Junior Doctor Salary in Australia: Intern to Registrar (2026)
Junior doctors in Australia are salaried under a separate public-hospital award or agreement in each state and territory. This guide sets out what interns, residents and registrars earn in every state — annually, per month, per hour and after tax — with every base figure a verbatim rate from the named instrument.
A first-year junior doctor (intern) earns a base salary of $80,638 to $97,036 in an Australian public hospital, depending on the state. Pay rises every year of training: first-year registrars earn $107,655–$138,978 and fourth-year registrars $140,378–$159,135 base — before overtime and penalty rates, which most junior doctors earn on top.
Junior doctor salary by state, intern to registrar
Base annual salary for ordinary hours, straight from each state's medical-officer award or agreement. Click a state for its full pay guide, including every pay point, penalty rates and leave.
| State/Territory | Intern (PGY1) | Resident yr 1 (PGY2) | Registrar yr 1 | Registrar yr 4 | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales NSW | $80,638 | $94,521 | $117,745 | $147,664 | 2025–26 |
| Victoria VIC | $85,494 | $90,919 | $129,491 | $149,217 | 2025–26 |
| Queensland QLD | $97,036 | $104,610 | $137,196 | $150,684 | 2026–27 |
| Western Australia WA | $90,864 | $99,395 | $125,010 | $147,748 | 2025–26 |
| South Australia SA | $91,757 | $99,707 | $107,655 | $142,627 | 2025–26 |
| Tasmania TAS | $92,298 | $98,133 | $138,978 | $159,135 | 2025–26 |
| ACT ACT | $88,485 | $102,486 | $125,473 | $155,223 | 2025–26 |
| Northern Territory NT | $90,150 | $102,781 | $122,264 | $140,378 | 2025–26 |
Queensland shows the MOCA7 rates payable from 1 July 2026; all other states show the rates currently in force under their 2025–26 instruments (exact effective dates in the sources). Ordinary weekly hours differ: most states roster 38, WA rosters 40 and Tasmanian registrars 43 — see per hour.
Junior doctor salary per month
An intern's base salary works out to roughly $6,720 to $8,086 a month before tax — $6,720 in New South Wales up to $8,086 in Queensland. By first-year registrar the range is $8,971 to $11,582 a month.
After tax and a HECS/HELP repayment, an intern on base hours keeps about $5,221 to $5,945 a month — see after tax below. Note that hospitals pay fortnightly, not monthly, and most junior doctors earn overtime and penalty loadings on top of these base amounts.
Junior doctor salary after tax
Estimated take-home pay on base hours only, using the take-home calculator's 2026–27 settings: resident income tax, 2% Medicare levy and a HECS/HELP repayment; no overtime, penalties or salary packaging. Open a row in the calculator to model your actual roster.
| State/Territory | Intern take-home /yr | ≈ per month | Registrar yr 1 take-home /yr | ≈ per month | Model it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $62,647 | $5,221 | $82,314 | $6,860 | Calculator → |
| Victoria | $65,221 | $5,435 | $88,539 | $7,378 | Calculator → |
| Queensland | $71,338 | $5,945 | $92,320 | $7,693 | Calculator → |
| Western Australia | $68,067 | $5,672 | $86,164 | $7,180 | Calculator → |
| South Australia | $68,540 | $5,712 | $76,966 | $6,414 | Calculator → |
| Tasmania | $68,827 | $5,736 | $93,104 | $7,759 | Calculator → |
| ACT | $66,806 | $5,567 | $86,410 | $7,201 | Calculator → |
| Northern Territory | $68,649 | $5,721 | $85,669 | $7,139 | Calculator → |
Two things reliably lift take-home pay above these base-hours figures: overtime and penalty rates (evening, night, weekend and public-holiday loadings of 1.125× to 2.5×, which many interns earn every roster) and salary packaging — most public-hospital doctors can package living expenses before tax. The take-home pay calculator models all of it for your state and grade.
Junior doctor pay per hour
Because ordinary rostered hours differ by state (most 38 a week, WA 40, Tasmanian registrars 43), hourly base pay is the fairest like-for-like comparison. Intern base pay works out to $40.67 to $48.94 per ordinary hour; penalties and overtime are paid at multiples of these rates.
| State/Territory | Ordinary hours | Intern base /hr | Registrar yr 1 base /hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 38 h | $40.67 | $59.38 |
| Victoria | 38 h | $43.12 | $65.31 |
| Queensland | 38 h | $48.94 | $69.19 |
| Western Australia | 40 h | $43.54 | $59.90 |
| South Australia | 38 h | $46.28 | $54.29 |
| Tasmania | 38 h (43 h registrars) | $46.55 | $61.94 |
| ACT | 38 h | $44.63 | $63.28 |
| Northern Territory | 38 h | $45.47 | $61.66 |
Hourly figures are derived: annual base ÷ (ordinary weekly hours × 52.18 weeks). They are ordinary-time base rates — evening, night, weekend, public-holiday and overtime work is paid at 1.125× to 2.5× on top.
