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Midwife Pay in Australia: The Same Base Scale as Nurses

The single most useful fact about midwife pay in Australia's public hospitals: in every state and territory, registered midwives are paid on the same base classification scale as registered nurses. The governing instruments are all joint "Nurses and Midwives" awards and agreements. Base pay is identical — with midwife-specific allowances paid on top in several states.

The short version

Every public-sector instrument is a single combined Nurses and Midwives award or agreement — there is no standalone "midwife award".
Registered nurses and registered midwives sit on one shared classification scale at identical base pay points (QLD maps both to "Nurse Grade 5"; VIC uses a shared "RN/M" pay code; WA's salary column is headed "Registered Nurse/Midwife").
Base pay is identical, but total pay can differ: several states add midwife-specific allowances on top (see the note below the table). So a midwife's total can sit slightly above an otherwise-identical nurse's.
Because the base tracks the nurse scale exactly, the current base figures are on nurse pay by state — they apply unchanged to midwives at the same grade and year.

Same scale, state by state

Each row below names the state's current public-sector instrument, confirms it is a joint nurses-and-midwives instrument, and shows how the salary schedule labels the shared classification. Where a base figure is verified against the primary instrument, it is shown as an illustrative rate in that instrument's own unit (some states set weekly rates, others annual — these are not converted). Where the current dollar figures could not yet be verified against the primary source, the rate cell links to the award instead of showing an unconfirmed number.

State	Joint Nurses & Midwives instrument?	Shared salary label	Illustrative base rate (nurse = midwife)	Midwife allowance on top?
New South Wales (NSW)	Yes	Yes — “Registered Nurse/Midwife”	$1,521.10/wk (Year 1) → $2,135.50/wk (Year 8+) (weekly; eff. 1 Jul 2025)	—
Victoria (VIC)	Yes	Yes — shared “RN/M” pay code	$1,972.80/wk (RN/Midwife Grade 2, Year 7) (weekly; in-force 11 May 2026 column)	Endorsed Midwife + Sole Midwife allowances
Queensland (QLD)	Yes	Yes — both mapped to “Nurse Grade 5”	$77,197 → $103,808 p.a. (Nurse Grade 5, re-entry → NG5.7) (annual; eff. 1 Sep 2025)	New Endorsed Midwifery Allowance (EB12)
Western Australia (WA)	Yes	Yes — column headed “Registered Nurse/Midwife”	$82,945 p.a. (RN/Midwife Level 1.1) (annual; eff. 12 Oct 2025)	Midwife Endorsement + postgraduate qualification allowances
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)	Yes	Yes — “Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife”	$82,993 p.a. (RN/Midwife Level 1, increment 1) (annual; in-force 4 Dec 2025 column)	—
South Australia (SA)	Yes	Yes — combined “Nurse/Midwife” ladder (Levels 1–6)	See SA award → (current rate unconfirmed — verify against the primary instrument)	—
Tasmania (TAS)	Yes	Joint award; midwives on the RN levels (no separate midwife scale)	See TAS award → (current rate unconfirmed — verify against the primary instrument)	Postgraduate qualification allowance

Units differ by state and are not converted: NSW and VIC set weekly base rates, while QLD, WA and ACT set annual salaries — compare within a unit, not across. VIC and ACT rate tables have multiple dated columns; the figures shown are the currently in-force column (VIC's 10 May 2027 column and any future step are not used). South Australia and Tasmania: the joint-scale structure is confirmed (one combined Nurse/Midwife ladder; in TAS midwives sit on the Registered Nurse levels), but the current dollar figures were not verified against the primary instruments, so no SA/TAS number is stated here — follow the award link. SA's 2022 agreement nominally expired 31 July 2025, so check whether a replacement has commenced. The Northern Territory is not shown on this page; see its base rates on nurse pay by state.

Base pay is identical — total pay isn't

This is the nuance a fact-checking midwife will notice. The base classification rate is the same for a registered nurse and a registered midwife on the same grade and year. But midwifery attracts extra pay elements that a general nurse doesn't:

Victoria pays an Endorsed Midwife Allowance and a Sole Midwife Allowance on top of the shared base.
Western Australia pays a Midwife Endorsement Allowance (plus a percentage postgraduate-qualification allowance).
Queensland's current agreement (EB12) introduced a new Endorsed Midwifery Allowance.
Tasmania and WA pay a percentage postgraduate qualification allowance for relevant qualifications.

These are allowances and endorsement loadings, not a different base classification. So it is accurate to say base pay is identical, and that an endorsed or qualified midwife can earn more total pay than a nurse on the same scale — but it would be wrong to say midwives are simply "paid exactly the same" full stop, and equally wrong to imply a separate higher midwife base rate. Check the specific allowance figure in your state's instrument.

How to become a registered midwife

There are three education pathways to registration as a midwife, all approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). All lead to registration with the NMBA, administered through Ahpra:

Direct-entry Bachelor of Midwifery. An undergraduate degree (about three years full-time). No prior nursing registration is required — you qualify directly as a registered midwife.
Postgraduate midwifery (for existing registered nurses). If you are already a registered nurse (typically with a Bachelor of Nursing plus recent post-registration experience), a postgraduate qualification such as a Graduate Diploma of Midwifery (about 12–18 months) — or a two-year graduate-entry Bachelor of Midwifery — leads to midwife registration.
Dual Bachelor of Nursing / Bachelor of Midwifery. A combined double degree (about four years) that qualifies you for registration as BOTH a registered nurse and a registered midwife.

