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NSW Registrar Salary and Take-Home Pay 2026–27
NSW registrar and senior registrar pay: base salary, take-home, and the roster settings that can materially change total earnings. For many NSW registrar rosters, the biggest pay variable is not the base rate: it is whether callback applies.
By Jacob Stretton, RN & final-year medical student · figures sourced from the public EBAs & the ATO · About & methodology →
Key takeaways
$117,745Registrar Year 1 base salary; about $82,314 take-home after tax and HECS.
$166,025Top of the scale on this page (Senior Registrar Year 1).
×1.75 SundaysSunday ordinary-hours loading; public holidays ×2.5.
38 hrs/weekOrdinary full-time week; 5 weeks annual leave.
- The senior registrar step needs a higher medical qualification and appointment to an approved senior registrar position.
- Callback is the biggest pay variable on most NSW registrar rosters: overtime rates with a 4-hour minimum.
- Pay by level
- On-call vs overtime
- Registrar penalty-rate table
- On-call & allowances
- Study & exam leave
- Secondment & parental leave
- PDA/CME & interstate
- Worked examples
What does an NSW registrar actually take home?
It depends on year level and roster intensity: the pay table below runs from a Registrar Year 1 base to Senior Registrar, and the worked examples show a light and a heavy roster at the same year level. The single biggest pay variable is callback load: a 4-hour minimum callback at overtime rates on an off-duty day can exceed the earnings of a standard afternoon shift.
It depends on year level and roster intensity: the pay table below runs from a Registrar Year 1 base to Senior Registrar, and the worked examples show a light and a heavy roster at the same year level. The single biggest pay variable is callback load: a 4-hour minimum callback at overtime rates on an off-duty day can exceed the earnings of a standard afternoon shift.
NSW Registrar Pay Levels (Base Salary and Estimated Take-Home)
Filtered to NSW registrar and senior registrar rows so you can compare progression and higher-roster earnings without the early-career pay lines.
| Level | Base salary | Estimated take-home | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registrar - Year 1 | $117,745 | $82,314 | Open calculator |
| Registrar - Year 2 | $127,827 | $87,658 | Open calculator |
| Registrar - Year 3 | $137,946 | $92,650 | Open calculator |
| Registrar - Year 4 | $147,664 | $96,926 | Open calculator |
| Senior Registrar - Year 1 | $166,025 | $105,005 | Open calculator |
Senior registrar rates are shown where New South Wales publishes them.
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) · NSW Public Hospital Medical Officers (State) Award, Determination IB2026_007 (interim rates; NSW IRC arbitration decision reserved as at July 2026) · source.
Are unaccredited (service) registrars paid the same? Public-hospital award pay follows your classification level and years of service, not whether you hold an accredited college training post. See the unaccredited registrar pay guide →
What changes registrar take-home pay in NSW?
- Registrar year progression changes the base line before roster effects are added.
- Heavy after-hours, weekend, and public holiday work tends to move registrar take-home much more than the base figure alone suggests.
- Overtime and longer shifts matter quickly once registrars are carrying more after-hours load.
- HECS/HELP withholding and salary packaging can still materially change registrar net pay, especially on heavier rosters.
NSW salary packaging note: NSW Health takes half of your salary packaging tax saving; in most other states you keep the full benefit. This makes NSW salary packaging materially less valuable than it appears on paper. Full packaging guide →
On-call vs overtime in NSW registrar pay
For NSW registrars, the pay jump often comes less from the base row than from how after-hours terms are built.
- On-call allowance pays for the period you are rostered available, not for every minute you are contacted.
- Answering calls, travelling to hospital, and remote clinical support on clinical on-call are not separately paid as time worked under Clause 12(ix).
- Full-time NSW registrars on a 40-hour roster accrue one ADO per month; see the overview for how this creates the 38-hour average.
- That is why two registrars on the same year level can land very different take-home figures once weekends, callback, and overtime diverge.
Registrar penalty-rate table
Registrar modelling should start with the base row, then add the roster features that actually apply.
| Roster item | NSW rate/loading | Why it matters | Where to model/check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overtime | 1.5x first 2 hours, then 2x; Sunday overtime 2x | Important for overrun shifts and additional rostered work. | Open registrar calculator |
| Evening / night ordinary hours | 12.5% evening; 25% night | After-hours terms can move registrar net pay materially. | Model after-hours |
| Weekend ordinary hours | 50% Saturday; 75% Sunday | Weekend load is a major difference between registrar rosters. | Model weekends |
| 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)). | Model public holidays |
On-call, callback and registrar allowances
For registrars, on-call and callback are often more important than the base row suggests.
