Essential worker home loans

Home loans for nurses, police, paramedics and firefighters

You work nights, weekends and public holidays so the rest of us are looked after. Some lenders reward that: they count more of your overtime, and some waive lenders mortgage insurance for some roles. We search a panel of 75 lenders to find the ones that suit your job.

Book a free chat WhatsApp us

Lenders that count all of your overtime

Most workers get about 80% of their overtime counted. A good number of lenders count all of it for essential workers.

Your base pay is the easy part. The money on top is where lenders differ. Most count only part of your overtime, often about 80%. A good number count all of it if you are a police officer, firefighter, paramedic, ambulance officer, nurse or midwife. Penalty rates and shift allowances vary too: some lenders count all of them for everyone.

What lenders may ask for:

a payslip showing about 6 months of year-to-date pay, or a newer payslip plus last year's income statement,
a full-time or part-time job (some lenders), and
a front-line role, not an office job (some lenders). For nurses, some want a hospital job.

From lenders' own policy documents and broker guides we hold, dated 2025 and 2026. Rules differ between lenders and change often. General information only, not credit advice, and it does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs.

No lenders mortgage insurance for some roles

Some lenders waive LMI for registered nurses and midwives who borrow up to 90% of the property's value.

Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) is a one-off fee you may need to pay if you borrow more than 80% of the property's value. Some lenders waive it for registered nurses and midwives who borrow up to 90% (a 10% deposit), as long as they earn enough from that work. Some of these waivers are for registered nurses only, not enrolled nurses. At least one lender will also consider police, firefighters and paramedics, case by case.

Buying your first home? The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme can also mean no LMI with a 5% deposit, whatever your job (price caps apply).

What we look for on your behalf

We look for the lender that reads your payslip best.

Lenders that count all of your overtime.
Lenders that waive LMI for your role.
Lenders that accept a new job, or a second job or casual shifts on top of a permanent role.
Lenders that read salary packaging well. If you package part of your pay, bring your packaging statement.

Bring your last two payslips, last year's income statement from myGov, and your contract or a letter from your employer. Our shift worker page has the full paperwork list, and the income annualiser works out your year roughly the way lenders do.

We are a veteran-owned brokerage, so rostered pay was the first payslip we ever had to read. In the Defence Force rather than the emergency services? Start with our DHOAS page.

Common questions

Questions from nurses, police and paramedics

Can I get a home loan with no LMI as a nurse?

Possibly. Some lenders waive LMI for registered nurses and midwives who borrow up to 90% of the property's value, if you earn enough from that work. First home buyers may also be able to use the 5% Deposit Scheme. We check which one gets you the better result.

Do lenders count my overtime as a police officer?

Yes, at least part of it. Most lenders count part of your overtime, and a good number count all of it for front-line police, once your year-to-date pay shows about 6 months of it.

I do agency shifts on top of my permanent job. Do they count?

They can. At least one lender counts a second job in health with no minimum time in it, others want 6 to 12 months in it first, and at least one caps the total hours it counts across all your jobs. Tell us about every job before we pick a lender.

Is there a special home loan rate for essential workers?

Occasionally, but we do not publish rates. Having all of your overtime counted, or avoiding LMI, can make a bigger difference, and we compare both for you.