NSW Intern & Resident Pay 2025–26
NSW intern base salary is $80,570. The early-career trap is that interns are excluded from Clause 25 study leave, and NSW has no PDA/CME cash allowance for any grade.
Takeaways
- NSW intern base salary is $80,570.
- Resident - Year 1 is $94,441: a $13,871 base increase before roster effects.
- NSW ordinary-hour loadings are 12.5% evening, 25% night, 50% Saturday, 75% Sunday and 150% public holiday.
- Interns are excluded from Clause 25 study leave, and NSW has no PDA/CME cash allowance for any grade.
An NSW intern on a standard roster takes home roughly $62,000–$68,000 after tax, Medicare, and HECS in 2025–26. Add one weekend shift per fortnight and after-hours work and this rises to $70,000–$80,000+. The worked examples below show realistic ranges.
NSW Intern & Resident Pay Levels (Base Salary and Estimated Take-Home)
Filtered to the early-career NSW rows so you can compare intern, resident, RMO, and house officer pay without registrar lines getting in the way.
| Level | Base salary | Estimated take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Intern | $80,570 | $61,964 |
| Resident - Year 1 | $94,441 | $69,316 |
| Resident - Year 2 | $103,873 | $74,315 |
| Resident - Year 3 | $103,873 | $74,315 |
NSW has no separate Resident Year 3 increment: a doctor remaining classified as Resident in PGY3 is paid at the Resident - Year 2 rate of $103,873 until appointed to Registrar.
What changes intern & resident take-home pay in NSW?
- Classification and year level: the move from intern to resident/RMO changes the base rate before any roster effects.
- Roster mix: nights, weekends, and public holidays shift take-home well above the base line.
- Overtime and other paid additional hours matter quickly when shifts run long or get called back in.
- HECS/HELP withholding and salary packaging can materially change what lands in your bank account.
What changes between intern and resident pay in NSW?
The first big NSW pay step is moving off the intern line and onto resident/RMO pay, then seeing how a less protected roster changes take-home.
- The base table moves from $80,570 for Intern to $94,441 for Resident - Year 1 — $13,871 more before roster effects.
- On the site's base take-home rows, that is roughly $61,964 to $69,316, a lift of about $7,352 before heavier resident rosters widen the gap further.
- Resident/RMO take-home can move faster than base salary if the roster adds nights, weekends, public holidays, callback or overtime.
- Full-time NSW doctors on a 40-hour roster accrue one ADO per month; see the NSW overview for how this creates the 38-hour average.
- 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 NSW rates to model the roster you actually work; do not rely on the base salary row alone.
| Roster item | NSW rate/loading | Why it matters | Where to model/check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evening ordinary hours | 12.5% loading | Useful when a term includes late ordinary hours. | Open intern calculator |
| Night ordinary hours | 25% loading | Night terms can move take-home above the base row. | Open intern calculator |
| Saturday ordinary hours | 50% loading | Weekend work is a major early-career roster variable. | Open resident calculator |
| Sunday ordinary hours | 75% loading | Sunday work has a larger loading than Saturday work. | Open resident calculator |
| Public holiday ordinary hours | 150% loading (250% of base) | Each public holiday worked pays 250% of base AND adds one day to annual leave (Award Clause 15(ii)). | Open resident calculator |
| Overtime | 1.5x first 2 hours, then 2x | Relevant when shifts run beyond overtime thresholds. | Check NSW source |
| Callback | Overtime rates with a 4-hour minimum | Relevant if recalled after being released from duty. | Check NSW source |
Study, exam accrual and conference leave
Clause 25 is the key early-career trap because interns are explicitly excluded from study leave.
- Interns are excluded from NSW study leave under Clause 25(i).
- For non-interns, face-to-face courses can attract half an hour of study time per compulsory lecture/tutorial hour, up to 4 hours per week.
- Where no face-to-face course is provided, Clause 25 allows up to 4 hours per week for up to 27 weeks per year.
- Exam preparation is study leave accrual, not separate exam leave: up to 7 working days, or 14 calendar days after more than 1 year continuous service.
- The NSW Award does not create a separate conference leave entitlement; conference attendance usually needs annual leave, qualifying study leave, leave without pay or local employer support.
