New South Wales Nurse Salaries
Public-hospital pay rates by classification
Public hospital & health service
Nurses and midwives employed by NSW Health, paid under the state public-health enterprise agreement — typically the highest-paying nursing setting.
New South Wales public-sector nursing bands
13 bands · $65,150–$231,506
Above-award private-hospital pay is shown further down. Aged-care, clinic and community nurses are paid the national Nurses Award minimums — 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 lower of New South Wales public pay.
Private hospital pay (above the award)
What New South Wales private-hospital nurses and midwives can earn — from the national Nurses Award minimum up to what Ramsay Health Care pays, under the Ramsay Health Care New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026.
- Registered Nurse$63,414 – $111,684award minimum → Ramsay Health Care top of grade
- Enrolled Nurse$59,275 – $80,285award minimum → Ramsay Health Care top of grade
- Nurse Practitioner$97,604 – $164,482award minimum → Ramsay Health Care top of grade
The Nurses Award sets the legal minimum every private employer must meet. Ramsay is Australia's largest private hospital operator and pegs these rates toward the NSW public sector; other private operators set their own enterprise agreements.
Key Information
New South Wales nursing pay facts, agreement context and conditions to check before comparing pay.
Employer
NSW Health
Current rates from
July 2026
Next increase
3% from 1 July 2027
Employer super
13%
Graduate RN entry
$70,478/yr
Agreement term
1 July 2025 – 30 June 2028
New South Wales public-hospital nurses and midwives are paid under the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025, made by the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales.
New South Wales Nurse Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every New South Wales 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 $65,150–$71,479 gross — roughly $54,000–$58,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$74,000–$81,000 total package). Assistant in nursing/midwifery — four year-of-service points.
Calculate Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery take-home pay →Enrolled Nurse without Medication Qualification Salary
An Enrolled Nurse without Medication Qualification earns $73,400–$82,380 gross — roughly $59,000–$65,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$83,000–$93,000 total package). Enrolled nurse without medication endorsement.
Calculate Enrolled Nurse without Medication Qualification take-home pay →Enrolled Nurse Salary
An Enrolled Nurse earns $75,012–$84,002 gross — roughly $60,000–$67,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$85,000–$95,000 total package). Enrolled nurse (with medication qualification).
Calculate Enrolled Nurse take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife earns $81,748–$114,772 gross — roughly $65,000–$86,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$92,000–$130,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife — eight year-of-service points (1st year = new-graduate entry).
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife take-home pay →Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Salary
A Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist earns $119,437–$132,523 gross — roughly $90,000–$98,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$135,000–$150,000 total package). Clinical nurse/midwife specialist — Grades 1–2.
Calculate Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist take-home pay →Clinical Nurse/Midwife Consultant Salary
A Clinical Nurse/Midwife Consultant earns $143,575–$161,174 gross — roughly $105,000–$115,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$162,000–$182,000 total package). Clinical nurse/midwife consultant — Grades 1–3 (plus legacy pre-31.12.99 rate).
Calculate Clinical Nurse/Midwife Consultant take-home pay →Clinical Nurse/Midwife Educator Salary
A Clinical Nurse/Midwife Educator earns $124,274–$128,302 gross — roughly $92,000–$95,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$140,000–$145,000 total package). Clinical nurse/midwife educator.
Calculate Clinical Nurse/Midwife Educator take-home pay →Nurse/Midwife Educator Salary
A Nurse/Midwife Educator earns $139,593–$161,174 gross — roughly $102,000–$115,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$158,000–$182,000 total package). Nurse/midwife educator — Grades 1–3 (plus legacy 4th-year-as-at-1/7/08 rate).
Calculate Nurse/Midwife Educator take-home pay →Nurse/Midwife Practitioner Salary
A Nurse/Midwife Practitioner earns $158,237–$169,429 gross — roughly $113,000–$120,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$179,000–$191,000 total package). Nurse/midwife practitioner — four year-of-service points.
