QLD Doctor Pay Overview 2026–27
Estimate Queensland junior doctor pay (Intern → Registrar) for 2026–27 based on your actual roster. Add your mix of nights, weekends and overtime to see the flow-on effect to take-home pay after tax and HECS/HELP.
By Jacob Stretton, RN & final-year medical student · figures sourced from the public EBAs & the ATO · About & methodology →
Key takeaways
- QLD intern base salary is $97,509, the highest of any Australian state on this site for 2026–27.
- Moving from intern to Resident - Year 1 adds $7,610 before penalties, overtime or packaging.
- Salary packaging of approximately $9,010 FBT-free is available at QLD Health public hospitals; a 17.5% annual leave loading is also paid on commencement of leave.
Which QLD pay page should you use?
Interns, residents, RMOs and JMOs
Use the early-career page if you want early postgraduate-year pay, the intern-to-resident jump, study leave notes and intern/resident calculator presets.
Open QLD Interns & Residents →Registrars and senior registrars
Use the registrar page if you want registrar progression, senior registrar rows, on-call, callback, overtime and heavier-roster take-home context.
Open QLD Registrar pay →Comparing beyond QLD? See junior doctor salary in Australia: every state's scale, per month, after tax and per hour.
QLD penalty rates & loadings
These are the main roster-driven loadings and overtime rules that move take-home pay above the base salary row. Use the QLD Interns & Residents page or QLD Registrar page for detailed penalty, on-call and callback modelling.
| Loading / penalty | Rate | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon ordinary hours | 15% loading | Adds value to shifts where the majority of hours fall between 18:00 and 24:00 and finish by midnight. |
| Night ordinary hours | 20% loading | Night-heavy rotations can lift gross and net pay beyond the base salary row. |
| Saturday ordinary hours | 150% of base | Weekend mix is one of the clearest roster-driven pay variables. |
| Sunday ordinary hours | 200% of base | Sunday ordinary hours are high-impact for both gross and take-home pay. |
| Public holiday overtime | 250% for RMO overtime | Public holiday overtime is a high-impact roster input. |
| RMO overtime | 150% first 3 hours, then 200%; Sunday 200% | Shift overruns and extra hours can move pay beyond ordinary penalties. |
| Remote on-call | 8% of Salary Level 4 hourly rate per hour | Pays for availability and should be modelled separately from recall. |
| Digital recall | 30-minute minimum at overtime rates | Remote work after being recalled is different from being on-call. |
QLD pay extras and entitlements
| Extra / entitlement | Amount | Why it matters | Applies mainly to | Where to check / model it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional development | PDA $2,787/yr; VTS $4,647/yr | PDA is for RMOs who are not interns and not receiving VTS; VTS is a separate vocational training item. | Residents/RMOs and eligible vocational trainees | Check early-career detail |
| Exam leave | Exam day plus 3 paid days | Paid per approved exam, on top of annual leave. | Doctors sitting approved exams | See leave notes |
| On-call and recall | Remote on-call 8% of Salary Level 4 hourly rate | Remote on-call, proximate on-call, digital recall and physical recall are different pay concepts with different minimums. | Mainly registrars and rostered after-hours roles | See registrar detail |
| Meal and travel allowances | $14.10 per occasion; $0.82/km | Small but practical payslip items when the overtime or travel conditions are met. | Roster-dependent | Read MOCA7 |
| Annual leave | 5 to 6 weeks | 5 weeks standard, and 6 weeks for continuous rotating shift workers. | All levels, depending on roster type | Read MOCA7 |
| Salary packaging | ~$9,010/yr FBT-free | QLD Health public hospitals allow salary packaging of living expenses FBT-free. At a 32% marginal rate that is worth approximately $2,500–$3,000/year in tax. | Doctors at QLD Health public hospitals | Salary packaging guide |
| Annual leave loading | 17.5% on ordinary pay | Paid on commencement of annual leave, worth approximately $1,300–$3,300/year depending on grade. | All QLD doctors taking annual leave | Read MOCA7 |
QLD pay snapshot by career stage
Rates effective 1 July 2026, including the +0.5% CPI Uplift Adjustment published by Queensland Health on 28 July 2026 (the certified agreement PDF does not show the adjusted figures) · Medical Officers’ (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (No. 7) 2025 (MOCA7), QIRC CB128 of 2025, as adjusted on the Queensland Health wage rates page · source.
| Level | Base salary | Estimated take-home | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intern | $97,509 | $71,589 | Open calculator |
| Resident / RMO | $105,119 to $112,867 | $75,622 to $79,729 | Open calculator |
| Registrar / Senior Registrar | $137,861 to $193,191 | $92,613 to $117,202 | Open calculator |
Estimated take-home is after income tax, Medicare levy, and HECS/HELP repayment. No salary packaging applied.
Worked example snapshots
Intern: mostly day shifts
- A representative early-career roster with the occasional weekend, some after-hours and limited night work. Open in the calculator to adjust to your own roster.
RMO: mixed shifts with some overtime
- A busier roster with more weekend and after-hours shifts and occasional overtime. Open in the calculator to adjust to your own roster.
Registrar: heavier overtime
- A heavier registrar roster with more weekends, after-hours and overtime. Open in the calculator to adjust to your own roster.
* After income tax and HECS/HELP repayments have been deducted.
Frequently asked questions
Which QLD pay page should I start with?
Why does QLD take-home pay differ from the base salary?
Where should I check exact QLD award wording?
What are the MOCA7 pay rates?
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