South Australia Nurse Salaries
Public-hospital pay rates by classification
Public hospital & health service
Nurses and midwives employed by SA Health, paid under the state public-health enterprise agreement — typically the highest-paying nursing setting.
South Australia public-sector nursing bands
11 bands · $59,094–$211,200
Aged-care, private and community nurses in South Australia 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 lower of South Australia public pay.
Key Information
South Australia nursing pay facts, agreement context and conditions to check before comparing pay.
Employer
SA Health
Current rates from
Jan 2025
Employer super
12%
Graduate RN entry
$74,831/yr
Agreement term
1 October 2022 – 31 July 2025
South Australia public-hospital nurses and midwives are paid under the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022, made by the South Australian Employment Tribunal. These figures match SA Health's current published range; a successor agreement (≈4% backdated to 1 January 2026) is pending certification and will lift them retroactively once finalised.
South Australia Nurse Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every South Australia 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 (Level 1) Salary
An Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery (Level 1) earns $59,094–$60,844 gross — roughly $50,000–$51,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$66,000–$68,000 total package). Assistant in nursing/midwifery.
Calculate Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery (Level 1) take-home pay →Enrolled Nurse (not medication-authorised) Salary
An Enrolled Nurse (not medication-authorised) earns $63,992–$72,033 gross — roughly $53,000–$58,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$72,000–$81,000 total package). Enrolled nurse (Certificate) not authorised in medication administration.
Calculate Enrolled Nurse (not medication-authorised) take-home pay →Enrolled Nurse (medication-authorised) Salary
An Enrolled Nurse (medication-authorised) earns $66,438–$74,831 gross — roughly $55,000–$60,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$74,000–$84,000 total package). Enrolled nurse (Diploma), or Certificate authorised in medication administration.
Calculate Enrolled Nurse (medication-authorised) take-home pay →Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse Salary
An Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse earns $74,831–$76,229 gross — roughly $60,000–$61,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$84,000–$85,000 total package). Advanced skills enrolled nurse (by appointment).
Calculate Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse take-home pay →Registered Nurse/Midwife (Level 1) Salary
A Registered Nurse/Midwife (Level 1) earns $74,831–$102,103 gross — roughly $60,000–$79,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$84,000–$114,000 total package). Registered nurse/midwife, Level 1 — nine increments (Increment 1 = new-graduate entry).
Calculate Registered Nurse/Midwife (Level 1) take-home pay →Clinical Nurse/Midwife (Level 2) Salary
A Clinical Nurse/Midwife (Level 2) earns $87,416–$110,497 gross — roughly $69,000–$84,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$98,000–$124,000 total package). Clinical nurse/midwife, Level 2 — nine increments.
Calculate Clinical Nurse/Midwife (Level 2) take-home pay →Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) Salary
An Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) earns $103,353–$110,497 gross — roughly $80,000–$84,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$116,000–$124,000 total package). Associate nurse/midwife unit manager, Level 2 — four increments.
Calculate Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) take-home pay →Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 3) Salary
A Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 3) earns $125,183–$130,779 gross — roughly $93,000–$97,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$140,000–$146,000 total package). Nurse/midwife unit manager, consultant, educator or manager, Level 3 — three increments.
Calculate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 3) take-home pay →Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager; Nurse Practitioner (Level 4) Salary
An Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager; Nurse Practitioner (Level 4) earns $132,177–$137,771 gross — roughly $98,000–$101,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$148,000–$154,000 total package). Advanced nurse/midwife unit manager, consultant, educator, manager, and nurse practitioner, Level 4 — three increments.
Calculate Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager; Nurse Practitioner (Level 4) take-home pay →Nursing/Midwifery Director (Level 5) Salary
A Nursing/Midwifery Director (Level 5) earns $144,064–$169,240 gross — roughly $105,000–$120,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$161,000–$190,000 total package). Nursing/midwifery director, Level 5.
Calculate Nursing/Midwifery Director (Level 5) take-home pay →Director of Nursing/Midwifery (Level 6) Salary
A Director of Nursing/Midwifery (Level 6) earns $144,064–$211,200 gross — roughly $105,000–$143,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$161,000–$237,000 total package). Director of nursing/midwifery, Level 6 — seven increments.
Calculate Director of Nursing/Midwifery (Level 6) 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 South Australia Nurse Pay Scales
SA Health sets nurse and midwife pay through the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022 — usually the highest-paying nursing setting in South Australia. Public-hospital scales run from $59,094 to $211,200 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 South Australia public-hospital registered nurse earns from $74,831 to $102,103 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 $63,992–$76,229.
- Nurse practitioners earn $132,177–$137,771.
- New-graduate registered nurses start on the first registered-nurse pay point ($74,831) and step up automatically each year.
- On a standard 38-hour week, an entry registered-nurse base rate works out around $38/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 January 2025. The agreement passed its nominal expiry (31 July 2025) and continues to apply while a replacement is negotiated.
Superannuation
SA Health 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: SA Health — Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement
Aged-care & private nurses in South Australia
Aged-care, private and community nurses are paid the national Fair Work Nurses Award minimums, not the state agreement.
South Australia public service pay
Browse South Australia public-sector salary bands across every classification, beyond nursing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nurses earn in South Australia?
South Australia public-hospital nurses and midwives are paid by SA Health under the state enterprise agreement, with classifications ranging from $59,094 to $211,200 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 South Australia public hospital?
A graduate registered nurse in a South Australia 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 South Australia aged-care and private nurse pay?
South Australia 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 South Australia 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 South Australia nurses get a pay rise?
South Australia nurse pay rises under the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022. The agreement passed its nominal expiry (31 July 2025) and continues to apply while a replacement is negotiated.
Which nurses earn the most in South Australia?
Nurse practitioners and senior management roles — nurse unit managers and clinical nurse consultants — sit at the top of the South Australia scales. Registered nurses are in the middle; enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing are paid the least.
Do South Australia 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 South Australia agreement.
How do Australian nurse grades compare to UK NHS bands?
Australia doesn’t use the NHS “Band 5/6/7” system. South Australia 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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