Nurses Award Pay Rates
Aged care & private nurse minimums, nationwide
The Fair Work Nurses Award 2020 sets the national minimum pay for nurses who aren't covered by an enterprise agreement — most aged-care, private-hospital, clinic and community nurses. Aged-care registered and enrolled nurses start materially higher than their private and community counterparts (an aged-care enrolled nurse from $76,783 and registered nurse from $78,790, versus $59,275 and $63,414 in private and community roles). Switch on take-home to see pay after tax.
Aged care
Fair Work Nurses Award minimum rates for registered and enrolled nurses in aged care (clause 15.3, effective 1 July 2026).
Aged-care nursing minimums
7 bands · $76,783–$138,486
Enrolled Nurse Aged-care enrolled nurse supervising other direct care employees — Nurses Award clause 15.3(a), effective 1 July 2026. $76,783Open in pay calculator ↗ |
Registered Nurse Level 3 Aged-care registered nurse, level 3 — Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026. $105,997Open in pay calculator ↗ |
Registered Nurse Level 4 Aged-care registered nurse, level 4 — Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026. $122,522Open in pay calculator ↗ |
Registered Nurse Level 5 Aged-care registered nurse, level 5 (senior management) — Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026. $138,486Open in pay calculator ↗ |
Private & community
Fair Work Nurses Award minimum rates for private hospital, clinic and community nurses (clause 15.1).
Private & community nursing minimums
8 bands · $54,636–$140,759
How these figures work
- ·Rates are the Fair Work Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) minimum wages — the legal pay floor for nurses not covered by a registered enterprise agreement. Many employers, especially public hospitals, pay above these minimums under an enterprise agreement.
- ·Annual figures are the award minimum weekly wage multiplied by 52, based on 38 ordinary hours per week. Casual employees receive an additional 25% loading on the hourly rate.
- ·Current rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, following the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2026 (+4.75% to modern award minimum wages).
- ·Aged-care registered and enrolled nurse rates sit under a separate structure (clause 15.3) and are higher than the equivalent private and community rates.
Award figures are legal minimums; many employers pay above them. Verify your rate with your employer or your enterprise agreement.
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.
These are Fair Work Nurses Award minimums — actual pay is often higher.
Sits in the mid of Aged care pay.
Key Information
Fair Work Nurses Award pay facts and what it covers before comparing pay.
Current rates from
July 2026
Employer super
12%
Aged-care RN entry
$78,790/yr
Coverage
Aged-care, private-hospital, clinic & community nurses without an enterprise agreement
These are national award minimums (aged care under clause 15.3, private and community under clause 15.1). Many employers — and all public hospitals — pay above them under enterprise agreements.
Aged-care nurse Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every aged-care 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.
Enrolled Nurse Salary
An Enrolled Nurse earns $76,783–$76,783 gross — roughly $62,000–$62,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$86,000–$86,000 total package). Aged-care enrolled nurse supervising other direct care employees — Nurses Award clause 15.3(a), effective 1 July 2026.
Calculate Enrolled Nurse take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 1 Salary
A RN Level 1 (also written as RN Level 1) earns $78,790–$90,496 gross — roughly $63,000–$71,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$88,000–$101,000 total package). Aged-care registered nurse, entry level — banded by years of employment at the level (Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026).
Calculate RN Level 1 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 2 Salary
A RN Level 2 (also written as RN Level 2) earns $97,999–$102,424 gross — roughly $76,000–$79,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$110,000–$115,000 total package). Aged-care registered nurse with additional responsibilities — banded by years of employment (Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026).
Calculate RN Level 2 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 3 Salary
A RN Level 3 (also written as RN Level 3) earns $105,997–$105,997 gross — roughly $80,000–$80,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$119,000–$119,000 total package). Aged-care registered nurse, level 3 — Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026.
Calculate RN Level 3 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 4 Salary
A RN Level 4 (also written as RN Level 4) earns $122,522–$122,522 gross — roughly $92,000–$92,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$137,000–$137,000 total package). Aged-care registered nurse, level 4 — Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026.
Calculate RN Level 4 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 5 Salary
A RN Level 5 (also written as RN Level 5) earns $138,486–$138,486 gross — roughly $102,000–$102,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$155,000–$155,000 total package). Aged-care registered nurse, level 5 (senior management) — Nurses Award clause 15.3(b), effective 1 July 2026.
Calculate RN Level 5 take-home pay →Nurse Practitioner Salary
A Nurse Practitioner earns $112,247–$115,580 gross — roughly $85,000–$87,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$126,000–$129,000 total package). Aged-care nurse practitioner — first and second year rates (Nurses Award clause 15.3(c)).
Calculate Nurse Practitioner 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.
Private & community nurse Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every private & community 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.
Nursing Assistant Salary
A Nursing Assistant earns $54,636–$58,193 gross — roughly $47,000–$49,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$61,000–$65,000 total package). Assistant in nursing / nursing assistant — award minimum, progressing by years of service (Nurses Award clause 15.1(a)).
Calculate Nursing Assistant take-home pay →Enrolled Nurse Salary
An Enrolled Nurse earns $59,275–$62,358 gross — roughly $50,000–$52,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$66,000–$70,000 total package). Enrolled nurse — five pay points (Nurses Award clause 15.1(b)).
