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Queensland Nurse Pay & Conditions 2025–26
What Queensland Health nurses and midwives are entitled to in 2025–26, and where the money is.
Pay pages by role:
Assistant in Nursing · Enrolled Nurse · Registered Nurse · Clinical Nurse (senior clinical grades) · Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing)
Ways to maximise your income
- Sunday is now DOUBLE TIME for every grade on ordinary hours — under the superseded Award most nurses only got time-and-three-quarters, so the agreement is a real uplift; a Sunday night shift also pays a 25% night penalty after midnight
- Under-claimed money: every permanent Nurse Grade 3+ working 16+ hrs/fortnight is paid a CASH professional development allowance of $2,235-$3,726/yr (by facility category) ON TOP of salary, paid automatically each March and September — plus 3 paid PD days/yr and up to 5 paid seminar/conference days (incl. overseas).
- Rural/remote is the biggest single lever: RANIP isolation bonuses pay $3,605 at 1 year, then $10,815 at 2 years, then $7,210 every subsequent year, and RANIP nurses get a minimum 2 weeks paid PD leave plus reimbursed travel/enrolment/conference costs topped up to the Category B allowance value.
- Postgraduate study pays twice: a relevant grad cert/grad dip/2nd degree gives RNs (Grade 5-7 & 9) an extra paypoint AND a 3.5% all-purpose qualification allowance; a masters or PhD attracts 5.5% — both calculated on the NG5 paypoint 7 rate and counting for super and leave. From 1 July 2026 ENs (Grade 3-4) get a parallel 3.5%/5.5% allowance on NG3 pp5
- Break-protection money: if you're denied the minimum 10-hour break between shifts (or 8 hours by written agreement), you're paid DOUBLE RATES until released from duty; after overtime you must get 10 consecutive hours off without loss of pay, or double rates if directed back early
- Recall guarantees: an on-call nurse physically recalled gets a minimum 3 hours at overtime rate (2 hours for AINs) with travel counted as worked, and a telephone/remote recall — a NEW EB12 provision not in the old Award — guarantees a minimum 1 hour at overtime rate per call.
Registered nurse pay scale
Base rates, in force from 1 April 2026 — before penalties, allowances and overtime.
| Step | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Re-entry | $1,599.60 | $42.09 | $83,465 |
| Pay point 1 | $1,674.40 | $44.06 | $87,368 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,753.06 | $46.13 | $91,472 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,831.96 | $48.21 | $95,589 |
| Pay point 4 | $1,910.65 | $50.28 | $99,695 |
| Pay point 5 | $1,989.65 | $52.36 | $103,817 |
| Pay point 6 | $2,068.70 | $54.44 | $107,942 |
| Pay point 7 | $2,147.70 | $56.52 | $112,064 |
Progression beyond the base scale
Senior and specialty grades — the pay step up, and what each takes.
| Grade | Pay | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled Nurse (Nurse Grade 3) pay | $73,371-$77,869/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Enrolled Nurse registered with AHPRA. Engaged at paypoint 2 unless re-entry. |
| Enrolled Nurse Advanced Skill (Nurse Grade 4) pay | $80,175-$85,077/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Enrolled Nurse with advanced skills. |
| Registered Nurse/Midwife (Nurse Grade 5) pay | $85,236-$109,330/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Registered Nurse/Midwife registered with AHPRA. Progress by annual increment (12 months/paypoint). |
| New Nurse Grade 5 paypoint 8 | $122,873/yr (from 1 Dec 2027) | Nurse Grade 5 RNs; from 1 December 2027 onward. |
| Clinical Nurse (Nurse Grade 6 Band 1) pay | $111,198-$119,072/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Registered Nurse promoted to Clinical Nurse (Grade 6 Band 1) — by promotion only. |
| Associate CNC / Associate NUM / Associate Educator (Nurse Grade 6 Band 2) pay | $124,991-$127,616/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Promotion to a Grade 6 Band 2 associate-leadership role. |
| Clinical Nurse Consultant / Nurse Unit Manager / Nurse Educator (Nurse Grade 7) pay | $136,538-$148,242/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Promotion to a Grade 7 senior clinical/management role. |
| Nurse Practitioner (Nurse Grade 8) pay | $153,736-$160,507/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Endorsed Nurse Practitioner / RN in a Grade 8 position. |
| Director-level roles (Nurse Grades 9-13) pay | $157,018-$257,345/yr (from 1 Apr 2025) | Promotion to nursing/midwifery director and executive roles. |
Allowances you can claim & rural/remote
Salary sacrificing — up to 50% of salaryUp to 50% of salary; up to 100% for superannuation
Permanent and fixed-term full-time/part-time staff and long-term casuals may salary-sacrifice up to 50% of their EB12 salary (and Paid Parental Leave payments), or up to…
FBT exemption capFBT exemption cap (dollar amount set by FBT legislation, not stated in Agreement)
Queensland Health public-hospital nurses/midwives can access the FBT exemption cap — the generous tax concession that makes novated leases and living-expense packaging…
