Radiographer home loans: LMI waivers and shift income

As a radiographer, you may be able to buy with about 10% plus buying costs and avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The profession waivers covered here require at least $90k in accepted annual income and the right registration.

I'd check your registration and payslips before setting a budget. Regular extra shifts can affect how much a bank will lend, even when 2 lenders offer the same LMI waiver. Then we can compare the repayments and the cash you'll have left after buying.

This guide is part of our LMI Waivers hub. Our LMI guide, deposit calculator and LMI calculator can help you work through the starting figures.

Say you're buying a $900k home with $220k saved. The bank values it at $900k and you allow $30k for buying costs. With the same $90k deposit and $810k loan, an eligible waiver could save about $17k in LMI.

The estimated $17,010 premium, dated 11 September 2026, uses our LMI calculator for a $900k home and $90k deposit, rounded to about $17k. The comparison assumes LMI is paid upfront; premiums vary by lender. Adding LMI to the loan increases the balance and interest.

With the waiver you'd have $100k left after the deposit and assumed costs. Paying the estimated LMI upfront leaves about $83k. A 20% deposit instead uses $210k including costs, leaving $10k and a smaller $720k loan.

At an illustrative 6% over 30 years with principal and interest repayments, an extra $90k costs about $540 a month. That excludes fees and assumes no offset balance or extra repayments.

Buying costs include conveyancing, inspections, registration and any stamp duty after concessions. Check the costs for your state and property, and keep a buffer for life after settlement.

Radiographers take medical images. Radiologists are specialist medical doctors who interpret them and may provide image guided treatment. Their home loan offers can have different deposit limits.

Have your Ahpra registration ready, including your diagnostic radiographer division and practising status. Medical imaging technologist is also a protected title within this division. I'd check the actual registration rather than rely on the job title on your payslip.

Overseas or non-practising registration needs a separate lender check. A 5% profession offer for a radiologist doesn't apply automatically to radiographers. Our doctor home loan guide covers those separate options.

If you also work in sonography, check the sonographer home loan guide for its separate qualification requirements.

Start with your base salary, then separate overtime and allowances. If you rely on extra shifts to afford the loan, I'd also check the repayments against a quieter roster.

At St George, the published overtime option normally needs at least 6 months of income evidence with the same employer. Shorter histories can be referred for consideration. Eligible casual employees and PAYG contractors may be considered; self employed income is assessed separately.

This is an income assessment option, separate from the LMI waiver. Your partner’s salary or rent may help cover repayments, but that doesn't automatically meet the professional income threshold. We check whose earnings the lender can use for each test.

Moving from 80% to 100% of the extra pay adds $4k to the annual income the lender uses. The 80% figure is an assumed comparison.

I'd then work out your borrowing limit using your expenses, HELP debt, credit limits and other loans, and check that the repayments fit your budget.

The profession name matters at other banks too. NAB’s published list names radiologists, not radiographers. ANZ’s medical and dental fact sheet applies to medical practitioners, specialists and dentists; you need an eligible medical or dental registration for that offer.

For CBA or Bankwest, we would check the current occupation list before treating a medical waiver as available to you. An ordinary home loan may still fit. Compare the interest rate, fees, income assessment and property limits across the options you can actually use.

Before making an unconditional offer, have the finance and property checks done. Our guide to making an offer explains the steps.

If you have less than 10% saved, check the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme before assuming you must wait. Eligible single parents or legal guardians may have a separate 2% option. The scheme has its own rules and isn't included in the cash comparison above.

A general 90% no LMI loan, a family guarantee loan or a standard loan with LMI may also be worth comparing. A guarantee can put the guarantor’s property at risk and shouldn't be assumed to combine with a profession waiver.

Lenders pay us upfront and ongoing commissions when we arrange eligible loans. The initial assessment is free. If we charge a fee for helping with your application, we'll explain it before you proceed. Lender and other third party costs may still apply. How we review lenders explains our approach.