Extras on top of the base rate
| Extra | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical on-call | $106.20 / $213.20 | Rostered duty day / rostered off-duty day. |
| Relief on-call | $35.00 / $50.00 | Rostered duty day / rostered off-duty day. |
| Callback attendance | Overtime rates, 4-hour minimum | Paid separately from on-call availability. |
| Meal allowance | $35.65 | Unrostered overtime breakfast, evening or weekend/holiday lunch triggers (Clause 11(ii)). |
| In-charge allowance | $22.80 | Per 12 hours or part thereof of in-charge duty (Clause 5). |
Registrar study, exam accrual and conference leave
Clause 25 is the main NSW Award pathway for study and exam preparation; conference attendance is not a separate Award entitlement.
- Non-intern doctors may access up to 4 hours study leave per week under Clause 25, subject to employer convenience and patient care.
- 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.
- Study leave does not count as time worked for overtime purposes under Clause 25(v).
Rural secondment and parental leave
NSW registrar job value can change through secondment and leave conditions even when base salary is unchanged.
- 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.
- Clause 28(ii) 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.
PDA/CME, Qualification Allowance and interstate comparison
NSW registrar professional development support is not structured as an annual PDA/CME cash allowance in the Award.
- The NSW Award has no PDA/CME cash allowance for registrars, residents or interns.
- Qualification Allowance under Clause 4 is a salary supplement after obtaining a higher medical qualification, not an annual professional development budget.
- The Qualification Allowance does not apply to Senior Registrars because the Senior Registrar salary already accounts for the higher medical qualification requirement.
- NSW rural secondment uses one incremental step and travel support rather than a rural loading percentage.
- Salary packaging is by agreement in NSW, and HECS/HELP withholding can materially affect net pay at registrar income levels. NSW Health retains half the packaging tax saving; see the packaging warning on this page.
Compare junior doctor pay across statesCompare with locum work contextHECS/HELP and salary packaging guide
Worked examples (NSW)
Registrar Year 1 light roster example
- Registrar - Year 1
- Light-to-standard roster: one weekend shift per month, some afternoon work and minimal after-hours commitment.
Gross: $128,804
Take-home*: $88,176
* Estimated after tax and HECS/HELP. Your actual payslip will depend on roster mix, allowances, and deductions.
Bottom line
NSW registrar base pay is competitive across year levels, and the penalty rate and callback mechanics reward heavy call rosters: $82,834 in gross income separates the light and heavy roster examples on this page. The main structural NSW disadvantage at registrar level is salary packaging, where NSW Health retains half your packaging tax saving.
NSW registrar base pay is competitive across year levels, and the penalty rate and callback mechanics reward heavy call rosters: $82,834 in gross income separates the light and heavy roster examples on this page. The main structural NSW disadvantage at registrar level is salary packaging, where NSW Health retains half your packaging tax saving.
Frequently asked questions
Does this NSW registrar page include senior registrars?
Yes. In NSW, a senior registrar is a registrar with higher medical qualifications appointed to an approved senior registrar position, and the separate qualification allowance does not apply once you are appointed to that senior registrar role.
What does NSW on-call actually pay for?
The on-call allowance covers the on-call period itself. If you are called back to attend hospital, that attendance is paid at overtime rates with a 4-hour minimum. Clause 12(ix) also makes clear that answering calls, travelling to hospital, and remote clinical support on clinical on-call are not separately paid as time worked.
What tends to change registrar take-home pay most in NSW?
Registrar take-home usually moves most with roster intensity: after-hours load, weekends, public holidays, overtime, and whether HECS/HELP withholding is on.
When should I use the NSW overview instead?
Use the NSW overview if you want a quick cross-level comparison. Stay on this page if you want registrar rows, senior registrar context, and the after-hours factors that move total earnings.
When can higher duties change NSW registrar pay?
If you relieve a higher classification continuously for 5 working days or more, and you perform the whole duties and responsibilities of that role, Clause 13 says you are entitled to at least the minimum pay of that higher classification for the relief period.
Does NSW salary packaging work the same as other states?
No. In most states you keep the full packaging tax saving. In NSW, NSW Health retains half. At registrar income levels, with $9,010 of FBT-free benefits a year (a $17,000 grossed-up cap), this is typically $2,000–$4,000 less in real benefit per year than other states.
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