What is the casual loading for a casual paramedic under the award?

A casual employee under the Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award gets a 25% loading on the ordinary hourly rate for weekday hours, and higher loadings for weekends and public holidays. For example, a casual Ambulance Officer (Year 1) would be paid $34.46 + 25% = $43.075 per hour for weekday ordinary hours. The casual loading is paid instead of weekend or public holiday penalty rates. Super is still paid on top of the loaded rate. The [casual loading](/topics/casual-loading) page explains the checkbox on the timesheet.

Paramedic Salary Australia: Award Rates, Casual Loading and Take-Home Pay

A full-time Ambulance Officer under the Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award earns at least $34.46 per hour (Year 1) for a 38-hour week, equating to about $1,309.50 per week or $68,094 annual base before tax and super.

Paramedic Salary Australia: Award Rates and Ordinary-Time Earnings

When researching a paramedic salary Australia, the most reliable source is the Fair Work Ombudsman's Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award 2020 [MA000098]. This award sets minimum pay for ambulance officers, paramedics, patient transport officers, and other roles in the industry. The rates are updated each year after the Annual Wage Review. The Fair Work Commission publishes a Modern Awards Pay Database that contains the calculated minimum rates.

Minimum Hourly Rates Under the Award

The award provides minimum hourly rates for full-time employees working 38 ordinary hours per week. For example:

Ambulance Officer (Year 1): $34.46 per hour, $1,309.50 per week.
Ambulance Officer (Year 2): $34.72 per hour, $1,319.50 per week.
Ambulance Officer (Year 3): $34.92 per hour, $1,326.90 per week.
Patient Transport Officer: $32.05 per hour (Year 1), $32.29 (Year 2), $32.50 (Year 3).
Communications Call Taker: $32.05 per hour (Year 1).
Student Ambulance Officer/Paramedic Level 1: $31.03 per hour.

These rates are for ordinary hours only. Overtime and penalty rates (e.g., Saturday 150% for full-time, Sunday 150%) are paid on top. The award also specifies that wages must be paid weekly or fortnightly, no later than Wednesday in the pay week.

Casual Loading

Casual employees under the award receive a loading instead of weekend or public holiday penalty rates. For weekday ordinary hours, the loading is 25% of the ordinary hourly rate. For Saturday and Sunday, the casual loading is 75% of the ordinary hourly rate (making the total casual rate 175% of the base). For public holidays, the casual loading is 100% (total 200% of base). The casual loading is not paid for overtime hours; overtime is paid at the overtime rates in clause 20.1.

For a casual Ambulance Officer (Year 1) working a weekday ordinary hour, the rate is $34.46 × 1.25 = $43.075 per hour. The casual loading page on the timesheet explains how to add the 25% loading to a base hourly rate.

How to Calculate Annual Pay

To estimate annual gross pay for a full-time employee, use the formula: hourly rate × hours per week × 52. For a full-time Ambulance Officer at $34.46 per hour, assuming 38 hours per week:

$34.46 × 38 × 52 = $68,094.96 per year.

If paid fortnightly, that is $68,094.96 ÷ 26 = $2,619.04 per fortnight (before tax and super). The hourly conversion tool on this site uses the same 38-hour week assumption.

Superannuation Paid on Top

Under the award, employers must make superannuation contributions to avoid the super guarantee charge. The super guarantee rate is 12% of ordinary earnings (from 1 July 2026), paid on top of the base salary. For the Ambulance Officer example, super would be an additional $68,094.96 × 12% = $8,171.40 per year, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. The super and packaging page has more details.

Tax and Take-Home Pay

For the 2026–27 financial year, the resident tax rates are:

Nil up to $18,200
15% from $18,201 to $45,000
30% from $45,001 to $135,000
37% from $135,001 to $190,000
45% above $190,000

Plus Medicare levy generally 2%. For a gross annual salary of $68,094.96, the estimated tax (using the full tax-free threshold) would be approximately $10,528, plus Medicare $1,362, leaving take-home pay of about $56,205. The take-home pay page provides a more detailed estimate.

National Minimum Wage vs Award Rates

The National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour for a full-time adult employee, or $1,004.90 per week for 38 hours. The award rates for ambulance officers are significantly higher, reflecting the specialised nature of the work. Casual employees under the National Minimum Wage get $33.05 per hour including the 25% loading. Award rates for paramedics are above the minimum.

Average Earnings for Paramedics

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), the median full-time earnings for Ambulance Officers and Paramedics is $2,852 per week, and median hourly earnings are $71. This is higher than the award minimum because many paramedics have years of experience, allowances, penalty rates, and overtime. The average full-time hours worked per week is 47 hours, which is above the 38-hour standard. The average pay page compares occupation data.

Using the Timesheet

The timesheet on this site lets you enter your base hourly rate (without casual loading) and select a checkbox to add 25% casual loading. It then calculates annual gross pay, super, tax, and take-home pay based on a 38-hour week. The results are estimates and do not include overtime, penalty rates, allowances, or salary sacrifice.

Summary

A paramedic salary Australia starts at the award minimum of $34.46 per hour for an Ambulance Officer (Year 1), rising with experience and qualifications. Casual employees receive a 25% loading on weekdays. Super is paid on top at 12%. The annual pay calculation is straightforward: hourly rate × 38 × 52. For more precise figures, refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman award or the reference tables on this site.