New South Wales Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing) Pay 2025–26
The management track — nursing/midwifery unit managers, nurse managers, and directors of nursing. Pay is driven by the size and complexity of the unit or facility you run, so a bigger hospital means a higher grade.
In New South Wales public health, a nurse manager earns from $2,671.50 per week ($139,395 a year) to $4,252.70 ($221,900) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
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 1 July 2025 — before penalties, allowances and overtime. Entry rate shown for each level/grade (1 July 2025); each has its own increments.
| Grade | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing / Midwifery Unit Manager Level 1 | $2,679.30 | $70.51 | $139,802 |
| Nursing / Midwifery Unit Manager Level 2 | $2,806.20 | $73.85 | $146,424 |
| Nursing / Midwifery Unit Manager Level 3 | $2,881.70 | $75.83 | $150,363 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 1 | $2,671.50 | $70.30 | $139,395 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 2 | $2,780.00 | $73.16 | $145,056 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 3 | $2,944.30 | $77.48 | $153,629 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 4 | $3,107.80 | $81.78 | $162,161 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 5 | $3,270.60 | $86.07 | $170,655 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 6 | $3,435.10 | $90.40 | $179,239 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 7 | $3,707.10 | $97.56 | $193,431 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 8 | $3,980.60 | $104.75 | $207,702 |
| Nurse / Midwife Manager Grade 9 | $4,252.70 | $111.91 | $221,900 |
Ways to earn more
- Nursing/Midwifery Unit Manager Levels 1–3 ($2,679.30–$2,881.70/wk) run a ward or unit — a larger or more complex unit is a higher level.
- Directors of Nursing, their deputies and assistants, and other nurse managers are paid on the Nurse/Midwife Manager grades 1–9 ($2,671.50–$4,252.70/wk). Your grade is set by the size and complexity (role evaluation) of your facility, so moving to a bigger hospital is a direct pay step.
- The Continuing Education Allowance ($50.60–$91.40/wk) still applies to nurse managers whose role is more than 50% clinical.
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.
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 New South Wales?
What is the starting nurse manager salary in New South Wales?
Do New South Wales nurses get paid more for nights and weekends?
Annual, parental, long-service and study leave, plus overtime, on-call and the full allowance list, are set out in the 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.