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Home › Nursing pay › Australian Capital Territory › Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing)

Australian Capital Territory Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing) Pay 2025–26

The ACT's management track runs through Registered Nurse Levels 4 and 5 — nurse managers and directors of nursing — with pay set by the size and complexity of the service.

In Australian Capital Territory public health, a nurse manager earns from $2,767.61 per week ($144,410 a year) to $4,108.41 ($214,371) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.

Assistant in NursingEnrolled NurseRegistered NurseClinical Nurse (senior clinical grades)
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Becoming a nurse manager

The nursing leadership and operations track. A Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) runs a single ward or unit — staffing, roster, budget, clinical governance — while staying a registered nurse; a Nurse Manager / Director of Nursing (DON) leads nursing across a facility or service, up to Executive Director of Nursing.

Full pathway: how to become a nurse manager in Australia →

Pay scale

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

GradeWeeklyHourlyAnnualised
Registered Nurse Level 4 Grade 1$2,767.61$72.83$144,410
Registered Nurse Level 4 Grade 2$2,955.35$77.77$154,206
Registered Nurse Level 4 Grade 3$3,142.94$82.71$163,994
Registered Nurse Level 5 Grade 4$3,357.47$88.35$175,188
Registered Nurse Level 5 Grade 5$3,732.95$98.24$194,780
Registered Nurse Level 5 Grade 6$4,108.41$108.12$214,371

Ways to earn more

  • Management grades run from $2,767.61/wk (RN Level 4 Grade 1) to $4,108.41/wk (RN Level 5 Grade 6) — grade rises with the size and complexity of the unit or facility, so moving to a larger service is a direct pay step.
  • Use Higher Duties Allowance when you act up: you are paid the difference to the lowest salary point of the higher position (or the next point above your current rate), and it counts toward your incremental progression.
  • Keep claiming the qualification allowance — a postgraduate qualification in management or education is recognised at 4.5% (Diploma/second degree) or 5.5% (Masters) of the RN minimum, up to about $175/fortnight.
  • Bank the $750/yr Professional Development Allowance each July (≥0.5 FTE, AHPRA-registered; $375 below 0.5 FTE).

Pay grade in most public awards is driven by the size/complexity of the unit or facility you manage (a role-evaluation/'span of control' assessment), not by years of service — so moving to a larger hospital is often the real mechanism for a pay step up.

Allowances you can claim

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

Professional Development Allowance$750/yr (>=0.5 FTE, AHPRA-registered) or $375/yr if below 0.5 FTE.
Annual cash allowance to support professional development, paid automatically in the first full pay period in July each year (from July 2024). $750 if you work at or above 0.5 FTE and are AHPRA-registered, otherwise $375.
Postgraduate / further-education qualification allowance$101.78–$175.00/fortnight (from 04/12/25); the rate depends on your qualification level.
Fortnightly allowance for holding a qualification ADDITIONAL to the one needed to register. EN with further quals 3.5%; RN/RM Honours/Conversion degree or Postgraduate Certificate also 3.5%, with higher rates for a Postgraduate Diploma or above.
Higher Duties AllowanceDifference up to the higher position's pay.
Payable when you perform the duties of a higher position. Counts for incremental progression and continues during paid leave you would otherwise have worked. Where you perform the duties of a higher position, the allowance is based on the lowest salary point of that higher classification (or the next point up if your current salary already meets or exceeds it).
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.
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 it doesn't reduce any penalty or allowance.

Where it leads next

Step up from here: Nurse Manager → Director of Nursing — see exactly what each step takes →

Frequently asked questions

How much does a nurse manager earn in Australian Capital Territory?
In Australian Capital Territory public health, a nurse manager earns from $2,767.61 per week ($144,410 a year) to $4,108.41 ($214,371) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
What is the starting nurse manager salary in Australian Capital Territory?
A first-step nurse manager in Australian Capital Territory starts at $2,767.61 per week — about $144,410 a year ($72.83 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.

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.