What Is a Registered Nurse Salary?

Registered nurse salary in 2026

These are the minimum award rates from the Nurses Award 2020, consolidated to 1 August 2026 (Fair Work Ombudsman). Enrolled nurses and nurse practitioners are included for comparison.

How much does a registered nurse earn in Australia?

Jobs and Skills Australia lists 343,300 people employed as Registered Nurses, with median full-time earnings of $2,156 per week (ABS, May 2023). The same source gives a median age of 38, 88% female and 52% working full-time (Jobs and Skills Australia).

• Treat the median as a middle point for full-time workers, not a promise: part-time and casual nurses will see a different weekly figure.
• Ask your employer which classification and pay point you are on, because that decides your starting figure.
• Remember the median is dated May 2023, so treat it as a guide only.

What changes your registered nurse hourly rate

The Nurses Award pay guide (first full pay period on or after 1 August 2026) lists these rates for level 1, pay point 1 (Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide).

• Check which classification level and pay point your contract names, as each step up has its own minimum.
• Look for penalty rates on Saturday, Sunday and public holiday shifts, which sit well above the weekday figure.
• Confirm whether you are casual, because the casual rate in the pay guide is higher than the permanent rate.
• Ask whether your role is classed as aged care, where the first-year level 1 minimum is $41.36 an hour from 1 August 2026.
• Read any enterprise agreement that covers your job, as it may set different rates or allowances.
• Keep in mind that the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review 2026 increased modern award minimum rates by 4.75 per cent; the Nurses Award rates above apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 August 2026 (Fair Work Commission).

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Registered nurse salary in Perth, Adelaide, WA and Tasmania

The Nurses Award rates in this guide are national minimums under the Fair Work system. Your actual registered nurse pay depends on which award or agreement covers your employer, so ask before you compare offers.

• Perth and the rest of WA: ask your employer which award or agreement covers your role and request the current pay schedule for your level.
• Adelaide: ask the same question, then compare the schedule with the level and pay point tables in this guide.
• Tasmania: check the agreement that covers your role, or the Fair Work pay guide if the Nurses Award applies, before accepting an offer.
• Casual shifts: use the casual figure in your pay guide or agreement, not the permanent hourly rate.

For other states, see our guides to registered nurse salary in NSW by the hour, registered nurse salary in Queensland per hour and registered nurse salary in Melbourne.

Registered nurse pay compared with other care roles

Here is how the nursing minimums sit beside disability home care rates under the SCHADS Award.

The SCHADS rates come from the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award. For disability support work, see our guide to disability support worker salary and NDIS support coordinator salary.

Registered nurse wage under the NDIS

When a participant buys nursing under the NDIS, the price limit is what the provider can charge, not what the nurse is paid.

• From 24 September 2026, the national weekday daytime price limit for Delivery of Health Supports is $128.05 an hour by a registered nurse (item 01_606_0114_1_1).
• The same limit for an enrolled nurse is $103.44 an hour (item 01_600_0114_1_1).
• A price limit caps what a provider can charge a participant; it is not a wage rate.
• Award rates and price limits both change, so check the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements each year.

How to check you are paid correctly

Keep your last two payslips handy; they make each check quicker.

1. 1Find your classification. Look in your contract or letter of offer for the award name, level and pay point, and write them down.
2. 2Open the pay guide. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for the Nurses Award and match your level, pay point and employment type.
3. 3Compare your hourly rate. Check the ordinary hourly rate on your payslip is at least the guide’s rate for your level and pay point.
4. 4Check penalty and casual rates. Make sure Saturday, Sunday, public holiday and casual hours on your payslip match the guide.
5. 5Ask first, then escalate. Raise any gap with your payroll team in writing, and contact the Fair Work Ombudsman if it is not resolved.

Support workers can run the same comparison with our NDIS pay rate calculator.

We are always looking for reliable, caring support workers in Sydney and Melbourne. Send us your details, qualifications and availability.

Your next step

If you are comparing nursing with community care, TQN Care’s NDIS support workers help people across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC) with personal care, community access and help at home. Learn what nursing involves in what a registered nurse does, or how to start in how to become a registered nurse in Australia.