Intern Salary by State: Which Pays Most? (2025–26)

Australian interns are paid under separate public-hospital awards in each state and territory. This guide compares 2025–26 intern base salary and estimated take-home pay across the eight jurisdictions using the same roster assumptions, with links to each state pay guide for the finer award details. For the full intern-to-registrar picture — per month, per hour and after tax — see junior doctor salary in Australia.

Summary table

Figures are for full-time interns (PGY1) working ordinary hours. “After-tax” estimates include the Medicare levy and assume a HECS/HELP balance; your take-home pay will vary with exact roster, salary packaging and personal circumstances.

Which state pays the most?

On both gross and net measures, Queensland currently tops the table. A starting intern earns around $97,036 per year (from 1 July 2026 under MOCA7) and takes home roughly $71 k after tax and HECS. Western Australia and the Northern Territory follow closely, while New South Wales pays the lowest intern base at $80,638. The ranking changes with seniority and with the hours each state rosters — for the interactive re-ranker, the annual-vs-hourly flip and the full intern-to-registrar pay ladder, see which state pays junior doctors the most.

Beyond base pay: overtime and penalties

Base rates only tell part of the story. Actual take-home pay depends heavily on night shifts, weekend work and overtime, and penalty structures differ by state — the state-by-state loadings table shows evening, night, weekend and public-holiday multipliers side by side. To see what your roster is actually worth, run it through the take-home calculator.

How to choose a state

If salary is your main driver, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory stand out on both gross and net measures. However, consider the full package:

• Overtime expectations: Rosters in remote areas may include more after-hours work and extended overtime, which can significantly boost take-home pay but also increase fatigue.
• Cost of living: Higher salaries in the NT and WA may be offset by higher housing and travel costs in Darwin or regional WA. Conversely, NSW’s lower pay may go further if you live in a subsidised hospital residence.
• Career pathways: Some states offer more subspecialty training positions or faster progression to registrar pay scales (e.g. Victoria’s registrar base salary of $126 k).
• Leave and allowances: Longer annual leave or extra leave accrual opportunities (e.g. QLD, or NT for NT-based doctors and seven-day shiftworkers) can increase total remuneration.

Next steps

• Use the salary calculator: These figures are starting points. Your actual take-home pay depends on your roster. Use the salary calculator to enter your state, grade, contract type and expected overtime to see a personalised breakdown.
• Compare scenarios: If you are considering a move, try modelling the same roster in two states. You may find that the higher base pay in one state is offset by lower penalties or higher taxes in another.
• Factor in lifestyle and training: Remuneration is only one aspect of choosing where to work. Training opportunities, support, and lifestyle factors can outweigh a few thousand dollars in salary difference.
• Heading for registrar years without a training place yet? See unaccredited registrar pay — service registrars are paid on the same award scale as accredited registrars.

I'm ranking preferences — how should I weigh this up?

Base salary is a useful starting point but it rarely settles the decision on its own. Here is how to think through it if you are a final-year student completing a match or preference form.

Step 1: Model your actual roster, not just the base rate

The difference between states narrows or widens significantly once penalties and overtime are included. An intern doing frequent nights and weekends in WA can take home more than a QLD intern on ordinary hours, despite QLD's higher base. Use the salary calculator to run the same roster assumptions in two states side by side.

Step 2: Factor in cost of living

A higher salary in Darwin or regional WA may be partly offset by higher housing and travel costs. Conversely, NSW's lower base pay can go further if you are in subsidised hospital accommodation. The net difference in disposable income is often smaller than the gross salary gap suggests.

Step 3: Check leave and progression, not just intern pay

Intern salary is only one year of your training. QLD offers six weeks of annual leave. NT offers 6 weeks for NT-based doctors, with a seventh week only for seven-day shiftworkers. Victoria has a flatter intern and resident scale but higher registrar salaries. If you are planning to train in a particular specialty, check the registrar pay for that state too.

Step 4: Weight training and lifestyle alongside the numbers

A few thousand dollars in salary difference is unlikely to outweigh a better training environment, a specialty you want access to, or proximity to family. Use the financial picture to rule out states that are clearly worse for you — not necessarily to pick the highest number.

For a personalised breakdown, open the calculator, set your state and grade, and enter a realistic roster. Then switch states and compare. Open the salary calculator →

Sources & methodology

For full award details, loadings tables and worked examples, see the individual state pages on AussieClinicians. All data are based on the 2025–26 awards and information available as of March 2026.