Home Director of Nursing Salary
Director of Nursing salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a director of nursing is $135,200 per annum, before tax, up $27,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay at this level is set mainly by the enterprise agreement covering the health service, so a director in a state public hospital and one in a private aged care provider can earn quite different amounts.
- The size of the facility, the seniority band and whether the role carries on-call or after-hours responsibility all shift the figure, and some packages include a vehicle or salary sacrifice arrangements.
The median salary rose by $27,800 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than director of nursing
The largest typical pay rise is $46,800 a year, moving into Chief Executive Officer.
- Chief Executive Officer+$46,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher director of nursing salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time director of nursing salary is $135,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Patient care and support and Clinical assessment and treatment tend to command a premium over general director of nursing experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Chief Executive Officer pays a typical $46,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Director of Nursing salary questions
How much do director of nursings earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a director of nursing is $135,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is director of nursing pay rising or falling?
The median director of nursing salary is up $27,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than director of nursing?
Chief Executive Officer pays a typical $46,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to director of nursing.
Related salaries
- Chief Executive Officer salary
- Nurse Practitioner salary
- Registered Nurse salary
- Nurse Manager salary
- Osteopath salary
- Occupational Health Nurse salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.