Home Registered Nurse Salary
Registered Nurse salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a registered nurse is $114,000 per annum, before tax, up $23,500 since 2018.
- Most of your pay comes from the enterprise agreement or award covering your employer and your classification level within it, and that level rises with experience and further qualifications.
- Shift loadings, night and weekend penalties, overtime and on-call can add a noticeable amount on top, so a figure quoted for a ward job often assumes you will work those.
- Before you accept a position, ask whether the advertised rate includes loadings or is the base, and whether penalties are paid separately or already rolled into the package.
The median salary rose by $23,500 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.
Registered Nurse pay by state
Public-sector base pay from each state's current agreement, before shift penalties, allowances and super. Graduate is the first-year rate, experienced is the top of the standard scale and senior is the first step of the next grade up.
| State | Graduate | Experienced | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $81,748Registered Nurse / Midwife, 1st Year | $114,772Registered Nurse / Midwife, 8th Year and Thereafter | $119,437Clinical Nurse / Midwife Specialist Grade 1 |
| Victoria | $84,477Registered Nurse Grade 2, Year 1 (RN/M 1) | $107,879Registered Nurse Grade 2, Year 8 (RN/M 8) | $112,262Clinical Nurse Specialist (CAPR 1) |
| Queensland | Not available | ||
| Western Australia | $82,945Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1.1 | $106,630Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1.8 | $109,599Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 2.1 |
| South Australia | Not available | ||
| Tasmania | Not available | ||
| Australian Capital Territory | $82,993Registered Nurse Level 1, pay point 1 | $108,780Registered Nurse Level 1, pay point 8 | $112,841Registered Nurse Level 2, pay point 1 |
| Northern Territory | $80,665Nurse 2 (Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife), pay point 2.1 | $107,800Nurse 2 (Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife), pay point 2.8 | $111,174Nurse 3 (Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife), pay point 3.1 |
- New South Wales: Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025, Part B Monetary Rates, Table 1 - Salaries, rates from 1 July 2026.
- Victoria: Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) Single Interest Employer Agreement 2024-2028, Appendix 2 - Wages and Allowances, Part 1, rates from 11 May 2026.
- Western Australia: WA Health System - Australian Nursing Federation - Registered Nurses, Midwives, Enrolled (Mental Health) and Enrolled (Mothercraft) Nurses - Industrial Agreement 2024, Clause 17(1) Salaries and Classifications, rates from 12 October 2025.
- Australian Capital Territory: ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026, Schedule 1 - Nursing and Midwifery Classifications and Rates of Pay, rates from 4 December 2025.
- Northern Territory: Northern Territory Public Sector Nurses and Midwives' 2022 - 2026 Enterprise Agreement, Schedule 3, Table 1 Annual Rates of Pay, with effective dates as corrected by the section 190 undertaking, rates from 14 August 2025.
Roles that pay more than registered nurse
The largest typical pay rise is $24,200 a year, moving into Nurse Manager.
- Nurse Manager+$24,200/yr
- Director of Nursing+$21,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher registered nurse salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time registered nurse salary is $114,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Registered Nurses are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- 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 registered nurse experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Nurse Manager pays a typical $24,200 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."
Registered Nurse salary questions
How much do registered nurses earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a registered nurse is $114,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is registered nurse pay rising or falling?
The median registered nurse salary is up $23,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than registered nurse?
Nurse Manager pays a typical $24,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to registered nurse.
Related salaries
- Midwife salary
- Nurse Manager salary
- Director of Nursing salary
- Nurse Educator salary
- Nurse Practitioner salary
- Enrolled Nurse salary
Pay advice
- 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.
- Salary sacrificeSalary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to give up part of your future pre-tax pay in exchange for benefits of similar value, such as extra super, a car through a novated lease, or everyday expenses if you work for a charity or public hospital.
- 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.