 Population (Major Cities)
Drops to 89 per 100,000 in regional areas and 46 per 100,000 in remote/very remote areas
81%
Work as Clinicians
Remainder work as administrators, educators, or researchers
35.1
Average Clinical Hours per Week
Up from 34.7 hours in 2015. 57.9% of physiotherapists work 35+ hours per week
~30%
Working in Regional, Rural, or Remote Areas
Only ~1% work in remote communities, despite 27% of the population living outside major cities
9,497
Physiotherapy Businesses in Australia
Up 5.2% from 2024. Most are small-scale, independent practices
Physiotherapists by State/Territory (AHPRA Registrations)
| State/Territory | Estimated Registrations | Share of National Total |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | ~15,200 | ~31.8% |
| VIC | ~13,300 | ~27.8% |
| QLD | ~8,900 | ~18.6% |
| WA | ~4,500 | ~9.4% |
| SA | ~3,100 | ~6.5% |
| TAS | ~750 | ~1.6% |
| ACT | ~650 | ~1.4% |
| NT | ~230 | ~0.5% |
Medicare & Services
Medicare billing data and service delivery trends for physiotherapy.
$152M
Medicare Benefits Paid for Physiotherapy (CDM Items)
Second-highest allied health service after podiatry ($189M). Most recent AIHW profession-level breakdown available
2.8M
Medicare-Funded CDM Physiotherapy Services
Delivered to 887,317 patients. Physiotherapy is the second-most used CDM allied health service
$61.80
Medicare Rebate per Physiotherapy Session (Item 10960)
85% of the schedule fee ($72.70). Indexed annually from 1 July
5
Medicare CDM Allied Health Sessions per Calendar Year
Individual allied health sessions under a GP Management Plan (Team Care Arrangement). Shared across all allied health disciplines
Demographics
Age, gender, and workforce composition of registered physiotherapists.
63.1% / 36.9%
Female / Male Split
Broadly consistent with prior years. APA Workforce Census (2023) reports 68% female among members
35
Median Age of Physiotherapists
Younger than the all-jobs median of 40. Largest age cohort is 25-34 (41.9% per AHPRA data)
42.7%
New Registrants Trained Overseas (2024-25)
1,760 of 4,125 first-time registrants qualified overseas. International recruitment is a major pipeline for workforce growth
0.7%
Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Well below the 3.8% First Nations share of the Australian population (ABS 2021 Census)
Sources
Verified directly from source| Awaiting verification