Nurse Salary in Australia: A$32.09 an Hour Minimum
Cross-agency · employment
Quick answer
The Nurses Award MA000034 sets a registered nurse level 1 minimum of A$1,219.50 a week, or A$32.09 an hour, effective 1 July 2026. It rises through 8 pay points to A$1,465.50 a week, and level 5 grade 6 reaches A$2,706.90 a week.
Every figure on this page is from Fair Work Ombudsman's own published documents.
Last verified 2 sources, listed below
Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034]1 · Changes to minimum pay rates in the Nurses Award2. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with any agency.
Australia sets a legal minimum for nurses in a single national instrument, the Nurses Award 2020, award code MA000034. The rates below take effect 1 July 2026 under determination PR799315.
An award rate is a floor. Many nurses are paid above it under a state or enterprise agreement, which the award does not publish.
Registered nurse level 1
This is where a newly registered nurse starts. There are 8 pay points.
| Pay point | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 | A$1,219.50 | A$32.09 |
| PP2 | A$1,244.50 | A$32.75 |
| PP3 | A$1,275.00 | A$33.55 |
| PP4 | A$1,309.00 | A$34.45 |
| PP5 | A$1,349.20 | A$35.51 |
| PP6 | A$1,388.10 | A$36.53 |
| PP7 | A$1,428.30 | A$37.59 |
| PP8 and after | A$1,465.50 | A$38.57 |
From the bottom to the top of level 1 is A$246.00 a week, or A$6.48 an hour. That subtraction is arithmetic on the published rates.
The levels above
| Classification | Weekly range | Hourly range |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse level 2 | A$1,504.40 to A$1,580.30 | A$39.59 to A$41.59 |
| Registered nurse level 3 | A$1,631.20 to A$1,720.10 | A$42.93 to A$45.27 |
| Registered nurse level 4 | A$1,861.70 to A$2,111.60 | A$48.99 to A$55.57 |
| Registered nurse level 5 | A$1,878.60 to A$2,706.90 | A$49.44 to A$71.23 |
| Nurse practitioner | A$1,877.00 to A$1,932.70 | A$49.39 to A$50.86 |
Level 5 grade 6 at A$2,706.90 a week is A$1,487.40 above a level 1 pay point 1, which is more than double it.
Enrolled nurses and assistants
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing assistant, 1st year | A$1,050.70 | A$27.65 |
| Nursing assistant, experienced with Certificate III | A$1,119.10 | A$29.45 |
| Student enrolled nurse, 21 and over | A$1,024.70 | A$26.97 |
| Enrolled nurse PP1 | A$1,139.90 | A$30.00 |
| Enrolled nurse PP5 | A$1,199.20 | A$31.56 |
An enrolled nurse at pay point 1 earns A$79.60 a week less than a registered nurse level 1 at pay point 1.
The aged care carve-out
This is the part that catches people reading a single rate table.
The Fair Work Commission changed this award through the Work Value Case for nurses and midwives, and the changes landed in stages:
| Change | From |
|---|---|
| Nursing assistants in aged care leave this award | 1 January 2025 |
| Registered and enrolled nurse changes | 1 March 2025 |
| Additional aged care increases | 1 October 2025 |
| Further aged care increases | 1 August 2026 |
So a nurse working in aged care may be on a different figure from the one on this page, and nursing assistants in residential aged care or home care are now under the Aged Care Award or the Social and Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award instead. A Schedule F translation arrangement, applying from 1 March 2025, sets out which classification an existing employee moves to.
What this page does not cover
The award publishes minimum rates. It does not publish shift penalties, overtime, allowances beyond the classifications, or what any particular employer offers.
Nursing in Australia is a registered profession and the award says nothing about registration, credential assessment, English testing or visas, so neither does this page. The working in Australia guide covers the national minimum wage that applies to work outside an award.
The Philippine side
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| DMW processing, direct hire | USD 100, in peso equivalent |
| DMW processing, manual OEC through a landbased agency | ₱200.00 |
| OWWA membership | USD 25 |
| Pag-IBIG | ₱600.00 |
Charging above the allowable schedule is illegal recruitment under RA 10022, carrying 12 years and 1 day to 20 years and a fine of ₱1,000,000.00 to ₱2,000,000.00.
The recruitment agencies guide covers the licence directory and the OEC guide covers the exit certificate.
Related
The nurse salary abroad comparison puts the award beside the other destinations that publish nurse pay, the working in Australia guide covers the wider wage floor, and the PEOS guide covers the free seminar to take before applying.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the minimum pay for a registered nurse in Australia?
- Under the Nurses Award, a registered nurse level 1 at pay point 1 must be paid at least A$1,219.50 a week, or A$32.09 an hour, effective 1 July 2026. That is a legal floor, not a typical offer.
- How does pay progress?
- Registered nurse level 1 has 8 pay points, from A$1,219.50 a week at pay point 1 to A$1,465.50 at pay point 8 and after. Level 2 starts at A$1,504.40 and level 3 at A$1,631.20.
- What do the senior levels pay?
- Registered nurse level 4 runs from A$1,861.70 to A$2,111.60 a week across 3 grades. Level 5 runs from A$1,878.60 to A$2,706.90 across 6 grades, which is A$71.23 an hour at the top.
- What about enrolled nurses?
- Enrolled nurses have 5 pay points, from A$1,139.90 a week or A$30.00 an hour at pay point 1 to A$1,199.20 or A$31.56 at pay point 5. A student enrolled nurse aged 21 or over is on A$1,024.70.
- Is aged care different?
- Yes. The Fair Work Commission changed the award through the Work Value Case for nurses and midwives. Additional increases for eligible enrolled and registered nurses working in aged care apply from 1 October 2025 and 1 August 2026, separately from the 1 July 2026 rates on this page.
- Are nursing assistants still covered?
- Not in aged care. From 1 January 2025 the Nurses Award no longer covers nursing assistants providing care to older people in residential aged care or home care. They fall under the Aged Care Award or the Social and Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award instead.
- Is the award what I will be paid?
- It is the minimum an employer may lawfully pay. Many nurses in Australia are paid under a state or enterprise agreement that sits above the award, and the award does not publish those.
- Do I need AHPRA registration?
- Nursing in Australia is a registered profession. The award publishes pay, not registration, credential assessment, English testing or visas, so this page states none of them.