NTCER rates, loading, rural incentives, and what changes after fellowship. The money conversation nobody has clearly.
As a GP registrar, you're an employee of your training practice. You're paid a salary under the NTCER (National Terms and Conditions for Employment of Registrars) — a standardised framework that all training practices must follow.
Your pay is not directly tied to your billings. You earn a base salary regardless of how many patients you see. This changes after fellowship when most GPs move to a percentage arrangement.
| Training level | Base salary (v2026.2) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GPT1 / CGT1 | $99,847/yr $50.53/hr · $1,920.14/wk | First term. Includes second 3.5% GPT1-specific uplift from the 2024 NTCER review. |
| GPT2 / PRRT2 | $112,059/yr $56.71/hr · $2,154.98/wk | Second term. 2.6% MBS indexation applied. |
| GPT3–4 / PRRT3–4 | $119,647/yr $60.55/hr · $2,300.90/wk | Senior registrar rate. No separate higher GPT4 rate. |
These are minimum base rates only. You are paid whichever is higher: the base rate OR 44.79% of your gross billings. Not the sum. See below.
The NTCER v2026.2 guarantees a minimum 44.79% of your in-hours, after-hours and on-call gross billings. Each pay period, you receive whichever is higher: the applicable base rate OR 44.79% of your billings.
Not the sum. You do not get base salary plus 44.79% of billings. You get the greater of the two. Framing it as "base plus 44.79%" overstates the pay.
Practices can offer higher percentages by negotiation — 60% is sometimes quoted as "standard" but there's no centrally-published average or typical figure. What you can rely on is the 44.79% floor. Anything above that is negotiated practice-by-practice.
GPT2 registrar, regional town (MM3), some after-hours:
| Base salary (GPT2, v2026.2) | $112,059 |
| Rural loading (~20%) | $22,412 |
| After-hours loading | $15,000 |
| Education allowance | $3,000 |
| Total package (excl. super) | ~$152,471 |
| + Superannuation (12%) | ~$18,297 |
This is illustrative only. Actual amounts depend on your NTCER determination, RTO, practice, and hours worked.
After FRACGP or FACRRM, most GPs stop being employees and become independent contractors or practice owners. Your income switches from a salary to a percentage of your billings.
No. The NTCER sets minimum terms and conditions. Your practice must meet or exceed these. If you believe your practice is not meeting NTCER requirements, contact your RTO. GPRA (General Practice Registrars Australia) can also advise — they're the national registrar representative body.
Some practices offer a top-up or bonus when your billings exceed a threshold (e.g. 70% of your billings above your salary cost). This is practice-specific and not mandated by the NTCER. It's more common in later training terms and in practices that want to retain registrars post-fellowship. Ask about it during your practice interview.
Generally no — your 3GA provider number is location-specific and tied to your training practice. You can't bill Medicare at another practice with a 3GA number. Some registrars do non-GP locum work (e.g. hospital ED shifts) outside training hours, but check your employment contract and RTO rules. After fellowship, locum work is common and can be very lucrative ($2,000–$4,000+ per day in rural areas).
Part-time training is available (minimum 0.5 FTE / 3 sessions per week in most programs). Pay is pro-rata — if you work 0.6 FTE, you earn 60% of the full-time base rate plus loading. Training takes proportionally longer to complete. Part-time training is increasingly common and both colleges accommodate it. Discuss with your RTO before your placement begins.