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Australian Capital Territory Assistant in Nursing Pay 2026

Assistant in nursing is the entry classification in ACT public health, often a foot in the door while studying.

$65,279Starting salary at Assistant in Nursing Pay Point 1 ($32.92 an hour), before penalties and allowances.

$67,279Top of the scale on this page (Assistant in Nursing Pay Point 2, $33.93 an hour).

Enrolled Nurse Registered Nurse Clinical Nurse (senior clinical grades)Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing)

Pay scale
Spotlight
Becoming an assistant in nursing
FAQ

Pay scale

Base rates, in force from 4 December 2025, before penalties, allowances and overtime. Entry/each step shown (4 December 2025).

Step	Weekly	Hourly	Annualised
Assistant in Nursing Pay Point 1	$1,251.07	$32.92	$65,279
Assistant in Nursing Pay Point 2	$1,289.40	$33.93	$67,279

Estimate your take-home →

★ Get paid while you study nursing

You don't always need a separate qualification. Once you've completed about a year of a Bachelor of Nursing (or core clinical subjects and a placement) you can usually work as an assistant in nursing, earning and building clinical hours while you finish your degree. Diploma (enrolled-nursing) students can too.

Becoming an assistant in nursing

An Assistant in Nursing (AIN, also called a nursing assistant or patient care assistant) gives hands-on care like hygiene, mobility, feeding, observations and ward support. AINs aren't nurses and have no scope of practice of their own: they work only on tasks delegated by, and under the supervision of, a Registered or Enrolled Nurse.

Full pathway: how to become an assistant in nursing in Australia →

How to become an assistant in nursing

Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (Acute Care)

The HLT33115 Certificate III (acute-care pathway) is the standard qualification to work as an assistant in nursing, and it can even be started in high school.

Nursing degree student (about a year in)

Undergraduate nursing students who have completed one or more years of a Bachelor of Nursing can usually work as an AIN; some start earlier if prior study or experience is recognised.

Enrolled-nursing (Diploma) student

Students partway through a Diploma of Nursing can also be employed as an AIN, earning while they qualify.

Ways to earn more

The assistant-in-nursing scale only runs $1,251.07–$1,289.40/wk, so the real money is in qualifying out of it. Finishing a Diploma (enrolled nurse) or degree (registered nurse) lifts you onto a far higher scale.
Work the unsocial shifts: ACT pays a 25% night-shift penalty Mon–Fri, 50% all Saturday and 75% all Sunday on top of your base rate.
Claim the laundry allowance ($15.65/fortnight). In the ACT it is payable for clinical duties with direct client contact even when you are not required to wear a uniform.
Salary-package about $11,660/yr of everyday and meal-entertainment expenses tax-free as a public-hospital employee, without reducing any penalty or allowance.

Where it leads: enrolled nurse vs registered nurse

From here, the two routes into nursing practice are the enrolled-nurse (Diploma) and registered-nurse (degree) pathways, and there is a real trade-off between them:

Enrolled Nurse via the Diploma of Nursing (~18–24 months, TAFE)

No university degree, so training is shorter and cheaper
Start earning as a nurse sooner
Can later bridge to registered nurse
Lower pay ceiling, because the EN scale tops out well below the RN scale
Narrower scope of practice (you work under an RN)
Less progression, with no clinical-nurse, nurse-practitioner or management track

Registered Nurse via the Bachelor of Nursing (3 years, university)

Far higher ceiling, with progression into clinical nurse, consultant, nurse practitioner and management/Director of Nursing roles
Broader, more autonomous scope
Postgraduate study keeps paying off (qualification allowances and higher grades)
Three-year university degree, which costs more and takes longer
More study before you start earning as a nurse

Allowances you can claim

On top of base pay: the allowances most relevant to this role.

Uniform allowance$517.27/yr (from 04/12/25)

Paid where the head of service requires you to wear a uniform. NOT paid if the ACTPS provides the uniform. Most recent in-force rate is $517.27 per annum (column dated 04/12/25).

Laundry allowance$15.65/fortnight (from 04/12/25)

Paid where you are required to wear AND launder a uniform. Importantly, it is ALSO payable if you are NOT required to wear a uniform but perform clinical duties involving direct client contact.

Salary packaging~$11,660/yr tax-free

As a public-hospital employee you can package about $9,010 of everyday expenses plus ~$2,650 of meal entertainment FBT-free, plus a novated car lease, and none of it reduces any penalty or allowance.

Where it leads next

Step up from here: Enrolled Nurse · Registered Nurse — see exactly what each step takes →

Frequently asked questions

How much does an assistant in nursing earn in Australian Capital Territory?

In Australian Capital Territory public health, an assistant in nursing earns from $1,251.07 per week ($65,279 a year) to $1,289.40 ($67,279) across the scale, before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.

What is the starting assistant in nursing salary in Australian Capital Territory?

A first-step assistant in nursing in Australian Capital Territory starts at $1,251.07 per week, about $65,279 a year ($32.92 an hour), before penalties and allowances.

Do Australian Capital Territory nurses get paid more for nights and weekends?

Yes. On top of base pay, Australian Capital Territory public-health nurses receive shift loadings for afternoon, night and weekend work, plus overtime and a range of allowances.

Annual, parental, long-service and study leave, plus overtime, on-call and the full allowance list, are set out in the Australian Capital Territory nurse pay & conditions guide.

Work out your pay

Take-home calculator → ACT penalty & on-call rates Compare states

Keep more of it

Salary packaging Packaging calculator HECS/HELP Agency vs permanent

Pay figures are drawn from the ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026. Confirm your exact classification, step and allowances against the current instrument and your payslip.