Australian Capital Territory Registered Nurse Pay 2025–26
ACT registered nurses are paid on a Level 1 pay-point scale, then step up to Levels 2–5 for the senior clinical and management roles. Canberra Health Services also offers public-hospital salary packaging.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Student Nurse | $1,327.02 | $34.92 | $69,242 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 | $1,590.56 | $41.86 | $82,993 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 2 | $1,647.73 | $43.36 | $85,976 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 3 | $1,710.66 | $45.02 | $89,260 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 4 | $1,785.45 | $46.99 | $93,162 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 5 | $1,860.30 | $48.96 | $97,068 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 6 | $1,935.09 | $50.92 | $100,970 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 7 | $2,009.89 | $52.89 | $104,873 |
| Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 8 | $2,084.76 | $54.86 | $108,780 |
Ways to earn more
- Climb your annual increments — the registered-nurse scale runs from $1,327.02 to $2,084.76 a week before penalties.
- Step into the senior clinical grades (from $2,162.59/wk for Registered Nurse Level 2 Pay Point 1) — the biggest pay jump beyond your increments.
- Work nights and weekends, and salary-package about $11,660 a year tax-free.
Allowances you can claim
On top of base pay — the allowances most relevant to this role.
Leave, study & the full conditions
Leave and study support (annual, parental, long-service, study leave, the career-break scheme), the overtime, minimum-break and on-call rules, and the complete allowance list apply across all Australian Capital Territory nurse classifications — see the full 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.