Registrar Salary in Australia

The registrar years are a defining phase of any doctor's career, combining intensive clinical training with increasing responsibility and a growing scope of practice. Understanding how registrar remuneration works — base pay scales, overtime, shift penalties, and the impact of specialty choice — helps you plan your finances and make good career decisions during this period.

Typical Registrar Salary Ranges by Training Year

Registrar salaries in Australia are set by structured pay scales in the enterprise agreements or awards that apply to each state and territory health service. Pay scales are based on years of postgraduate experience, with incremental increases at each level. The specific dollar amounts vary between jurisdictions but the structure is broadly consistent across the country.

For registrars in the early years of specialty training, base salaries before penalties and overtime typically run from around $120,000 to $150,000 per year. As you progress through training and accumulate additional postgraduate experience, the base salary increases. Senior registrars commonly earn base salaries between $150,000 and $190,000 per year.

The base salary is only part of the picture though. Add overtime payments, shift penalties, on-call allowances, and other applicable loadings and a registrar's total remuneration can be considerably higher than the base figure suggests. In shift-heavy specialties, it is not uncommon for total annual income to reach $200,000 to $280,000 or more when all additional payments are included.

Registrar Salary by Postgraduate Year (Indicative Ranges)
Experience Level	Base Salary Range	Total Remuneration (incl. penalties and overtime)
PGY3-4 (early registrar)	Can typically range from $120,000 to $140,000	Often falls between $170,000 and $220,000
PGY5-6 (mid registrar)	Often falls between $140,000 and $165,000	Can typically range from $200,000 to $260,000
PGY7+ (senior registrar)	May vary; often $160,000 to $190,000	Can typically range from $230,000 to $300,000

These figures are indicative and vary depending on the state or territory, the specific health service, and the applicable enterprise agreement. Review the relevant award or agreement for your jurisdiction to understand the precise rates that apply to your position.

Specialty Training and Its Impact on Earnings

Your training specialty has a real indirect impact on registrar earnings, mainly through the working patterns it involves. Registrars in specialties with heavy after-hours work — emergency medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and intensive care — tend to earn higher total remuneration because of the shift penalties and overtime generated by their rosters.

Registrars in predominantly daytime specialties like dermatology, ophthalmology, or rehabilitation medicine may earn less in total during the training years because fewer penalty rate hours are worked. Keep these differences in perspective though — the registrar years are a relatively brief phase of a much longer career, and long-term earning potential should weigh more heavily in your specialty choice than a few thousand dollars difference during training.

Some specialties also give registrars the opportunity to earn additional income through on-call payments. Registrars available on call from home typically receive a retainer for each on-call period, with additional payments if they are called back to the hospital. Those on-site overnight on-call shifts attract the normal hourly rate plus applicable penalty loadings for all hours worked.

Overtime and Shift Penalties

Overtime and shift penalties make up a large part of registrar remuneration. Understanding how they work is essential for reading the true value of a registrar position. The rules are set out in the applicable enterprise agreement and vary between states and territories.

Overtime is generally payable when you work beyond your rostered hours. The overtime rate commonly falls between 150 and 200 per cent of the base hourly rate, depending on the circumstances and the applicable agreement. Some agreements also allow time off in lieu, giving you the option to take additional leave rather than extra pay.

Shift penalties apply to rostered hours during evenings, nights, weekends, and public holidays. Evening shifts typically attract a loading of 12.5 to 15 per cent, night shifts 15 to 25 per cent, Saturday shifts 50 to 75 per cent, Sunday shifts 75 to 100 per cent, and public holiday shifts 100 to 150 per cent above the base rate.

Registrars in busy surgical or medical units where unrostered overtime is common may find these additional payments add noticeably to annual income. That said, the culture around overtime claiming varies between departments and hospitals. Make sure you understand the policies and processes for claiming overtime in your specific workplace.

State and Territory Variations

Registrar pay scales vary between Australian states and territories. Each jurisdiction negotiates its own enterprise agreements with medical staff, and while the differences are not dramatic they can amount to several thousand dollars per year in base salary. The specific penalty rates and allowances available also differ.

NSW, Victoria, and Queensland have large public hospital networks and tend to set the benchmark for registrar remuneration. Smaller jurisdictions — the Northern Territory and Tasmania in particular — may offer additional incentives to attract registrars, especially for positions in regional or remote hospitals where filling roles can be difficult.

Registrars willing to consider positions outside the major metropolitan centres may find that a competitive base salary, higher penalty rates, and additional allowances add up to a package that compares very well with positions in Sydney or Melbourne, often with a considerably lower cost of living.

Moonlighting and Locum Supplementation

Many registrars supplement their training salary with additional clinical work outside rostered hours. This might mean locum shifts in emergency departments, after-hours GP clinics, or other settings where your skills are in demand. Moonlighting can be a good way to boost income during the training years, but it needs to be managed carefully to avoid conflicts with training requirements and fatigue management obligations.

Locum rates for registrar-level doctors typically run from $150 to $250 per hour, depending on the setting, location, and time of day. Emergency department locum shifts attract the highest rates, particularly overnight and on weekends. Some registrars also take on locum work during annual leave, using that flexibility to access higher-paying temporary positions.

Any additional work must comply with your training program's policies and those of the employing health service. Most training programs have rules around maximum working hours and may require you to seek approval before taking on additional employment. Fatigue management is also a serious consideration — both your own wellbeing and your patients' safety depend on adequate rest between clinical sessions.

Career Progression to Consultant

The registrar years are a stepping stone to the higher earnings available at consultant level. Completing specialty training and obtaining fellowship typically brings a substantial income increase. Consultant salaries in the public sector often run 50 to 100 per cent above senior registrar pay, and private practice income can push earnings considerably higher still.

Understanding that trajectory matters for financial planning during training. Registrar salaries are comfortable by most standards, but examination fees, college membership costs, and the opportunity cost of extended postgraduate education all add up. Managing finances well during this period is worth the effort. Planning ahead for the transition to consultant practice — setting up a private practice, purchasing equipment, or starting to build a referral network — can make that transition smoother and more financially sound when the time comes.

If you are approaching the end of your training, speaking with a specialist medical career partner is a practical way to understand the current market for consultant positions in your specialty. A career partner can tell you what salary ranges look like and what roles are currently available, which can inform your thinking as you prepare for that next step.

Explore Registrar Opportunities

Whether you are seeking a registrar position in a particular specialty, looking for locum opportunities to supplement your income, or approaching the end of your training and thinking about consultant positions, our specialist medical career partners can help. Browse our current registrar vacancies or speak with a career partner for direct, practical advice.