Calculate Enrolled Nurse take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 1 Salary
A RN Level 1 (also written as RN Level 1) earns $63,414–$76,206 gross — roughly $53,000–$61,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$71,000–$85,000 total package). Entry-level registered nurse — eight pay points (Nurses Award clause 15.1(c)).
Calculate RN Level 1 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 2 Salary
A RN Level 2 (also written as RN Level 2) earns $78,229–$82,176 gross — roughly $63,000–$65,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$88,000–$92,000 total package). Registered nurse with additional responsibilities — four pay points (Nurses Award clause 15.1(c)).
Calculate RN Level 2 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 3 Salary
A RN Level 3 (also written as RN Level 3) earns $84,822–$89,445 gross — roughly $67,000–$70,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$95,000–$100,000 total package). Clinical nurse consultant / clinical nurse specialist tier — four pay points (Nurses Award clause 15.1(c)).
Calculate RN Level 3 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 4 Salary
A RN Level 4 (also written as RN Level 4) earns $96,808–$109,803 gross — roughly $75,000–$83,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$108,000–$123,000 total package). Nurse manager / nurse educator tier — three grades (Nurses Award clause 15.1(c)).
Calculate RN Level 4 take-home pay →Registered Nurse Level 5 Salary
A RN Level 5 (also written as RN Level 5) earns $97,687–$140,759 gross — roughly $76,000–$103,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$109,000–$158,000 total package). Senior nurse manager / director of nursing tier — six grades (Nurses Award clause 15.1(c)).
Calculate RN Level 5 take-home pay →Nurse Practitioner Salary
A Nurse Practitioner earns $97,604–$100,500 gross — roughly $76,000–$78,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$109,000–$113,000 total package). Endorsed nurse practitioner — first and second year rates (Nurses Award clause 15.1(d)).
Calculate Nurse Practitioner 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 Nurses Award Pay Rates
The Fair Work Nurses Award 2020 sets the national minimum pay for nurses who aren't covered by an enterprise agreement — most aged-care, private-hospital, clinic and community nurses. It carries two separate schedules: aged care (clause 15.3) and private & community (clause 15.1). Aged-care registered and enrolled nurses start materially higher than their private and community counterparts: an aged-care enrolled nurse from $76,783 and registered nurse from $78,790, versus $59,275 and $63,414 in private and community roles. The take-home figures in the tables already account for income tax and the Medicare levy.
Pay points & progression
Award classifications progress by years of service rather than annual increments, and each sector lists its own ladder. These rates are legal minimums — many employers pay above them.
- Aged-care registered nurses earn $78,790–$138,486, and enrolled nurses $76,783–$76,783.
- Private and community registered nurses earn $63,414–$140,759, and enrolled nurses $59,275–$62,358.
- Nurse practitioners earn $97,604–$100,500 in private and community roles and $112,247–$115,580 in aged care.
- Public-hospital nurses are paid under state enterprise agreements that sit well above these minimums — see the per-state pages.
How pay rises work
Award minimums are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The current private and community rates apply from 1 July 2026, and the aged-care rates (clause 15.3) from 1 July 2026. Because the award is national, the same minimums apply in every state and territory.
- The next review applies from 1 July 2027; the tables above show the current rates until the varied award is published.
Superannuation
Employers pay 12% employer superannuation on top of these wages — the statutory Superannuation Guarantee, since the award carries no enterprise super rate.
Total package
Award wage plus 12% employer super. You can lift retirement savings further by salary sacrificing into super.
Public-hospital nurses are paid more
State public-health enterprise agreements pay well above these award minimums. Browse public-hospital nurse pay by state — registered, enrolled and nurse-practitioner ranges, with employer super.
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
More reading
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Background reading on tax, super, and salary topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do aged care nurses earn under the Nurses Award?
Aged-care registered nurses are paid on a separate, higher schedule of the Nurses Award (clause 15.3, effective 1 July 2026). A Level 1 aged-care registered nurse earns $78,790–$90,496 a year, and an aged-care nurse practitioner up to $115,580. These are minimums — many providers pay above them.
What is the enrolled nurse pay rate in aged care?
An enrolled nurse supervising other direct-care employees in aged care earns $76,783 a year under Nurses Award clause 15.3(a), effective 1 July 2026. That is higher than the private and community enrolled-nurse rate of $59,275–$62,358.
How much do private hospital and community nurses earn?
Private hospital, clinic and community nurses are paid under Nurses Award clause 15.1. A registered nurse starts at $63,414 and progresses to $76,206 across eight pay points, enrolled nurses earn $59,275–$62,358, and nursing assistants from $54,636.
What are the Nurses Award 2020 pay rates?
The Fair Work Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) sets the legal minimum wage for nurses who aren't covered by a registered enterprise agreement. The rates above are the current award minimums; they're reviewed each year in the Annual Wage Review, with the next increase taking effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2027.
Do award nurses get casual loading and penalty rates?
Yes. The figures shown are base minimum wages for full-time hours. Casual nurses receive a 25% loading, and shift, weekend and public-holiday penalty rates apply on top of the base rate under the Nurses Award.
Are these aged-care and private figures before or after tax?
They are gross pay (before tax). Switch on “Take-home” in either 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.
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