How pay progresses from intern to registrar
Every state pays on an incremental scale: you move up a pay point each year of service, with the biggest jump usually at the move from resident to registrar. Broadly, expect base salary to roughly double between internship and the senior registrar years. You do not need a specialty training place for registrar pay — unaccredited/service registrars sit on the same award scale.
From there, consultant (specialist) pay is a different scale again — see each state's consultant page in the sidebar, or doctor salary by specialty for what different specialties earn long-term.
Which state pays junior doctors the most?
It changes with seniority — Queensland pays interns the most ($97,036) and New South Wales the least ($80,638), but the ranking re-shuffles by registrar level, and again once you compare hourly rather than annual pay. That question has its own dedicated tools:
Frequently asked questions
How much does a junior doctor earn in Australia?
A first-year junior doctor (intern, PGY1) in an Australian public hospital earns a base salary of $80,638 (New South Wales) to $97,036 (Queensland), depending on the state. Base pay rises each training year: a first-year registrar earns $107,655 to $138,978, and a fourth-year registrar $140,378 to $159,135. Overtime and penalty rates typically add substantially on top.
What is a junior doctor's salary in Australia per month?
An intern's base salary works out to roughly $6,720 to $8,086 a month before tax, depending on the state. After tax and a HECS/HELP repayment, that's about $5,221 to $5,945 a month in the hand on base hours alone — before overtime and penalty rates, which most interns earn on top.
How much does a junior doctor earn after tax?
On base hours alone, an intern takes home roughly $62,647 (New South Wales) to $71,338 (Queensland) a year after income tax, the Medicare levy and a HECS/HELP repayment. Salary packaging (available at most public hospitals) and overtime both push take-home higher — the take-home pay calculator models your actual roster.
What does a junior doctor earn per hour in Australia?
Intern base pay works out to about $40.67 (New South Wales) to $48.94 (Queensland) per ordinary hour. States roster different ordinary hours (most 38 a week, WA 40, Tasmanian registrars 43), and evening, night, weekend and overtime rates are paid at 1.125× to 2.5× on top of these base rates.
Which state pays junior doctors the most?
It changes with seniority and with the hours each state rosters. Queensland pays interns the most ($97,036) and New South Wales the least ($80,638), but the order re-shuffles by registrar level. See the state-by-state comparison page for the full interactive ranking, annual and hourly.
Do these salaries include overtime and penalty rates?
No — every figure on this page is the base award/agreement salary for ordinary hours. Rostered overtime, evening, night, weekend and public-holiday loadings are paid on top and differ by state; for many junior doctors they add 10–30% to gross pay. Use the take-home pay calculator to model your actual roster, tax, HECS and salary packaging.
Sources
Every base salary on this page is a verbatim rate from one of these instruments
- New South Wales — NSW Public Hospital Medical Officers (State) Award — Determination IB2026_007 (interim rates; NSW IRC arbitration decision reserved as at July 2026); rates effective first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025 (no 1 July 2026 increase — the interim deal has 2024 and 2025 legs only). View instrument.
- Victoria — Doctors in Training (Victorian Public Health Sector) — AMA/ASMOF Single-Interest Enterprise Agreement 2022–2026, Appendix 2 Table 1.1; rates effective 1 March 2025 (final scheduled increase; agreement continues in force past its 28 Feb 2026 nominal expiry — successor EBA under negotiation with no pay offer as at July 2026). View instrument.
- Queensland — Medical Officers’ (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (No. 7) 2025 (MOCA7) — QIRC CB128 of 2025, Schedule 1 Table 1.1; rates effective 1 July 2026 (certified minimums — a capped +0.5% CPI Uplift Adjustment triggered by the March 2026 Brisbane CPI is pending publication by Queensland Health). View instrument.
- Western Australia — WA Health System Medical Practitioners — AMA Industrial Agreement 2024 (Schedules 1 & 3 — metro + north of 26°); rates effective 3 September 2025. View instrument.
- South Australia — SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Enterprise Agreement 2025 (Schedule 1); rates effective first full pay period on or after 14 April 2026. View instrument.
- Tasmania — Medical Practitioners (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2025 (TIC T15338 of 2026 — 3% one-year AMA rollover of the 2022 Agreement); rates effective first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026 (next increase anticipated ffpp on/after 1 January 2027 under the successor agreement now in negotiation). View instrument.
- ACT — ACT Public Sector Medical Practitioners Determination 2023–2026 (FWC workplace determination AG531082, made 12 November 2025), Annex A; 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). View instrument.
- Northern Territory — Medical Officers (NTPS) 2022–2025 Enterprise Agreement — OCPE published rates of pay; rates effective 1 January 2025 (verified current as at July 2026 — the 2022–2025 EA remains in operation; a proposed 2026–2029 EA was voted down in February 2026 and an improved offer is under negotiation). View instrument.
After-tax estimates additionally use the 2026–27 resident tax brackets, 2% Medicare levy and 2026–27 HECS/HELP repayment thresholds (ATO). Estimates only — not financial advice.