Last updated: August 2026
Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services
Sustainability is at the heart of physiotherapy’s future. Every day, physiotherapy practices across Australia face mounting pressures - rising operational costs, workforce retention challenges, and increasing patient expectations. Making confident business decisions has never been more important.
We know this is a resource our members have been asking for. That’s why the APA commissioned Nous Group to conduct an independent review of the economics of physiotherapy service provision.
The Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services report provides an evidence-based foundation for your own decision-making, while also serving as a critical tool in our advocacy with funders.
Current sustainable hourly rate
The APA periodically reviews and indexes its guidance on a sustainable hourly rate to reflect changes in market conditions, wage growth, inflation and other operational cost pressures.
The APA's current evidence-based guidance for a sustainable hourly rate for standard physiotherapy services is:
This guidance is intended to support physiotherapists and practice owners in understanding the sustainable costs of delivering physiotherapy services. Individual practices should independently determine their own pricing, having regard to their own operating costs, market conditions and legal obligations.
The Nous report recognises potential loadings for different pricing elements for Physiotherapy practices or physiotherapists to consider as outlined:
| Pricing element | Loading |
| Length of session | The rate should be applied to the length of the session e.g. $136.50 for 30 minutes. |
| Years’ experience | $314 per hour for physiotherapists with extensive experience. |
| Titling or equivalent | $327 per hour APA titling or equivalent qualification. |
| Specialisation | $382 per hour for APA specialisation. |
| Regional, rural and remote locations | $327 per hour for compensable schemes in rural and remote locations. Loading should vary to reflect additional costs of delivering services in the location. |
| Non-client time | Fees for non-client time, such as travel and reporting, should apply the hourly rate of a physiotherapist with the appropriate experience and qualifications. Where non-client time cannot be charged, it should be accounted for in a practice’s business model. |
(Published August 2026)
The current guidance should be used in conjunction with the methodology and evidence contained in the original Nous report.
About the Nous report
Published in September 2025, the Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services report provides the independent evidence base and methodology underpinning the APA's guidance on sustainable physiotherapy pricing.
The report analyses the drivers of practice sustainability, including costs of service provision, workforce needs, and the value delivered to clients. It identifies an indicative value-based hourly rate and considers loadings for experience, education and regional, rural and remote services.
While the recommended hourly rates are periodically updated, the methodology and principles contained in this report remain the foundation of the APA's approach.
How this report helps you
This report and accompanying updated hourly rate guidance are designed to support your thinking and provide a clearer picture of practice sustainability. Together, these resources:
- Highlight the cost pressures that influence sustainable practice, including wages, workforce development, and overheads.
- Offer insights into what clients value and are willing to pay, giving you an evidence-based perspective on patient expectations.
- Help you reflect on your own fee structure in the context of industry-wide trends and market realities.
Beyond individual practice
These resources are also an important advocacy resource. The APA will use the findings to educate funders on the real costs of delivering physiotherapy and to influence more positive funding outcomes for our profession and patients.
Our role and your independence
The APA does not set or recommend fees. Each practice is unique, and members must independently determine their own pricing. Our role is to provide members with evidence, tools, and education to make informed choices.
Disclaimer: The APA does not set or recommend fees. This guidance is published to inform members and stakeholders about the typical costs of delivering physiotherapy services and the economic value of physiotherapy, based on independent research. Members must independently determine their own fees.