Nurse Salary in Australia: RN and EN Pay by State (2026)
Public-hospital nurses are paid under a separate award or enterprise agreement in each state and territory. This guide sets out what registered and enrolled nurses earn in every state: annually, per month, per hour and after tax. Every base figure is a verbatim rate from the named instrument.
A graduate registered nurse earns a base salary of $77,824 to $87,368 in an Australian public hospital, depending on the state. Pay rises a step each year of service: the top of the standard RN scale is $102,295–$114,772 base. Shift penalties for afternoons, nights and weekends lift most nurses' actual earnings well above these figures.
Registered nurse salary by state
Base annual salary for ordinary hours, straight from each state's public-sector nursing award or agreement. Click a state for its full RN pay scale, every step included.
| State/Territory | RN starting step | RN top of scale | EN starting step |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales NSW | $81,748 | $114,772 | $73,400 |
| Victoria VIC | $84,477 | $107,879 | $67,394 |
| Queensland QLD | $87,368 | $112,064 | $75,205 |
| Western Australia WA | $82,945 | $106,630 | $69,076 |
| South Australia SA | $77,824 | $106,187 | $66,552 |
| Tasmania TAS | $80,524 | $102,295 | $73,109 |
| ACT ACT | $82,993 | $108,780 | $75,849 |
| Northern Territory NT | $80,665 | $107,800 | $71,359 |
"Starting step" is the first standard step of the RN scale (pre-registration, re-entry and trainee rows are skipped); "top of scale" is the highest standard RN step before senior classifications like clinical nurse. The EN column shows each state's lowest published EN starting step; some states publish separate without-medication or specialist EN scales, so the variants are not identical across states. Senior roles sit on their own scales; see each state's clinical nurse and nurse management pages.
Nurse salary per month
A starting RN's base salary works out to roughly $6,485 to $7,281 a month before tax: $6,485 in South Australia up to $7,281 in Queensland. At the top of the standard scale the range is $8,525 to $9,564 a month.
After tax and a HECS/HELP repayment, a starting RN on base hours keeps about $5,142 to $5,570 a month; see after tax. Hospitals pay fortnightly, not monthly, and most nurses earn shift penalties on top of these base amounts.
Nurse salary after tax
Estimated take-home pay for a starting RN on base hours only, using the nurse take-home calculator's 2026–27 settings: income tax, 2% Medicare levy and a HECS/HELP repayment; no penalties, overtime or salary packaging. Open a row in the calculator to model your actual roster.
| State/Territory | RN starting take-home /yr | ≈ per month | Model it |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $63,817 | $5,318 | Calculator → |
| Victoria | $65,283 | $5,440 | Calculator → |
| Queensland | $66,835 | $5,570 | Calculator → |
| Western Australia | $64,460 | $5,372 | Calculator → |
| South Australia | $61,709 | $5,142 | Calculator → |
| Tasmania | $63,159 | $5,263 | Calculator → |
| ACT | $64,486 | $5,374 | Calculator → |
| Northern Territory | $63,235 | $5,270 | Calculator → |
Two things reliably lift take-home above these base-hours figures: shift penalties (afternoon, night, weekend and public-holiday loadings, which differ by state and which most nurses earn every roster) and salary packaging, since most public-hospital nurses can package living expenses before tax. The nurse take-home calculator models both for your state and classification.
Nurse pay per hour
Every state's public-sector nursing scale is built on a 38-hour ordinary week, so hourly base pay is a clean like-for-like comparison. Starting RN base pay works out to $39.25 to $44.06 per ordinary hour; penalties are paid at loadings on top of these rates.
| State/Territory | RN starting /hr | RN top of scale /hr | EN starting /hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $41.23 | $57.88 | $37.02 |
| Victoria | $42.61 | $54.41 | $33.99 |
| Queensland | $44.06 | $56.52 | $37.93 |
| Western Australia | $41.83 | $53.78 | $34.84 |
| South Australia | $39.25 | $53.55 | $33.56 |
| Tasmania | $40.61 | $51.59 | $36.87 |
| ACT | $41.86 | $54.86 | $38.25 |
| Northern Territory | $40.68 | $54.37 | $35.99 |
Hourly figures are derived the same way as on every state page: the award's weekly rate ÷ 38 ordinary hours (annual ↔ weekly via 52.18 weeks). Afternoon, night, weekend, public-holiday and overtime work is paid at state-specific loadings on top; see the penalty rates guide.
