Paramedic salary in Adelaide: award minimums and market earnings

Paramedic salary in Adelaide: what the award and market data show

When you search for a "paramedic salary adelaide", you're asking what ambulance officers and paramedics earn in South Australia's capital. The answer depends on whether you look at the legal minimum or what the market typically pays. This guide uses the latest public data from the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to give you a clear picture.

Award minimums for paramedics in Adelaide

Most paramedics in Adelaide are covered by the Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award (MA000098). The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes updated pay guides each year after the Annual Wage Review. From 1 July 2026, the minimum weekly rate for a first-year ambulance officer/paramedic is $1,309.50, which works out to $34.46 per hour. For a third-year officer, the rate rises to $1,326.90 per week ($34.92 per hour).

These are base rates. The award also provides for penalty rates: Saturday and Sunday work is paid at 1.5 times the ordinary rate (about $51.69 per hour for a first-year officer), and public holidays at 2.5 times ($86.15 per hour). Shift allowances and on-call payments add further. So a paramedic in Adelaide working a mix of shifts can take home significantly more than the base award rate.

It's important to note that the award is a minimum safety net. Some employers, such as SA Ambulance Service, may have enterprise agreements that pay above these rates. You can check the latest pay guides on the pay guides page for award summaries.

National median earnings for paramedics

For a broader view of what paramedics actually earn, the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for Ambulance Officers and Paramedics (ANZSCO 4111) reports a median weekly earnings of $2,852 for full-time non-managerial adult employees. That's based on May 2025 data from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours. The median hourly rate is $71. These figures are national, not specific to Adelaide, but they give a benchmark.

If you annualise $2,852 per week (multiply by 52), you get about $148,304. That's well above the national line of $108,352 (index 100). However, the median includes all experience levels and locations. A paramedic in Adelaide might earn less than the national median if the cost of living or enterprise agreements differ. Unfortunately, the ABS does not publish state-level median earnings for this occupation, so we rely on the national figure as a guide.

South Australia's state index and what it means for paramedics

The Salary Index compares average full-time adult ordinary-time earnings across states. For South Australia, the index is 94.6, meaning the typical full-time worker in SA earns about 94.6% of the national line. Annualised, that's $102,450. This is lower than the national average and reflects the state's industry mix and wage levels.

A paramedic in Adelaide earning the national median of $2,852/week would have an index of about 137 (148,304 / 108,352 × 100). That's well above the SA state index, which makes sense because paramedics are skilled health professionals. But if a paramedic earns closer to the award minimum, say $1,309/week, their index would be around 63 – below the state average. Most experienced paramedics will fall somewhere between.

The states page provides more detail on how each state compares, and the industries page shows that health care and social assistance has an index of 97.8, slightly below the national line.

Factors that affect take-home pay

A paramedic salary in Adelaide is not just the base rate. Shift penalties, overtime, and allowances can boost earnings. For example, the award provides a shift allowance of $59.71 per shift when finishing between 6pm and 8am or starting between 6pm and 6.30am. Weekend penalties add 50% on Saturday and Sunday. Public holiday work is double time and a half.

Superannuation is additional: from 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings, paid by the employer. For a paramedic earning $1,309.50/week, that's about $157 per week in super. Tax is withheld at source. Using the 2026–27 resident tax rates, a single paramedic earning $68,094 (award minimum annualised) would pay about $11,092 in tax plus $1,362 Medicare levy, leaving a take-home of about $55,640. But with penalties, take-home could be much higher.

How to interpret the salary index for paramedics

The Salary Index sets 100 as the national line for full-time adult ordinary-time earnings. If you know a paramedic's annual gross salary, divide by $108,352 and multiply by 100. For example, $80,000 gives an index of 73.8; $120,000 gives 110.8. This helps you see where a pay figure sits relative to the average worker. The how the index works page explains the calculation in more detail.

Summary

A paramedic salary in Adelaide starts at the award minimum of $1,309.50 per week for a first-year officer, but actual earnings are often higher due to penalties and enterprise agreements. The national median for the occupation is $2,852 per week, though local data for Adelaide is not published. South Australia's overall earnings are below the national line (index 94.6), but paramedics typically earn above that average. For the most current award rates, refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guides. For market comparisons, the ABS and Jobs and Skills Australia provide useful benchmarks.