Rural secondment, parental leave and PDA/CME
These are practical NSW differences to check before comparing a resident term with another state.
- NSW has no rural salary loading percentage in the Award; Clause 28 gives non-interns one incremental step for secondment to a Part C hospital, and interns are excluded.
- Clause 28(ii) also provides a paid return journey to Sydney for each 7-week period worked at a Part C hospital.
- Clause 29 relocation support is for metropolitan officers who obtain permanent country posts; temporary positions are not covered.
- Maternity leave requires 40 weeks continuous service: 14 weeks paid at ordinary pay or 28 weeks at half pay, with unpaid maternity leave up to 12 months if the threshold is not met.
- Partner/paternity leave under Clause 17C requires 40 weeks service and includes 1 week paid leave at ordinary rate, or 2 weeks at half pay, within the 52-week period.
Allowance amounts to check on early-career rosters
These are not automatic additions, but they are concrete NSW Award amounts when the relevant duty or overtime condition applies.
- In-charge allowance is $22.80 per 12 hours or part thereof of in-charge duty under Clause 5.
- Meal allowance is $35.65 for the listed unrostered overtime breakfast, evening or weekend/holiday lunch triggers in Clause 11(ii).
- Clinical on-call is $106.20 on a rostered duty day or $213.20 on a rostered off-duty day; relief on-call is $35.00 or $50.00.
- Callback attendance is paid at overtime rates with a 4-hour minimum.
NSW vs other states: early-career checks
These are the NSW-specific items most worth checking before comparing interstate offers.
- NSW has no PDA/CME cash allowance for any grade; study leave and Qualification Allowance are separate concepts.
- Interns are excluded from Clause 25 study leave and exam-study accrual.
- Salary packaging is by agreement, not automatic, and uses the $17,000 FBT exemption cap. NSW Health retains half the tax saving — see the packaging warning above.
- Rural secondment is a one-step increment for eligible non-interns, not a rural loading percentage.
Worked examples (NSW)
Resident Year 2 mixed roster example
Resident - Year 2
Mixed roster example with weekend shifts, nights, public holidays and some overtime.
* Estimated after tax and HECS/HELP. Your actual payslip will depend on roster mix, allowances, and deductions.
Bottom line
NSW interns earn the least of any state in Australia on base salary. Penalty rates and overtime are competitive — the roster you work determines whether the gap narrows or widens. If comparing NSW with QLD or VIC, the practical take-home difference at intern level is roughly $3,000–$7,000 per year on a standard roster. At resident level, NSW's flat Year 2–3 salary means progression to registrar appointment becomes more financially significant than waiting out another year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NSW grades are included on this page?
This page covers the intern, resident, RMO, and house officer style pay lines in the live New South Wales pay table. Use the overview page if you want the full intern-to-registrar spread in one place.
Who can access NSW study leave on this page?
Interns are excluded from study leave under Clause 25(i). Non-intern JMOs may be granted study leave for courses leading to higher medical qualifications that are relevant to the hospital's needs, subject to employer convenience and patient care. Clause 25 allows up to 4 hours per week, says study leave does not count for overtime, and allows exam-study accrual up to 7 working days per exam or 14 calendar days after more than 1 year of continuous service.
Why can two residents in NSW take home different amounts?
Base salary is only the starting point. Take-home changes with after-hours work, weekends, public holidays, overtime, HECS/HELP withholding, and salary packaging. In NSW, salary packaging is by agreement and NSW Health retains half the packaging tax saving.
When should I use the NSW overview instead?
Use the NSW overview if you want the full intern-to-registrar spread in one table or the broader award summary. Stay on this page if you want the early-career rows, worked examples, and PGY1–PGY3 take-home framing.
Does NSW salary packaging work the same as other states?
No. In most states, you keep the full tax saving from salary packaging. In NSW, NSW Health retains half the benefit. See the salary packaging warning on this page and the full packaging guide for the numbers.
What if I cover a higher NSW role for a week or more?
If you relieve a higher classification continuously for 5 working days or more, and you perform the whole duties and responsibilities of that higher classification, Clause 13 says you are entitled to at least the minimum pay of that higher classification for the relief period.