Enrolled nurse salary
An enrolled nurse starts on $66,552 to $75,849 base depending on the state ($33.56–$38.25 an hour), on an incremental scale below the RN scale. Each state page shows the full EN ladder, and the how to become an EN guide covers the Diploma pathway and the EN to RN step-up.
Which state pays nurses the most?
On starting RN base pay, Queensland pays the most ($87,368) and South Australia the least ($77,824), but the ranking changes at the top of the scale, and again once each state's penalty loadings are counted. That question has its own tools:
Frequently asked questions
How much do nurses get paid in Australia?
A graduate registered nurse in an Australian public hospital starts on a base salary of $77,824 (South Australia) to $87,368 (Queensland), depending on the state, rising to $102,295–$114,772 at the top of the standard RN scale. Shift penalties for afternoons, nights and weekends are paid on top and lift most nurses' actual earnings well above base.
What is a registered nurse's salary per month?
A starting RN's base salary works out to roughly $6,485 to $7,281 a month before tax, depending on the state. After income tax, the Medicare levy and a HECS/HELP repayment, that is about $5,142 to $5,570 a month in the hand on base hours, before shift penalties, which most nurses earn every roster. Note hospitals pay fortnightly, not monthly.
How much does a nurse earn after tax?
On base hours alone, a starting RN takes home roughly $61,709 (South Australia) to $66,835 (Queensland) a year after tax, Medicare and HECS/HELP. Shift penalties and salary packaging both push take-home higher; the nurse take-home calculator models your actual roster and state.
What do nurses earn per hour in Australia?
Starting RN base pay works out to about $39.25 (South Australia) to $44.06 (Queensland) per ordinary hour on a 38-hour week. Afternoon, night, weekend and public-holiday shifts are paid at loadings on top of these base rates, and the loadings differ by state.
How much does an enrolled nurse earn?
An enrolled nurse starts on a base salary of $66,552 to $75,849 depending on the state ($33.56–$38.25 an hour), moving up an incremental scale with service. EN rates sit below RN rates in every state; each state page shows the full EN scale.
Which state pays nurses the most?
On starting RN base pay, Queensland pays the most ($87,368) and South Australia the least ($77,824), but the ranking changes at the top of the scale and again once penalties are included. The state-by-state comparison page ranks every state interactively, base and shift-loaded.
Do these figures include shift penalties?
No. Every figure on this page is the base award/agreement rate for ordinary hours. Afternoon, night, weekend and public-holiday loadings are paid on top and differ by state, as do overtime rules. Use the nurse take-home calculator to model your actual roster, and the penalty-rates guide for each state's loadings.
Sources
Every base figure on this page is a verbatim rate from one of these instruments
- New South Wales — Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025 (Serial C10152); rates effective 1 July 2026. View instrument.
- Victoria — Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) Single Interest Employer Agreement 2024-2028; rates effective 11 May 2026. View instrument.
- Queensland — Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (EB12) 2025; rates effective 1 April 2026. View instrument.
- Western Australia — WA Health System – ANF Industrial Agreement 2024; rates effective 12 October 2025. View instrument.
- South Australia — Nursing/Midwifery (SA Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022; rates effective 1 January 2026 (incl. 4% interim increase). View instrument.
- Tasmania — Nurses and Midwives (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2023; rates effective 1 December 2025. View instrument.
- ACT — ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026; rates effective 4 December 2025. View instrument.
- Northern Territory — Northern Territory Public Sector Nurses and Midwives' 2022-2026 Enterprise Agreement; rates effective 19 August 2025. View instrument.
After-tax estimates additionally use the 2026–27 tax brackets, 2% Medicare levy and 2026–27 HECS/HELP repayment thresholds (ATO). Estimates only, not financial advice.
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