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Resident Medical Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a resident medical officer is $104,000 per annum, before tax, up $22,000 since 2018.
Pay is set by the state or territory health department enterprise agreement you are employed under, so the same job can pay differently depending on where you work. Penalty rates for nights, weekends and public holidays, plus overtime, add a substantial amount on top of base pay, and rural and remote placements often attract additional loadings. Pay steps up again once you enter a specialist training program, because registrars are paid at a higher level than residents.
Roles that pay more than resident medical officer
The largest typical pay rise is $327,200 a year, moving into Anaesthetist.
- Anaesthetist+$327,200/yr
- Surgeon+$99,100/yr
- Emergency Physician+$98,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher resident medical officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time resident medical officer salary is $104,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Resident Medical Officers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Clinical assessment and treatment and Patient care and support tend to command a premium over general resident medical officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Anaesthetist pays a typical $327,200 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Resident Medical Officer salary questions
How much do resident medical officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a resident medical officer is $104,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is resident medical officer pay rising or falling?
The median resident medical officer salary is up $22,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than resident medical officer?
Anaesthetist pays a typical $327,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to resident medical officer.