WA Intern & Resident Pay 2025–26
This page is for WA interns, Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) 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, penalty rates, Professional Development Allowance and leave items that affect real payslips.
Takeaways
- WA intern base salary is $90,864.
- Resident - Year 1 is $99,395: a $8,531 base increase before roster effects.
- Professional Development Allowance (PDA) is listed as $6,503 per year for Intern/Resident Medical Officer rows.
- WA lists 3 weeks paid professional development leave, 4 paid exam days and 3 clear days before approved exams.
WA Intern & Resident Pay Levels (Base Salary and Estimated Take-Home)
Filtered to the early-career WA rows so you can compare intern and resident pay without registrar lines getting in the way.
| Level | Base salary | Estimated take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Intern | $90,864 | $67,420 |
| Resident - Year 1 | $99,395 | $71,941 |
| Resident - Year 2 | $108,776 | $76,913 |
| Resident - Year 3 | $119,165 | $82,419 |
This page focuses on intern, resident, RMO, and house officer style pay lines drawn from the current Western Australia pay table.
What changes intern & resident take-home pay in WA?
- 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.
- Professional Development Allowance, on-call, recall, meal allowance and higher duties 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 WA?
The first WA pay step is moving off the intern row, then adding the roster and entitlement items that apply to the term.
- The base table moves from $90,864 for Intern to $99,395 for Resident - Year 1 — $8,531 more before roster effects.
- WA base salaries use a 40-hour ordinary week.
- Model evening, night, weekend, public holiday and overtime inputs separately rather than treating the base row as the full pay picture.
- Professional Development Allowance (PDA) is listed for Intern/Resident Medical Officer rows and paid pro rata fortnightly.
Early-career penalty-rate table
Use these WA rates to model the roster you actually work; the base salary row does not include roster-driven additions.
| Roster item | WA rate/loading | Why it matters | Where to model/check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evening shift | +20% | Eligible evening work can lift intern or resident take-home above base salary. | Open intern calculator |
| Night shift | +25% | Night-heavy terms are a major early-career pay driver. | Model night work |
| Saturday ordinary hours | +50% | Saturday work adds a clear weekend loading. | Model Saturday work |
| Sunday ordinary hours | +75% | Sunday work has a larger loading than Saturday. | Model Sunday work |
| Public holiday work | 2.5x total pay | Public holiday work can materially change the value of a term. | Model public holidays |
| Extended shift overtime | After 10 hours: 150% first 3 hours, then 200% | Long shifts can trigger overtime even if the roster average looks ordinary. | Model overtime |
| Recall / call-back | 3-hour minimum; paid at 150% (weekday), 175% (late-night), or 200% (Sunday/PH) under Agreement Clause 33(2)(b) | Recall is paid at higher rates than ordinary overtime — Sunday call-backs earn more than weekday ones. | Model on-call and recall |
Leave and professional development for interns and residents
These items affect practical job value alongside base salary.
- Professional Development Allowance (PDA) is listed as $6,503 per year for Intern/Resident Medical Officer rows, paid pro rata fortnightly.
- Professional development leave is listed as 3 weeks paid per calendar year, with carryover up to 9 weeks.
- Exam leave is listed as 4 paid days to sit approved exams, plus 3 clear days off immediately before the exam.
- Annual leave is listed as 160 hours per year for full-time doctors, accruing pro rata weekly.
- Extra annual leave can accrue from enough on-call hours or ordinary Sunday/public holiday shifts, capped at 40 extra hours per year.
Allowances and entitlement checks for early-career doctors
These are practical payslip checks when the relevant roster, appointment or travel condition applies.
- On-call allowance for doctors in training is listed as $13.28 per hour from 3 September 2025.
- Recall/call-back has a 3-hour minimum and is separate from on-call availability.
- Meal allowance is listed for eligible breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper circumstances.
- Higher duties applies where a doctor fully acts in a higher role for more than 10 consecutive working days.
- Travel allowance can apply for eligible call-backs, site-to-site travel or secondment travel, but not ordinary commute.
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 | $103,515 | $74,125 | Open preset |
| Resident example | Resident - Year 1 | $126,136 | $86,091 | Open preset |
Worked examples (WA)
* Estimated after tax and HECS/HELP. Your actual payslip will depend on roster mix, allowances, and deductions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which WA grades are included on this page?
This page covers the intern and resident-style rows in the Western Australian pay table. Use the WA overview for the full intern-to-senior-registrar spread.
Why can two WA residents take home different amounts?
Base salary is only the starting point. Take-home changes with evening work, nights, weekends, public holidays, overtime, HECS/HELP withholding, salary packaging and eligible allowances.
Where should I check the full WA pay guide?
Use the main Western Australia overview page for the full pay table, award summary, and all-level worked examples.
What WA professional development item matters early?
The WA agreement lists a Professional Development Allowance (PDA) for Intern/Resident Medical Officer rows, plus professional development leave and exam leave settings.