Calculate Nurse/Midwife Practitioner take-home pay →Nursing/Midwifery Unit Manager Salary
A Nursing/Midwifery Unit Manager earns $143,997–$154,876 gross — roughly $105,000–$111,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$163,000–$175,000 total package). Nursing/midwifery unit manager — Levels 1–3.
Calculate Nursing/Midwifery Unit Manager take-home pay →Nurse/Midwife Manager Salary
A Nurse/Midwife Manager earns $143,575–$231,506 gross — roughly $105,000–$153,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$162,000–$262,000 total package). Nurse/midwife manager — Grades 1–9.
Calculate Nurse/Midwife Manager take-home pay →Registered Mothercraft Nurse Salary
A Registered Mothercraft Nurse earns $97,412–$97,412 gross — roughly $76,000–$76,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$110,000–$110,000 total package). Registered mothercraft nurse — closed classification (9th-year rate only).
Calculate Registered Mothercraft Nurse take-home pay →Registered Nurse - Pre Registration Salary
A Registered Nurse - Pre Registration earns $70,478–$70,478 gross — roughly $57,000–$57,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 13% employer super (~$80,000–$80,000 total package). Registered nurse pre-registration.
Calculate Registered Nurse - Pre Registration 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 New South Wales Nurse Pay Scales
NSW Health sets nurse and midwife pay through the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025 — usually the highest-paying nursing setting in New South Wales. Public-hospital scales run from $65,150 to $231,506 a year across 13 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 New South Wales public-hospital registered nurse earns from $70,478 to $114,772 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 $73,400–$84,002.
- Nurse practitioners earn $158,237–$169,429.
- New-graduate registered nurses start on the first registered-nurse pay point ($70,478) and step up automatically each year.
- On a standard 38-hour week, an entry registered-nurse base rate works out around $36/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 1 July 2026. The agreement runs to 30 June 2028, when a new agreement is negotiated.
- A later salary column applies from 1 July 2027; the table above shows the current rates.
Superannuation
NSW Health pays 13% employer superannuation on base pay, above the statutory Super Guarantee.
Total package
Base salary plus 13% employer super. You can lift retirement savings further by salary sacrificing into super.
Source: NSW Health — Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award (C10152)
Aged-care & community nurses in New South Wales
Aged-care, clinic and community nurses are paid the national Fair Work Nurses Award minimums (private-hospital pay is shown above).
New South Wales public service pay
Browse New South Wales public-sector salary bands across every classification, beyond nursing.
More reading
Related guides
Background reading on tax, super, and salary topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nurses earn in New South Wales?
New South Wales public-hospital nurses and midwives are paid by NSW Health under the state enterprise agreement, with classifications ranging from $65,150 to $231,506 a year. This is usually the highest-paying nursing setting. Aged-care and community nurses are paid the national Nurses Award minimums, while private-hospital pay (above the award) is shown below.
What does a registered nurse earn in a New South Wales public hospital?
A graduate registered nurse in a New South Wales 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 New South Wales aged-care and community nurse pay?
New South Wales aged-care, clinic 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). Private-hospital nurses in New South Wales are paid above the award; their rates are in the private-hospital table above.
How do I work out my New South Wales 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 New South Wales nurses get a pay rise?
New South Wales nurse pay rises under the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025. The next increase is 3% from 1 July 2027. The agreement runs to 30 June 2028, when a new agreement is negotiated.
Which nurses earn the most in New South Wales?
Nurse practitioners and senior management roles — nurse unit managers and clinical nurse consultants — sit at the top of the New South Wales scales. Registered nurses are in the middle; enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing are paid the least.
Do New South Wales 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 New South Wales agreement.
How do Australian nurse grades compare to UK NHS bands?
Australia doesn’t use the NHS “Band 5/6/7” system. New South Wales 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.
What do private hospitals pay nurses in New South Wales?
Private-hospital nurses and midwives in New South Wales are paid above the national Nurses Award minimums. Ramsay Health Care pays registered nurses and midwives from $79,514 to $111,684 a year — a guide to private-sector pay, as other private hospitals set their own agreements. Public-hospital pay is usually higher again, while aged-care, clinic and community nurses are paid the award minimums.
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