Australian Capital Territory Nurse Salaries
Public-hospital pay rates by classification
Public hospital & health service
Nurses and midwives employed by Canberra Health Services, paid under the state public-health enterprise agreement — typically the highest-paying nursing setting.
Australian Capital Territory public-sector nursing bands
11 bands · $65,279–$214,371
Aged-care, private and community nurses in Australian Capital Territory are paid the national Nurses Award minimums, not the state agreement — see the award 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 mid of Australian Capital Territory public pay.
Key Information
Australian Capital Territory nursing pay facts, agreement context and conditions to check before comparing pay.
Employer
Canberra Health Services
Current rates from
Dec 2025
Employer super
12%
Graduate RN entry
$82,993/yr
Agreement term
13 August 2024 – 31 March 2026
Australian Capital Territory public-hospital nurses and midwives are paid under the ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement 2023–2026, made by the Fair Work Commission.
Australian Capital Territory Nurse Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every Australian Capital Territory nurse classification and what it pays in 2026–2027— gross salary plus the estimated take-home pay, employer super, and total package the salary table doesn't show. Select any level to calculate your exact take-home pay after tax, Medicare, and super.
Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery Salary
An Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery earns $65,279–$67,279 gross — roughly $54,000–$55,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$73,000–$75,000 total package). Assistant in nursing/midwifery — two pay points.
Calculate Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery take-home pay →Enrolled Nurse Level 1 Salary
An Enrolled Nurse Level 1 earns $75,849–$80,611 gross — roughly $61,000–$64,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$85,000–$90,000 total package). Enrolled nurse Level 1 — five pay points.
Calculate Enrolled Nurse Level 1 take-home pay →Enrolled Nurse Level 2 Salary
An Enrolled Nurse Level 2 earns $81,806–$81,806 gross — roughly $65,000–$65,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$92,000–$92,000 total package). Enrolled nurse Level 2 — single rate.
Calculate Enrolled Nurse Level 2 take-home pay →Undergraduate Student Nurse/Midwife Salary
An Undergraduate Student Nurse/Midwife earns $69,242–$69,242 gross — roughly $57,000–$57,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$78,000–$78,000 total package). Undergraduate student nurse/midwife — single rate.
Calculate Undergraduate Student Nurse/Midwife take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1 Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1 earns $82,993–$108,780 gross — roughly $66,000–$82,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$93,000–$122,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife Level 1 — eight pay points (Pay point 1 = new-graduate entry). Midwife (RM) Level 1 pays the same.
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1 take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 2 Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 2 earns $112,841–$119,223 gross — roughly $85,000–$89,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$126,000–$134,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife Level 2 — four pay points.
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 2 take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 3 Grade 1 Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 3 Grade 1 earns $128,458–$133,489 gross — roughly $95,000–$99,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$144,000–$150,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife Level 3 Grade 1 — three pay points.
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 3 Grade 1 take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 3 Grade 2 Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 3 Grade 2 earns $144,410–$144,410 gross — roughly $105,000–$105,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$162,000–$162,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife Level 3 Grade 2 — single rate.
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 3 Grade 2 take-home pay →Nurse Practitioner Salary
A Nurse Practitioner earns $154,206–$154,206 gross — roughly $111,000–$111,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$173,000–$173,000 total package). Nurse practitioner — single rate.
Calculate Nurse Practitioner take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 4 Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 4 earns $144,410–$163,994 gross — roughly $105,000–$117,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$162,000–$184,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife Level 4 — Grades 1–3.
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 4 take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 5 Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 5 earns $144,410–$214,371 gross — roughly $105,000–$145,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$162,000–$240,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife Level 5 (senior management) — Grades 1–6.
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 5 take-home pay →Take-home and total package figures are estimates. Take-home excludes HECS/HELP, the Medicare Levy Surcharge, and salary sacrifice, and assumes a resident taxpayer claiming the tax-free threshold. Total package adds employer super to gross salary.
About Australian Capital Territory Nurse Pay Scales
Canberra Health Services sets nurse and midwife pay through the ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement 2023–2026 — usually the highest-paying nursing setting in Australian Capital Territory. Public-hospital scales run from $65,279 to $214,371 a year across 11 classifications, from entry-level roles up to nurse practitioners and senior management. The take-home figures in the table already account for income tax and the Medicare levy.
Pay points & progression
A Australian Capital Territory public-hospital registered nurse earns from $82,993 to $214,371 a year, stepping up through annual pay points before moving into clinical-specialist, educator, consultant and management classifications that pay more again. Midwives are paid on the same registered-nurse scale.
- Enrolled nurses — Diploma-qualified and working under a registered nurse — earn $75,849–$81,806.
- Nurse practitioners earn $154,206–$154,206.
- New-graduate registered nurses start on the first registered-nurse pay point ($82,993) and step up automatically each year.
- On a standard 38-hour week, an entry registered-nurse base rate works out around $42/hr, before shift, weekend and public-holiday penalty rates and casual loading.
How pay rises work
Pay moves with each new salary column of the agreement; the current column took effect 4 December 2025. The agreement passed its nominal expiry (31 March 2026) and continues to apply while a replacement is negotiated.
Superannuation
Canberra Health Services pays 12% employer superannuation on base pay.
Total package
Base salary plus 12% employer super. You can lift retirement savings further by salary sacrificing into super.
Source: ACT Government — Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement
Aged-care & private nurses in Australian Capital Territory
Aged-care, private and community nurses are paid the national Fair Work Nurses Award minimums, not the state agreement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nurses earn in Australian Capital Territory?
Australian Capital Territory public-hospital nurses and midwives are paid by Canberra Health Services under the state enterprise agreement, with classifications ranging from $65,279 to $214,371 a year. This is usually the highest-paying nursing setting. Aged-care and private nurses are paid the national Nurses Award minimums instead.
What does a registered nurse earn in a Australian Capital Territory public hospital?
A graduate registered nurse in a Australian Capital Territory public hospital starts on the first registered-nurse band of the state agreement and progresses a step each year. Switch on “Take-home” in the table above to see pay after income tax and the Medicare levy at each band.
Where can I find Australian Capital Territory aged-care and private nurse pay?
Australian Capital Territory aged-care, private-hospital and community nurses are paid under the national Fair Work Nurses Award, not the state public-health agreement. Those minimums are the same Australia-wide — see the Nurses Award page for aged-care and private & community rates.
How do I work out my Australian Capital Territory nursing take-home pay?
Switch on “Take-home” in the table above to see pay after income tax and the Medicare levy, or open the pay calculator to include HECS/HELP and superannuation for your exact salary and pay frequency.
When do Australian Capital Territory nurses get a pay rise?
Australian Capital Territory nurse pay rises under the ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement 2023–2026. The agreement passed its nominal expiry (31 March 2026) and continues to apply while a replacement is negotiated.
Which nurses earn the most in Australian Capital Territory?
Nurse practitioners and senior management roles — nurse unit managers and clinical nurse consultants — sit at the top of the Australian Capital Territory scales. Registered nurses are in the middle; enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing are paid the least.
Do Australian Capital Territory nurses get penalty rates and casual loading?
Yes. The figures shown are base minimum rates. Casual nurses receive a loading, and shift, weekend and public-holiday penalty rates apply on top of the base rate under the Australian Capital Territory agreement.
How do Australian nurse grades compare to UK NHS bands?
Australia doesn’t use the NHS “Band 5/6/7” system. Australian Capital Territory nurses are classified as registered or enrolled nurses and then by level, grade or pay point under the state agreement — the scales on this page, not NHS bands.
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