Understanding My Doctor Payslip: Breaking It Down
- asperharry
- Feb 16
- 3 min read
Let’s be real—payslips can be confusing. When I first started as a doctor, I had no clue how to properly read mine. There are so many numbers, deductions, and weird abbreviations that it’s easy to just look at the final amount and move on. But understanding your payslip is crucial, not just to make sure you're being paid correctly but also to get the most out of your salary.
So, I wanted to break down one of my actual payslips to show exactly how doctor salaries work, what gets deducted, and how you can check if you’re getting paid the right amount.
The Basics: Pay Period & Hours Worked
First things first, every payslip will show the pay period — the range of dates you’re being paid for. Most hospitals pay on a fortnightly basis, meaning you’ll typically see a two-week period listed at the top.
For me, the standard working hours as a junior doctor were 76 hours per fortnight, which is what I was rostered to work. My base hourly rate at the time was about $40 per hour, which meant my base salary before any deductions was around $3,035 per fortnight.
Extra Pay: Allowances, On-Call, and Overtime
On top of the base salary, there are a few extra payments that can show up on a payslip:
Continuous Medical Education Allowance
Hospitals give doctors a small **education allowance** every fortnight. This is meant for ongoing learning, but there are no strict rules on how it’s used. Mine was **around $150 per fortnight**.
On-Call and Public Holiday Pay
If you're on-call, you get a small payment—even if you don’t actually get called in. For example, I was on call for two public holidays in this pay cycle, which added $53 per day ($106 total)** to my payslip.
Public holidays are also paid at the standard rate, even if you don’t work them. So if you're rostered off on a public holiday, you still get paid for those hours, which is a nice little bonus.
Overtime Pay
Overtime is where things get interesting. The pay rate increases depending on how much extra you work:
- First 2 hours of overtime: Paid at 1.5x your base rate (~$60 per hour).
- Any hours beyond that: Paid at 2x your base rate (~$80 per hour).
In this pay cycle, I worked **a few overtime hours**, which added a bit more to my paycheck.
Deductions: Where Your Money Goes
Now, let’s talk about where a big chunk of that money disappears.
1. Income Tax
This one’s obvious—you get taxed based on your income bracket. The exact amount varies, but it's always a significant portion.
2. Junior Doctor Membership (RMO Club)
This is a small deduction (around $15 per fortnight) that goes towards things like free meals, social events, and resources for junior doctors. It's optional, but I personally think it's worth it.
3. Salary Packaging
This is a bit of a game-changer. Salary packaging allows you to use pre-tax money for certain expenses, reducing your taxable income. In my case, I had $1,043 deducted for salary packaging, which means I’ll get to spend that money later without being taxed on it.
Final Pay: What Actually Hits the Bank
After all the deductions, my take-home pay for this fortnight was just over $2,000. Not bad, but it’s important to check that everything adds up correctly.
To do that, I use DIT PayCheck, a super helpful website that lets you enter your shifts and automatically calculates what your payslip should look like. It’s a great way to double-check that you’re being paid correctly—because yes, payroll mistakes do happen!
NB: DIT paycheck is for Victorian Healthcare workers only.
Payslips are confusing, but once you understand the breakdown, it’s much easier to spot any errors and make the most of your salary. If you’re a doctor (or anyone, really), I’d definitely recommend getting into the habit of checking yours. And if you're in Victoria, DIT PayCheck is a lifesaver.
Watch me break down my first year doctor's payslip and how to use DiT paycheck
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