Nurse salaries in Australia. By role, state & sector.
Compare what registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives actually earn — across public hospitals (state enterprise agreements), aged care and private practice (the national Nurses Award). Sourced minimums, not market guesses — with take-home pay a tap away.
These are pay rates for nurses in healthcare, not veterinary nurses.
- Salary range
- $59,275 – $214,371
- Work settings
- 3
- State pages
- 8
- Super
- 12%+
Nurse pay by state
Public-hospital pay is set by each state's enterprise agreement and is usually the highest-paying setting. Pick a state for its full bands, or see the national Nurses Award for aged-care and private rates.
Queensland
- Registered nurse
- $87k–$112k
- Enrolled nurse
- $75k–$87k
- Nurse practitioner
- $158k–$165k
New South Wales
- Registered nurse
- $70k–$115k
- Enrolled nurse
- $73k–$84k
- Nurse practitioner
- $158k–$169k
Victoria
- Registered nurse
- $84k–$108k
- Enrolled nurse
- $67k–$89k
- Nurse practitioner
- $149k–$152k
Western Australia
- Registered nurse
- $83k–$194k
- Enrolled nurse
- Separate WA agreement
- Nurse practitioner
- Within senior RN band
South Australia
- Registered nurse
- $75k–$102k
- Enrolled nurse
- $64k–$76k
- Nurse practitioner
- $132k–$138k
Northern Territory
- Registered nurse
- $81k–$189k
- Enrolled nurse
- $71k–$84k
- Nurse practitioner
- $150k–$157k
Australian Capital Territory
- Registered nurse
- $83k–$214k
- Enrolled nurse
- $76k–$82k
- Nurse practitioner
- $154k–$154k
Tasmania
- Registered nurse
- $81k–$204k
- Enrolled nurse
- $73k–$87k
- Nurse practitioner
- Nurses Award
Aged-care and community nurses are paid the national Nurses Award minimums below; some states also show above-award private-hospital rates on their state page.
Find your nurse pay
Pick a setting and role to preview the salary range, an estimated take-home figure and super. Open the calculator for your exact pay point, frequency, HECS-HELP and salary sacrifice.
Sits in the lower of New South Wales public pay.
Public vs aged care vs private
The same role pays differently by setting. Public hospitals on state enterprise agreements pay the most; aged care sits on a separate, higher Nurses Award schedule than private and community work.
- Registered nurse
- $70k–$214k
- Enrolled nurse
- $64k–$89k
- Nurse practitioner
- $132k–$169k
- Employer super
- 12%+
- Set by
- State EA
- Registered nurse
- $79k–$138k
- Enrolled nurse
- $77k–$77k
- Nurse practitioner
- $112k–$116k
- Employer super
- 12%
- Set by
- National award
- Registered nurse
- $63k–$141k
- Enrolled nurse
- $59k–$62k
- Nurse practitioner
- $98k–$101k
- Employer super
- 12%
- Set by
- National award
Public pay is the negotiated state scale; aged-care and private figures are Fair Work award minimums — actual pay is often higher.
View the Nurses Award →How nurse pay is set
A nurse's pay is set by classification — a published level that fixes a salary band and the yearly pay points within it. Public-hospital nurses are paid under each state's enterprise agreement (usually the highest-paying setting), while aged-care, private-hospital and community nurses fall under the national Fair Work Nurses Award 2020. Both run the same ladder: nursing assistant, enrolled nurse, registered nurse Levels 1–5, then nurse practitioner. Under the award a registered nurse earns from $63,414 to $140,759 a year; public agreements and aged care pay above that.
Aged-care registered and enrolled nurses sit on a separate, higher schedule of the Nurses Award than private and community nurses. Award rates are legal minimums — many aged-care and private employers pay above them — whereas state enterprise agreements set the actual public-hospital scale. Employer super is 12% for award and most state roles, and the figures on this page are base full-time rates — casual nurses receive a 25% loading, and shift, weekend and public-holiday penalty rates apply on top. Rates are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Annual Wage Review, effective the first full pay period on or after 1 July.
To see what a band is worth after tax, use the rough pay finder above for a quick take-home estimate, or open the take-home pay calculator to add HECS-HELP, salary sacrifice and your pay frequency. The legal minimums come straight from the Fair Work Nurses Award (MA000034); registration and scope of practice are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Comparing across the public sector? Browse public service salaries for every state and federal agency stream.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nurses earn in Australia?
Nurse pay depends on the role, sector and experience. Under the national Nurses Award, registered nurses earn from $63,414 to $140,759 a year, while public-hospital nurses on state enterprise agreements usually earn more. Enrolled nurses and nursing assistants earn less, and nurse practitioners earn the most.
How much do nurses earn per hour?
On a standard 38-hour week, an entry-level registered nurse's base rate works out around $32 an hour (Nurses Award RN Level 1), rising to roughly $71 for the most senior registered nurses. Shift, weekend and public-holiday penalty rates and casual loading apply on top. Use the “Take-home” toggle or the pay calculator to convert any rate to weekly, fortnightly or annual pay.
What is the difference between an enrolled nurse and a registered nurse salary?
Enrolled nurses (EN) hold a Diploma and work under supervision; registered nurses (RN) hold a Bachelor degree and carry more responsibility. Under the Nurses Award an enrolled nurse earns $59,275–$62,358, while a registered nurse starts around $63,414 and rises well beyond that with experience and seniority.
How much does a graduate (new) nurse earn?
A new-graduate registered nurse starts on the first registered-nurse pay point — $63,414 a year under the national Nurses Award (RN Level 1) — and steps up automatically each year. Public-hospital graduate programs on state enterprise agreements usually start higher; pick a state above for its first-year band.
What is a midwife's salary?
Midwives are paid on the same scale as registered nurses under the Nurses Award and state enterprise agreements, so a midwife earns from about $63,414 to $140,759 a year on the award, with senior and consultant midwifery roles paying more again in public health services.
Do public hospital, aged care or private nurses earn more?
Public-hospital nurses on state enterprise agreements generally earn the most. Aged-care registered and enrolled nurses are covered by a separate, higher schedule of the Nurses Award (effective 1 July 2026) than private hospital and community nurses, whose rates are the award's lowest. Pick a state for public pay, or see the Nurses Award page for aged-care and private rates.
Are the aged care and private nurse figures the actual salary?
Not quite — the aged-care and private figures are the legal minimum wages set by the Fair Work Nurses Award, not typical salaries. Many employers pay above the award, and public-hospital enterprise agreements set higher actual rates, so treat the award figures as a floor rather than the going rate.
How much does a nurse practitioner earn?
Nurse practitioners are the highest-paid clinical nursing classification. Under the Nurses Award they earn from $97,604 to $100,500 a year in private practice, and up to $115,580 in aged care — with public health services often paying more again.
Which type of nurse earns the most?
Nurse practitioners and senior management roles such as nurse unit managers and clinical nurse consultants sit at the top of the public-system scales. Registered nurses sit in the middle, while enrolled nurses and nursing assistants are paid the least. Working in a higher-paying state public hospital lifts pay further again.
Are these nursing figures before or after tax?
The salary scales are gross pay (before tax). Switch on “Take-home” in any table to see pay after income tax and the Medicare levy, or use the pay calculator for a full breakdown including HECS/HELP and superannuation.
Do nurses get penalty rates and casual loading?
Yes. The figures shown are base minimum wages. Under the Nurses Award, casual nurses receive a 25% loading, plus shift, weekend and public-holiday penalty rates on top of the base rate. State public-hospital enterprise agreements set their own casual loading and penalty rates, so the casual rate varies by state.
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