Pay Rates for Resident Locum Doctors in Australia 2026
Every Resident rate on the record. Pulling straight from hospital job boards, we’ve analysed 15,679 shifts since October 2024. Consider this your panoramic view - states, specialty spreads and seasonal swings follow below.
What is the average rate for a Resident Medical Officer (RMO) in 2025?
The average rate for a Resident Medical Officer (RMO) in 2025 is $141.06 per hour or $1,128.51 per day. Based on 15,679 shifts across 5 states.
What is the average Salary of a Resident Locum Doctor?The average salary for a Resident Locum Doctor in 2026 is $268,022.14 per year.
How we convert the hourly rate to a yearly figure
- Hourly rate
- $141.06
- Full-time hours
- 38hrs/week
- Weeks worked
- 50
$141.06 × 38hrs × 50 ≈ $268,022.14
Specialty Pay Breakdown
The highest paying specialty for a Resident Locum Doctors is Emergency Medicine with an average rate of $152.00per hour. The lowest paying role is Palliative Care with an average rate of $100.00 per hour.
| Role | Average Rate | Salary | Shifts Sampled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine | $152/hr | $288,800 | 5786 |
| Anaesthetics | $151/hr | $286,900 | 99 |
| General Medicine | $143/hr | $271,700 | 5146 |
| Geriatrics | $143/hr | $271,700 | 67 |
| Orthopaedics | $138/hr | $262,200 | 940 |
| Rehab | $135/hr | $256,500 | 363 |
| Paediatrics | $135/hr | $256,500 | 381 |
| Intensive Care | $135/hr | $256,500 | 379 |
| Psychiatry | $133/hr | $252,700 | 125 |
| Surgery | $133/hr | $252,700 | 702 |
| Obstetrics & Gynaecology | $132/hr | $250,800 | 437 |
| Other | $132/hr | $250,800 | 82 |
| General Practice | $131/hr | $248,900 | 93 |
| Gastroenterology | $121/hr | $229,900 | 66 |
| Palliative Care | $100/hr | $190,000 | 72 |
State Breakdown Of Resident Rates
The highest paying state for Resident Locum Doctors is SA with an average rate of $161.76 per hour. The lowest paying state is WA with an average rate of $120.00 per hour. Total variance of $55.80.
What is the average rate for a Resident Locum Doctor in NSW?
$140.78 per hour. Based on 14,531 shifts.
| Rate | Hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | $350.00 | Manly |
| Lowest | $85.00 | The Tweed Hospital |
| Average | $140.78 | n/a |
What is the average rate for a Resident Locum Doctor in VIC?
$140.68 per hour. Based on 636 shifts.
| Rate | Hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | $220.00 | Northeast Health Wangaratta |
| Lowest | $115.00 | Central Gippsland Health Service [Sale] |
| Average | $140.68 | n/a |
What is the average rate for a Resident Locum Doctor in SA?
$161.76 per hour. Based on 354 shifts.
| Rate | Hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | $180.00 | Riverland Regional Health Service - Barmera Hospital |
| Lowest | $150.00 | Riverland Regional Health Service - Berri Hospital |
| Average | $161.76 | n/a |
What is the average rate for a Resident Locum Doctor in WA?
$120.00 per hour. Based on 30 shifts.Small Sample Size
| Rate | Hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | $120.00 | Armadale Health Service |
| Lowest | $120.00 | Armadale Health Service |
| Average | $120.00 | n/a |
What is the average rate for a Resident Locum Doctor in QLD?
$175.80 per hour. Based on 4 shifts.Very Small Sample Size
| Rate | Hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | $273.20 | Cloncurry Hospital |
| Lowest | $115.00 | Mount Isa Hospital |
| Average | $175.80 | n/a |
Do Night Shifts Pay Better Rates For Resident Locum Doctors?
Yes, the average rate for a Resident Locum Doctor on a night shift is $160.59 per hour (3140 shifts). The average rate for a Resident Locum Doctor on a day shift is $137.55 per hour (10044 shifts).
Does Seasonality Affect Rates?
The highest paying month for Resident Locum Doctors is Dec with an average rate of $154.00 per hour. The lowest paying month is Aug with an average rate of $136.00 per hour.
Case Studies
1. ED Resident, Weekend Shifts, 2025 Earnings
This is a real doctor on Medlo. Personal details anonymised for privacy.
Key Details
- Work Locations: Regional NSW
- Work Type: Weekend Shifts
- Specialty: ED Physician (PGY2)
- Shifts: 3 shifts between May to June 2025
- Average Earning Per Shift: $1,666
- Supplementary Earnings: $83,300/year working weekend shifts
Data Collection Methodology
Medlo is a medical recruitment platform using state of the art technology to collect and process live market data.
In total Medlo has processed upwards of 20,000 medical shifts since inception in 2023.
Hospital Network
As of June 2026, Medlo's hospital network spans 81 of the 700 total Australian hospital network (11%), with data for NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, and WA (states ordered by shift volume)
Medlo's hospitals are predominantly public.
Although, our data primarily represents public/regional hospitals, it may act as a proxy for relative private or metropolitan hospital rates.
Sampling
The data used in this report spans from October 2024 to June 2025. For June onwards all data is forecasted rates by hospital suppliers - though it does not represent the final bookings for the year.
Caveats
- Sample sizes may vary from state to state, and may not be representative of the entire market.
- Rates may vary from hospital to hospital, and may not be representative of the entire market.
- Low sample sizes are marked with
Low Sample Size - Precautionary measures are taken to clean data and remove outliers. For example all rates used in average calculatrions have been filtered to be between 80 and 450.
Medlo processes on average 1,000-2,000 shifts per month. Come back soon for more data!
Wrapping Up
We hope this comprehensive breakdown of Resident rates across Australia has been helpful. If you're interested in comparing rates across different roles, check out our other rate guides:
Remember to check back regularly as we update our data multiple times per week with the latest market rates. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consider signing in to access our full database of rates.