The postgraduate route (pathway 2) requires you to already be a registered nurse; the direct-entry Bachelor of Midwifery (pathway 1) does not require prior nursing registration; the dual degree (pathway 3) gives you both registrations. NMBA registers practitioners, Ahpra administers registration, and ANMAC accredits the courses.

So how much does a midwife actually earn?

Because the base is the registered-nurse scale, the answer is: look up the RN rate for your state, grade and year of service, then add any midwife allowance that applies. We keep the current base rates on one page rather than restating a full rate table here — see nurse pay by state, and model tax, super and HECS on your own numbers in the nurse take-home calculator. A midwife's "entry rate" is simply the registered-nurse Year 1 rate on the same scale — there is no separate midwife starting figure to invent.

Public sector only. Everything above is about public-sector awards and agreements, where midwife base pay equals nurse base pay. Private-hospital midwives are paid under each employer's own enterprise agreement or the national Nurses Award 2020 safety net, and privately practising or eligible midwives (who can attract Medicare items) earn on a fee/business basis. Don't apply these public-sector figures to private or self-employed midwives.

FAQ

Do midwives get paid the same as registered nurses in Australia's public hospitals?

Yes — in every state and territory's public-sector instrument, base pay is identical. The governing awards/agreements are all joint 'Nurses and Midwives' instruments and put registered nurses and registered midwives on ONE shared classification scale at the same pay points. QLD maps both to 'Nurse Grade 5'; VIC uses a single 'RN/M' pay code for both; WA's salary table column is literally headed 'Registered Nurse/Midwife'; NSW, ACT, SA and TAS do the same. The one nuance: several states add a midwife-specific ALLOWANCE (e.g. an Endorsed Midwife Allowance) on top of the identical base, so a midwife's total pay can be slightly higher — but the base classification rate is the same.

Which state has the highest midwife (and nurse) base pay?

Because base midwife pay tracks the registered-nurse scale exactly, the ranking mirrors RN pay. As of the current in-force instruments, Victoria and the ACT sit toward the top of the combined base scale, with WA, NSW and QLD close behind; exact ordering depends on grade/year and which increment date is in force. Use the repo's existing RN state rates — they apply unchanged to midwives at the same classification and year of service. (Cite the specific in-force figure per state at build; do not average across states.)

How do you become a registered midwife in Australia?

There are three NMBA-approved, ANMAC-accredited education pathways to registration as a midwife: (1) a direct-entry Bachelor of Midwifery (undergraduate, ~3 years full-time); (2) for existing registered nurses, a postgraduate qualification such as a Graduate Diploma of Midwifery (~12–18 months, typically requiring a Bachelor of Nursing plus recent post-registration experience) — or a 2-year graduate-entry Bachelor of Midwifery; and (3) a dual/double Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery (~4 years), which qualifies you for registration as BOTH a registered nurse and a registered midwife. All pathways lead to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) via Ahpra.

Is there a separate 'midwife award' or a different midwife pay rate?

No. There is no standalone midwife wage scale in any Australian public-sector system. Each jurisdiction has a single combined 'Nurses and Midwives' award or enterprise agreement in which midwives are classified and paid on the registered-nurse ladder. The only midwife-specific pay elements are ALLOWANCES (e.g. Victoria's Endorsed Midwife Allowance and Sole Midwife Allowance, WA's Midwife Endorsement Allowance, and Queensland EB12's new Endorsed Midwifery Allowance) — these are paid on top of the identical base rate, not as a different base classification.

Does being endorsed or having a postgraduate midwifery qualification increase pay?

It can, through allowances rather than a change of base grade. Instruments pay a qualification/endorsement allowance for relevant postgraduate midwifery qualifications or endorsement (for example WA and Tasmania pay a percentage post-graduate qualification allowance; VIC/WA/QLD pay endorsed-midwife allowances). Progression up the base scale is still by year of service on the shared RN/Midwife classification. Check the specific allowance rate in the relevant state's instrument.

Do private-hospital or self-employed midwives earn the same as public-sector midwives?

Not necessarily. The parity thesis on this page is about PUBLIC-SECTOR instruments, where midwife base pay equals RN base pay. Private-hospital pay is set by each employer's own enterprise agreement or the national Nurses Award 2020 safety net, and privately practising/eligible midwives (who can attract Medicare items) earn on a fee/business basis. Do not apply the public-sector parity figures to private or self-employed midwives without a separate source.

Sources & methodology

The joint-scale thesis is confirmed at the instrument level from each state's current public-sector Nurses and Midwives award or agreement (linked below). Verified base figures are shown in each instrument's own unit (weekly or annual) with an effective date, and are not converted. South Australian and Tasmanian dollar figures are not stated here because they could not be verified against the primary instruments at build time — the joint-scale structure is confirmed, but the rate cells link to the award rather than quote an unconfirmed number. The registration pathways are drawn from the NMBA and ANMAC. The base rates that apply to midwives are maintained on our nurse pay dataset; this page links to them rather than restating a full table.