ACT Intern & Resident Pay 2026–27
This page is for ACT interns, Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) and early-career doctors who want the practical pay picture without registrar rows. It focuses on base salary, estimated take-home, intern-to-resident progression, penalties, education allowance, leave and recall items that can affect real payslips.
By Jacob Stretton, RN & final-year medical student · figures sourced from the public EBAs & the ATO · About & methodology →
Key takeaways
- Resident - Year 1 is $102,486: a $14,001 base increase before roster effects.
- EPHA salary packaging (~$9,010 FBT-free) and the 17.5% annual leave loading apply to all ACT public-hospital doctors, including interns.
ACT Intern & Resident Pay Levels (Base Salary and Estimated Take-Home)
Filtered to the early-career ACT rows so you can compare intern and resident pay without registrar lines getting in the way.
| Level | Base salary | Estimated take-home | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intern | $88,485 | $66,806 | Open calculator |
| Resident - Year 1 | $102,486 | $74,227 | Open calculator |
| Resident - Year 2 | $111,826 | $79,177 | Open calculator |
| Resident - Year 3 | $125,473 | $86,410 | Open calculator |
| Resident - Year 4 | $135,446 | $91,550 | Open calculator |
This page covers intern, resident, RMO and house officer pay in Australian Capital Territory.
Rates effective first full pay period on or after 1 December 2025 (final scheduled increase in the instrument; successor ACTPS agreement in bargaining as at July 2026) · ACT Public Sector Medical Practitioners Determination 2023–2026 (FWC workplace determination AG531082, made 12 November 2025), Annex A · source.
What changes intern & resident take-home pay in ACT?
- Classification and year level set the base row before roster effects.
- Evening, night, Saturday, Sunday, public holiday and overtime inputs can move pay beyond ordinary salary.
- Education allowance, on-call, digital recall, workplace recall and overtime meal allowance are practical checks when they apply.
- Higher Education Contribution Scheme/Higher Education Loan Program (HECS/HELP) withholding and salary packaging settings still decide what lands in your bank account.
What changes between intern and resident pay in ACT?
The first ACT pay step is moving off the intern row, then adding the roster, education and leave items that apply to the term.
- Model evening, night, weekend, public holiday, overtime, on-call and recall inputs separately rather than treating the base row as the full pay picture.
- Education allowance, protected teaching time, study time and conference leave affect job value alongside base salary.
- Use the intern and resident presets below as starting points, then change the roster inputs to match your actual term.
Early-career penalty-rate table
Use these ACT rates to model the roster you actually work; the base salary row does not include roster-driven additions.
| Roster item | ACT rate/loading | Why it matters | Where to model/check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 38 hours per week | Sets the base frame before penalties and overtime. | Open intern calculator |
| Evening / night ordinary hours | +12.5% evening; +25% night | After-hours ordinary duty can move take-home above base salary. | Open intern calculator |
| Saturday / Sunday ordinary hours | +50% Saturday; +75% Sunday | Weekend work is a major early-career roster variable. | Open resident calculator |
| Public holiday ordinary hours | +150% (2.5x total pay) | Public holidays can materially change the value of a term. | Model public holidays |
| Overtime trigger | All time above 10 hours in a shift | Long shifts can trigger overtime separately from ordinary penalties. | Model overtime |
| Overtime trigger (fortnightly) | All hours above 76 per fortnight at 1.5× | Under the ACT determination, fortnightly hours above 76 trigger overtime even if no single shift exceeds 10 hours. | Model ACT fortnightly overtime |
| On-call / recall | On-call first overtime hour; digital recall 1h minimum; workplace recall 4h minimum | Availability, remote recall and workplace recall should be separated. | Check the ACT determination notes |
Leave, education and allowance items for interns and residents
These items affect practical job value alongside base salary.
| Extra | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Education allowance | $1,150/year | Interns. |
| Education allowance | $3,319/year | Resident Medical Officer Year 1, Senior Resident Medical Officer Year 1 and junior registrar rows. |
| Annual leave | 5 weeks (190 hours)/year | Plus up to 5 extra days if you work at least 10 Sundays in a year. |
| Personal leave | 136.8 hours/year | Listed for 38-hour workers. |
| Study time | Up to 4 hours/week | Resident Medical Officers, registrars and senior registrars; interns are excluded. |
| Protected teaching | 2 hours/week | Interns and PGY1/PGY2 Resident Medical Officers, free from clinical duties and pagers. |
| Overtime meal allowance | Per meal thresholds | Applies when unnotified overtime extends across breakfast, lunch or dinner. |
Worked examples (ACT)
* Estimated after tax and HECS/HELP. Your actual payslip will depend on roster mix, allowances, and deductions.
Frequently asked questions
Which ACT grades are included on this page?
Why can two ACT residents take home different amounts?
Where should I check the full ACT pay guide?
What ACT education item matters early?
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