NT Intern & Resident Pay 2025–26
This page is for NT interns, residents 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, shift penalties, overtime, leave and restrictive-duty items that can affect real payslips.
Takeaways
- NT intern base salary is $90,150.
- Resident - Year 1 is $102,781: a $12,631 base increase before roster effects.
- Relocation allowance of $678/fortnight (employee only) or $937/fortnight (with family) applies while relocating — almost all NT doctors qualify (NT Determination 1 of 2026).
- On-call (restrictive duty) pays $5.02/hr; annual leave loading is a flat $1,811/annum from NT Determination By-law 5, not the 17.5% percentage used elsewhere.
NT Intern & Resident Pay Levels (Base Salary and Estimated Take-Home)
Filtered to the early-career NT rows so you can compare intern and resident pay without registrar lines getting in the way.
| Level | Base salary | Estimated take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Intern | $90,150 | $68,001 |
| Resident - Year 1 | $102,781 | $74,696 |
| Resident - Year 2 | $109,661 | $78,342 |
| Resident - Year 3 | $116,306 | $81,864 |
| Resident - Year 4 | $122,264 | $85,022 |
This page focuses on intern, resident, RMO, and house officer style pay lines drawn from the current Northern Territory pay table.
What changes intern & resident take-home pay in NT?
- 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.
- Restrictive duty, clinical advice by telephone, recall/call-back and meal payments 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 NT?
The first NT pay step is moving off the intern row, then adding the shiftwork, overtime and leave items that apply to the term.
- The base table moves from $90,150 for Intern to $102,781 for Resident - Year 1 — $12,631 more before roster effects.
- NT intern and resident rows use 38 ordinary hours per week, or the 38-hour average over 2 to 4 weeks.
- Model evening, night, weekend, public holiday and overtime inputs separately rather than treating the base row as the full pay picture.
- Recreation leave, personal leave and professional development items affect job value alongside base salary.
Early-career penalty-rate table
Use these NT rates to model the roster you actually work; the base salary row does not include roster-driven additions.
| Roster item | NT rate/loading | Why it matters | Where to model/check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 38 hours per week | Sets the base frame before shiftwork and overtime additions. | Open intern calculator |
| Evening / night shiftwork | +15% evening; +22.5% night | After-hours ordinary duty can move take-home above base salary. | Open intern calculator |
| Saturday / Sunday ordinary duty | +50% Saturday; +100% Sunday | Weekend work is a major early-career roster variable. | Open resident calculator |
| Public holiday ordinary duty | +150% | Public holiday work can materially change the value of a term. | Model public holidays |
| Overtime | 1.5x weekdays; 2x weekends; 2.5x public holidays | Extra hours should be modelled separately from ordinary penalties. | Model overtime |
| Separate overtime attendance | 4-hour minimum; 3-hour minimum in restrictive duty | Minimum payments can matter when recalled outside ordinary duty. | Check NT agreement notes |
| On-call (restrictive duty) | $5.02 per hour | NT Determination 1 of 2026: $5.02/hr flat rate while on restrictive duty — add to worked-example income when modelling on-call rosters. | Model NT on-call |
Leave and professional development for interns and residents
These items affect practical job value alongside base salary.
- Recreation leave is listed as 4 weeks plus 2 weeks if stationed in NT.
- Seven-day shiftworker settings can lift recreation leave to 7 weeks.
- Personal leave is listed as 3 weeks per year.
- Doctors in Training should have at least 2 hours of protected teaching time per week where teaching time is allocated.
- Professional development leave and allowance items are listed in the NT agreement summary.
Allowances and entitlement checks for early-career doctors
These are practical payslip checks when the relevant roster or duty condition applies.
- A separate overtime attendance has a 4-hour minimum, or 3 hours if you perform overtime while in restrictive duty.
- Overtime through recognised meal periods on weekends or public holidays can trigger meal provision or a meal payment with approval.
- Restrictive duty includes first roster on-call and clinical advice by telephone; these should be separated from recall/call-back work.
- The 9-hour break rule can affect recovery time and pay if you are directed back without enough time off.
Common early-career pay scenarios
These are existing calculator presets, not promises about a usual roster.
| Scenario | Grade | Gross income | Estimated net | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intern example | Intern | $104,498 | $74,646 | Open preset |
| Resident example | Resident - Year 1 | $133,741 | $89,970 | Open preset |
Worked examples (NT)
* Estimated after tax and HECS/HELP. Your actual payslip will depend on roster mix, allowances, and deductions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NT grades are included on this page?
This page covers the intern and resident-style rows in the Northern Territory pay table. Use the NT overview for the full intern-to-senior-registrar spread.
Why can two NT residents take home different amounts?
Base salary is only the starting point. Take-home changes with evening and night work, weekends, public holidays, overtime, restrictive duty, call-backs, HECS/HELP withholding, salary packaging and eligible allowances.
Where should I check the full NT pay guide?
Use the main Northern Territory overview page for the full pay table, award summary, and all-level worked examples.
What NT leave item matters early?
The NT agreement summary lists recreation leave as 4 weeks plus 2 weeks if stationed in NT, with separate seven-day shiftworker settings.