What is the minimum pay for a patient transport officer?

Under the Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award 2020, the minimum hourly rate for a full-time Patient Transport Officer (PTO) is $32.05 in year 1, $32.29 in year 2, and $32.50 from year 3 onward (as of the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026). Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual rate $40.06, $40.36, and $40.63 respectively. These rates are the legal minimums; enterprise agreements or individual arrangements may set higher pay.

Are patient transport officers entitled to penalty rates?

Yes. The award provides penalty rates for work on Saturdays and Sundays (time-and-a-half), public holidays (double-time), and shift allowances for work finishing between 6pm and 8am or starting between 6pm and 6.30am (a flat $59.71 per shift). Overtime, on-call, and recall payments also apply. Full details are in the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guide for the award.

Does superannuation apply to the patient transport officer salary?

Yes. Employers must pay superannuation guarantee contributions of 12% on top of ordinary time earnings. For a full-time PTO earning the year 3 weekly rate of $1,235.10, the employer adds $148.21 per week in super. This is not deducted from the employee's pay; it is an additional payment into a super fund.

Patient transport officer salary: award rates and what you take home

The minimum hourly rate for a Patient Transport Officer (year 3 and above) is $32.50 under the award, well above the national minimum wage.

Understanding the patient transport officer salary under the Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award

The patient transport officer salary is governed by the Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award 2020 (MA000098), which sets minimum pay rates for employees who transport patients in non-emergency settings. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes a pay guide summarising these rates, and the Fair Work Commission determines the award through its annual review process. As of the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the minimum hourly rate for a Patient Transport Officer (PTO) in year 3 and above is $32.50 per hour, or $1,235.10 per week for a full-time employee working 38 ordinary hours. This is significantly above the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour.

Legal minimum, award rate, and negotiated salary

It is important to separate three concepts:

Legal minimum: The national minimum wage ($26.44/h) is the absolute floor for award-free employees, but most PTOs are covered by the award, which sets a higher minimum.
Award rate: The binding minimum under the Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award. Employers cannot pay less than this, but they may pay more.
Negotiated salary: Some employers offer above-award rates, especially under enterprise agreements or individual contracts. No publicly available survey average exists specifically for patient transport officers from the ABS or other sources, so the award rate remains the most reliable benchmark.

What the award says

The award classifies PTOs by years of service. The Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guide shows the following minimum rates for full-time and part-time employees:

Classification	Weekly rate	Hourly rate
PTO year 1	$1,218.00	$32.05
PTO year 2	$1,227.00	$32.29
PTO year 3+	$1,235.10	$32.50

These rates apply to ordinary hours. Penalty rates apply for weekend and public holiday work, shift allowances, overtime, and on-call duties. For example, Saturday and Sunday work is paid at $48.75 per hour for year 3+ PTOs, and public holidays at $81.25 per hour. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, giving a year 3+ casual rate of $40.63 per hour.

Superannuation on top

Employers must pay superannuation guarantee contributions of 12% on ordinary time earnings. For a full-time PTO at the year 3 weekly rate of $1,235.10, the employer contributes an additional $148.21 per week into the employee's super fund. This is not deducted from the employee's pay; it is an extra cost to the employer. The super guarantee is scheduled to rise to 12% from 1 July 2025 and remains at that level for 2026-27.

Tax and Medicare on the weekly packet

To understand what a patient transport officer actually takes home, consider the weekly gross of $1,235.10. Annualised, that is $64,225.20. Using the 2026-27 resident tax rates (with the full tax-free threshold) and Medicare levy of 2% (once income exceeds $30,000), the estimated tax and Medicare are:

Tax: approximately $11,092 (based on 16% for $18,201–$45,000 and 30% for $45,001–$135,000)
Medicare: $1,284.50
Total deductions: $12,376.50 per year, or $238.01 per week.

This leaves an estimated weekly take-home of $997.09. This is a simplified illustration; it excludes the low-income tax offset, HELP repayments, salary sacrifice, and the Medicare levy surcharge. Actual take-home will vary.

Progression and casual rates

PTOs progress through years of service automatically under the award. Year 1 applies for the first 12 months, year 2 for the next 12 months, and year 3 thereafter. Casual employees receive a 25% loading instead of paid leave, and their rates are higher: $40.06 (year 1), $40.36 (year 2), $40.63 (year 3+).

How this compares with other pay floors

The national minimum wage for adults is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week. The PTO award rate is about 23% higher. For award-free employees (rare in this industry), the national minimum applies. Juniors, apprentices, and trainees may be paid less under award provisions or the Miscellaneous Award.

For more detail on which minimum wage applies to you, see Which minimum wage applies and Rate tables.

Summary

The patient transport officer salary under the award provides a clear minimum that exceeds the national minimum wage. With super on top and penalty rates for unsocial hours, the total remuneration package is competitive. Employers bound by enterprise agreements may offer more, but the award remains the safety net.

For the published floors, see the rate tables and how the figures work.