New South Wales Enrolled Nurse Pay 2025–26
Enrolled nurses in NSW have their own scale — and their own pay levers that many never claim: the medication-administration qualification, the EN Continuing Education Allowance, and the Special Grade.
Pay scale
Base rates, in force from 1 July 2025 — before penalties, allowances and overtime.
| Step | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without medication qual — 1st year | $1,365.70 | $35.94 | $71,260 |
| Without medication qual — 2nd year | $1,395.70 | $36.73 | $72,826 |
| Without medication qual — 3rd year | $1,425.40 | $37.51 | $74,375 |
| Without medication qual — 4th year | $1,455.80 | $38.31 | $75,962 |
| Without medication qual — 5th year & thereafter | $1,486.60 | $39.12 | $77,569 |
| Without medication qual — Special Grade | $1,532.80 | $40.34 | $79,979 |
| With medication qual — 1st year | $1,395.70 | $36.73 | $72,826 |
| With medication qual — 2nd year | $1,425.40 | $37.51 | $74,375 |
| With medication qual — 3rd year | $1,455.80 | $38.31 | $75,962 |
| With medication qual — 4th year | $1,486.60 | $39.12 | $77,569 |
| With medication qual — 5th year & thereafter | $1,516.60 | $39.91 | $79,134 |
| With medication qual — Special Grade | $1,563.00 | $41.13 | $81,555 |
Ways to earn more
- Get your medicines-administration qualification — it moves you off the lower ‘without medication’ scale (1st year $1,365.70/wk) onto the full EN scale (1st year $1,395.70/wk) and every step above.
- Claim the EN Continuing Education Allowance: $37.20/wk for a relevant Certificate IV, or $46.70/wk for an Advanced Diploma of Nursing — on top of base, paid on leave. A permanent top-up many ENs miss.
- Reach EN Special Grade ($1,563.00/wk) with an Advanced Certificate plus six years' experience (including three in the relevant clinical area).
- All the shift penalties, allowances and salary packaging apply to you too.
Allowances you can claim
On top of base pay — the allowances most relevant to this role.
Where it leads next
Study to register as a registered nurse — the RN scale starts at $1,521.10/wk and runs to $2,135.50/wk.
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 New South Wales nurse classifications — see the full New South Wales nurse pay & conditions guide.
Pay figures are drawn from the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025 (Serial C10152). Confirm your exact classification, step and allowances against the current instrument and your payslip.