Nurse Practitioner Pay by State (2026): Public-Sector Base Rates

What a Nurse Practitioner (NP) is paid in the Australian public system depends on the state and, crucially, on how each system classifies the role. Some states publish a distinct NP pay line; others fold NP into a senior-nurse grade. Here is the current public-sector award/EBA base rate for every state and territory, straight from the primary instruments — with any figure not yet confirmed to a primary source flagged as unverified.

Nurse Practitioner base pay by state (public sector)

Base rates are the ordinary-hours award/EBA figures from each state's public-sector Nurses and Midwives instrument (see Sources). Do not read a weekly figure as if it were annual, or vice versa — as a rough guide, annual ÷ 52.18 ≈ weekly on a 38-hour ordinary week, but the exact conversion depends on each instrument. Bars compare each state's top listed figure against the highest in its own unit group only (weekly vs weekly, annual vs annual) — never across units. For South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory the classification is confirmed but the current dollar figures are not yet verified against the official instrument, so no number is shown for those states.

Top-step base on one basis (indicative)

*NSW and VIC annualised from their weekly rates × 52.18 (38-hour ordinary week) — indicative only; the weekly figures in the table are the facts. QLD is before its NP allowance. WA is the SRN/M Level 3 floor. SA, TAS and NT are omitted pending primary verification.

Distinct NP line vs folded into a senior grade

The single biggest thing to understand about NP pay is that states don't structure it the same way:

• Distinct NP pay line — NSW, VIC, QLD, TAS, ACT. The instrument names the classification (the table shows each state's exact line and steps).
• Folded into a senior grade — WA and SA. WA has no separate NP salary: NPs are classified Senior Registered Nurse at not less than SRN/M Level 3, with the actual level set by a work-value assessment. SA folds NP into the multi-classified RN/M Level 4 band.
• NT is a hybrid. Endorsed NP = Nurse 6 band (NP Candidate = Nurse 5), and because a Clinical Nurse Consultant also sits at Nurse 6, the exact pay-point depends on the position.

Queensland's separate Nurse Practitioner allowance

Queensland is the clearest example of why a base rate alone understates NP pay:

• $157,579–$164,519/yr — the Nurse Grade 8 base, from 1 April 2026.
• $236.25/fortnight — the separate Nurse Practitioner allowance under Clause 32 of the certified agreement, paid to endorsed NPs who are employed or required to practise as an NP.
• QLD effectively "folds" NP into Grade 8 base plus an allowance rather than a single higher scale — any comparison that ignores the allowance undercounts Queensland.
• Several jurisdictions also pay post-graduate qualification allowances on top of base; check your own instrument for what applies.

A note on South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory

For these three, we can confirm how the NP is classified from the primary agreements — SA at RN/M Level 4, TAS at Registered Nurse Grade 8, NT in the Nurse 6 band — but we have not been able to confirm the current dollar figures against the official government instrument, and in Tasmania's case secondary sources even disagree about which grade the NP sits at. Until those figures are verified, the table links the official instrument for each so the current rate can be read at source:

• South Australia is also mid-cycle: the agreement nominally expired on 31 July 2025, with a +4% increase backdated to 1 January 2026 (and a further +2% from October 2026) under an interim deal, and a replacement agreement being negotiated. Verify the RN/M Level 4 rate on the SA Health enterprise-agreement page.
• Tasmania: the "Grade 8 = Nurse Practitioner" classification is verified from the primary agreement, but the dollar figures are not — verify on the Tasmanian Department of Health salary-rates page.
• Northern Territory: the Nurse 6 band mapping is confirmed, but verify the current Nurse 6 pay-points on the OCPE rates-of-pay page and note the pay-point can vary by role.

To see these rates on your own tax, super and roster, model your state and step in the nurse take-home calculator, or compare base rates across grades on nurse pay by state. One caution when comparing: "top step" isn't equivalent everywhere — NSW/VIC/QLD have multiple NP increments, the ACT publishes a single rate, and WA/SA depend on where the role is assessed on the senior-nurse scale.

FAQ

Sources & methodology

Base rates and classifications are drawn from each state's current public-sector Nurses and Midwives award or enterprise agreement. NSW, VIC, QLD, WA and ACT figures are confirmed to the primary instrument. For South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory the classification is primary-verified but the current dollar figure is not yet confirmed to a primary source, so those cells link the official instrument for verification rather than stating a number. All figures are award/EBA base for ordinary hours and exclude super, penalties, overtime, on-call and allowances. Nothing here is personal financial advice.