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Medical professionals earn more, but have less time to build wealth - NAB
27 July 2026
Business Banking Personal Finance
Key points
Peak earnings often coincide with major business and life decisions
Practice ownership and burnout add financial complexity
Trusted banking helps support long-term financial security
Australia’s highest-earning medical professionals face one of the shortest windows to build long-term wealth of any profession, according to new NAB research.
While five of Australia’s ten highest-earning professions are in medicine, many clinicians only begin earning at scale later in life after years of study and training. That leaves them with one of the most concentrated wealth-building periods of any profession, often coinciding with major financial decisions such as establishing private practices, hiring staff and investing in equipment.
NAB Private Wealth Executive Michael Saadie said the compressed window facing the country’s 53,000 medical professionals meant the right financial support was critical.
“At a headline level, medical professionals earn well. Underneath that, their financial lives are more complex, but also full of opportunity when supported properly,” Mr Saadie said.
“With the right advice and structures in place, they are in a strong position to turn peak earnings into lasting confidence and choice.”
The research also found:
Around three in five medical professionals own a private practice, blending clinical excellence with business leadership
Nearly 80 per cent work more than 40 hours a week, increasing the value of trusted, time-efficient financial support
Sixty per cent intend to keep working beyond traditional retirement age, often transitioning into teaching, advisory or scaled-back roles
Long-term financial relationships can reduce operational stress and support succession planning during peak earning years
Wellbeing and burnout remain key considerations, reinforcing the need for financial flexibility over time.
Mr Saadie said tailored banking and wealth advice could make a meaningful difference.
“Medical professionals benefit from bankers who understand how their careers, practices and long‑term goals evolve over time,” he said.
“As they build trust with their patients, they value the same consistency and understanding from their banker.”
Perth dentist Andrew Brostek, pictured with wife Shirley, navigated selling their practice and retiring with support from their long-standing banker.
Perth dentist Andrew Brostek first turned his mind to succession planning in 2014, nearly a decade before retiring in 2023.
“I realised how complex it could be. Selling the practice wasn’t just a financial decision. Ongoing patient care and supporting our team of dentists and hygienists were also front of mind,” Dr Brostek said.
“We had the same banker for 16 years, Ryan Luckhurst. That long-standing relationship helped us plan early, reduce stress and exit on our terms in a strong financial position.”
Notes
Research was commissioned by NAB Private Wealth and conducted by CoreData, combining quantitative surveys of high-income medical professionals aged 45+ with in-depth qualitative interviews.
The white paper focuses on AHPRA-registered medical and dental practitioners in Australia (excluding GPs).
NAB is Australia’s largest business bank, with specialist healthcare expertise and an integrated Private Wealth offering.
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