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Home › Nursing pay › New South Wales › Registered Nurse

New South Wales Registered Nurse Pay 2026

A registered nurse in NSW public health is paid on an eight-year incremental scale, then steps up to senior clinical and management grades. Here's the RN scale and the levers that lift it.

$81,748Starting salary at the first standard step ($41.23 an hour), before penalties and allowances.
$114,772Top of the scale on this page (8th year and thereafter, $57.88 an hour).
Enrolled NurseAssistant in NursingClinical Nurse (CNS / CNC / NP)Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing)

Pay scale

Base rates, in force from 1 July 2026, before penalties, allowances and overtime.

StepWeeklyHourlyAnnualised
Pre-registration$1,350.70$35.54$70,478
1st year$1,566.70$41.23$81,748
2nd year$1,651.70$43.47$86,183
3rd year$1,737.00$45.71$90,634
4th year$1,828.50$48.12$95,409
5th year$1,919.20$50.51$100,141
6th year$2,009.50$52.88$104,853
7th year$2,112.80$55.60$110,243
8th year and thereafter$2,199.60$57.88$114,772
Estimate your take-home →
★ The pay jump above the top RN rate: Clinical Nurse Specialist
Clinical Nurse Specialist Grade 1 pays $2,289.00/wk — above even the top (8th-year) RN rate of $2,199.60, and well above where most RNs sit. It isn't reserved for veterans: you qualify with a relevant postgraduate qualification plus 12 months in that specialty, or four years' experience including three in the specialty. Most nurses who are eligible never apply.

Becoming a registered nurse

A Registered Nurse (RN, Division 1) practises to the full scope of nursing: assessing, planning, delivering and evaluating care, autonomously and in teams. RNs delegate to and supervise Enrolled Nurses and AINs, and stay accountable for the decision to delegate.

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

Ways to earn more

  • Step up a year every 12 months — the RN scale runs from $1,566.70/wk in your 1st year to $2,199.60/wk at the 8th year, about $33,000 a year more for the same role.
  • Get a relevant postgraduate qualification: the Continuing Education Allowance adds $52.10–$94.10/wk on top of base (about $2,720/yr for a postgrad certificate up to ~$4,910/yr for a masters or doctorate), paid even on leave.
  • Take in-charge shifts: $44.79 per shift when you're the designated shift coordinator, more when you're also in charge of the hospital.
  • Work nights and weekends (night +20%, Saturday +50%, Sunday +75%) 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.

Continuing Education Allowance$52.10–$94.10/wk
On top of base for a relevant postgraduate qualification: about $2,720/yr (postgrad certificate) up to ~$4,910/yr (masters or doctorate), paid even on leave.
In-charge / shift coordinator$44.79/shift
When you're the designated nurse in charge of a ward and the NUM isn't rostered; rises to $67.19–$85.88 if you're also in charge of the hospital.
On-call & recall$4.90/hr (min $39.20)
On-call availability per hour (higher on a rostered day off); a recall from home guarantees a minimum 4 hours at overtime rates.
Uniform allowance$13.06/wk
Paid if the employer doesn't supply your uniform: a $9.97 uniform allowance plus $3.09 for shoes (and $3.00 more if it includes a cardigan or jacket).
Laundry allowance$8.32/wk
If the employer doesn't launder your uniform; also payable if you give direct clinical care without being required to wear one.
Rural & remote$5.03–$9.87/wk + more
Climatic allowance west of the Tocumwal–Bonshaw line, higher Isolation allowance further west; Tibooburra/Ivanhoe add $44.36/wk plus 7 extra leave days.
Salary packaging~$11,660/yr tax-free
About $9,010 of everyday expenses + ~$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

From here you can move into the senior clinical and management grades — clinical nurse specialist, educator, consultant, unit manager or nurse practitioner.

Step up from here: Senior clinical roles – CNS, CNC, Nurse Educator, Nurse Practitioner · Nurse management – NUM, Nurse Manager, Director of Nursing — see exactly what each step takes →

Frequently asked questions

How much does a registered nurse earn in New South Wales?
In New South Wales public health, a registered nurse earns from $1,566.70 per week ($81,748 a year) to $2,199.60 ($114,772) across the scale, before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
What is the starting registered nurse salary in New South Wales?
A first-step registered nurse in New South Wales starts at $1,566.70 per week, about $81,748 a year ($41.23 an hour), before penalties and allowances.
Do New South Wales nurses get paid more for nights and weekends?
Yes. On top of base pay, New South Wales 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 New South Wales nurse pay & conditions guide.

Work out your pay
Take-home calculator → NSW penalty & on-call rates Compare states
Keep more of it
Salary packaging Packaging calculator HECS/HELP Agency vs permanent

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.

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