Radiography salary guide 2026–27: award rates, public hospital pay and take-home pay

Radiography salary: gross, package and take-home

When you see a radiography salary advertised, it’s usually the gross annual figure – before tax, Medicare and any salary sacrifice. Your take-home pay is what actually lands in your bank account each fortnight, and it can be quite different from the headline number. This guide explains the key pay scales for radiographers in Australia for 2026–27, and shows you how to estimate your after-tax income.

Award minimum rates

The Health Professionals and Support Services Award sets the legal minimum for many radiographers. From 1 October 2026, a first-year radiographer (Level 1, 1st year) earns $34.44 per hour, or $68,058 per year. That’s a take-home of about $2,145 per fortnight. More experienced radiographers under the award earn up to $129,953 at senior levels. Casuals get a 25% loading. These rates are before super. For comparison, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour and $1,004.90 per week (Minimum wage).

Public hospital pay scales

Most radiographers work in public hospitals, which have their own enterprise agreements. These typically pay more than the award.

Queensland Health (from 1 September 2026):

• HP3 (graduate to experienced): $83,824 to $124,314 – take-home from $2,557 per fortnight
• HP4 (senior clinician): $132,689 to $142,315 – take-home from $3,835 per fortnight
• HP5 to HP8 (advanced and manager): $149,360 to $253,611

NSW Health (from 1 July 2026, 35-hour week):

• Level 1 (supervised practice year): $79,158 – take-home $2,435 per fortnight
• Level 2, Year 1: $81,969 – take-home $2,508
• Level 2, Year 5: $112,914 – take-home $3,318
• Level 3 and above: up to $195,965 at Level 6, Year 3

Shift and on-call penalties add significantly to these base rates.

What radiographers actually earn

The Australian Taxation Office’s 2023-24 tax statistics show the median salary or wage for radiographers was $102,607, with an average of $101,067. Men earned a median of $120,610, women $94,413. These figures include part-time workers, so full-time pay is typically higher. Jobs and Skills Australia reports median weekly earnings for medical imaging professionals at $2,360 (full-time non-managerial), which equates to about $122,720 annually (Average pay).

From gross to take-home

Your take-home depends on your taxable income, the tax-free threshold ($18,200), tax brackets, the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO), and the Medicare levy. For 2026–27, the Medicare levy is 2% for most full-time workers (single thresholds: $28,011 and $35,013). Here are examples based on the rates above:

• Award first-year ($68,058): tax ~$10,937, Medicare ~$1,361, LITO $0 → take-home ~$55,760/year or $2,145/fortnight
• QLD Health HP3 entry ($83,824): tax ~$15,667, Medicare ~$1,676, LITO $0 → take-home ~$66,481/year or $2,557/fortnight
• NSW Health Level 2 Year 5 ($112,914): tax ~$24,094, Medicare ~$2,258, LITO $0 → take-home ~$86,562/year or $3,329/fortnight

Use the Take-home pay tool to calculate your own estimate. Remember, these are before HELP/HECS repayments, the Medicare levy surcharge, or salary sacrifice.

Common mix-ups

• Gross vs package: A salary package may include super, car, or other benefits. Always ask for the base salary before super.
• Super is not take-home: The 12% super guarantee is paid on top of your salary, not deducted from it. If an ad says “$100,000 plus super”, your take-home is based on $100,000.
• Penalty rates: Hospital radiographers often earn more through shift penalties. Don’t assume the base rate is your total pay.

For more on understanding your pay, see Salary packaging and Super.