RANIP annual isolation bonus$3,605 (after yr 1); $10,815 (after yr 2); $7,210 (after yr 3 & each subsequent yr) — from date of certification
Nurses/midwives in a designated RANIP location (Modified Monash MM6 remote or MM7 very-remote site listed in HR Policy C2 RANIP) get an annual isolation bonus paid as a…
RANIP designation — Modified Monash MM6/MM7 locationsMM6 (remote) and MM7 (very remote)
The Modified Monash Model classifies sites; locations at MM6 (remote) and MM7 (very remote) may be designated RANIP locations. From 1 July 2026 all MM6 and MM7 locations…
Remote flexible roster — employer-paid travel & accommodationEmployer meets all reasonable travel + provides accommodation
For hard-to-fill MM6/MM7 posts the employer may offer a remote flexible roster (like purchased leave): you set aside salary to fund block periods of leave to travel away…
Relocation / transfer / removal expensesReasonable relocation, transfer, board, lodging & taking-up-duty costs
Nurse Grade 9 employees and RANIP employees are entitled to reasonable relocation and transfer expenses — to move themselves, family and belongings to the new centre, to…
Travelling & relieving expensesActual and reasonable accommodation, meals & incidentals
Any nurse/midwife required to travel on official duty, relieve away from their usual workplace, or perform special duty is allowed actual and reasonable expenses for…
Transfer out of isolated location after 3 yearsRight to transfer to a more favourable locality
Public Service, Eventide Homes (Grade 5+) and Correctional Health Services employees who have served 3+ years continuously in an isolated location are entitled to be…
Locality allowanceSet by government Directive (no figure in this instrument)
A locality allowance applies to Eventide Homes, Public Service, Correctional Health Services, Psychiatric Hospital (Grades 1-8) and Biala employees, but the actual…
Qualification & advanced qualification allowance3.5% (qualification) / 5.5% (advanced) of the Nurse Grade 5 wage rate
A registered nurse (Grades 5-7 and 9) with a recognised post-registration qualification gets a qualification allowance of 3.5%, or an advanced qualification allowance of…
Enrolled nurse qualification allowance3.5% (qualification) / 5.5% (advanced) of the Nurse Grade 3 wage rate
An enrolled nurse (Nurse Grade 3) with a recognised qualification gets 3.5%, or 5.5% for an advanced qualification, of the Nurse Grade 3 wage rate, payable for all…
Endorsed Midwife allowance$211.80/fortnight (new, from 1 July 2026; then $217.10, $223.62 from 1 Dec 2027)
A new Endorsed Midwife allowance of $211.80 per fortnight commences 1 July 2026, paid on all hours including overtime, pro-rata for part-timers, and included as salary…
Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (NUM/MUM) allowanceNew three-tiered allowance from 1 December 2027
A new three-tiered NUM/MUM allowance is introduced from 1 December 2027, payable pro-rata for part-time and casual employees. It is NOT an all-purpose allowance.…
Professional development allowanceCat B $3,726/yr; Cat A $2,981/yr; Cat C $2,235/yr (Sep 2025 + Mar 2026 instalments)
Permanent Nurse Grade 3 and above working 16+ hours per fortnight get a professional development allowance, pro-rata, set by facility category.…
X-ray and radium allowance$28.02/fortnight (from 1 April 2025; rising to $28.72, $29.44, $30.32)
An employee who wears a required lead apron, or uses/assists in using X-ray apparatus or radium, gets $28.02 per fortnight for each fortnight such duties are performed.…
Relieving in-charge allowance$16.51 per shift (from 1 April 2025; rising to $16.92, $17.34, $17.86)
Where a Nurse Grade 6 or above should normally be rostered in-charge but isn't, a designated Grade 5 employee acting in-charge is paid $16.51 per shift of ordinary hours…
Leave & study
Annual/recreation leave5 weeks / 190 hours
Full-time public hospital nurses/midwives (and most 7-day services) get 190 hours (5 weeks) paid annual leave per year after 12 months' continuous service. This includes…
Additional annual leave for shift/continuous-shift workers+1 week / +38 hours
On top of the base annual leave, employees on a 7-day rotating 3-shift roster (working all 3 shifts in rotation, with at least 20 night shifts/year for public hospital),…
Annual leave loading17.5% (day) / 27.5% (continuous shift)
During annual leave you are paid the GREATER of (a) the penalties you would have earned on your projected roster, or (b) a loading. Non-continuous shift workers and…
Annual leave at half paydouble the time
You can apply to take annual leave at half pay for double the calendar period. EB12 adds that such applications will not be unreasonably refused.
Paid parental leave (birth/primary carer) and adoption leave14 weeks paid
Eligible employees get 14 weeks paid parental leave (may be taken at half pay over 28 weeks) and 14 weeks paid adoption leave for the primary carer of the adopted child…
Parental leave
Parental leave (birth-related, adoption, surrogacy, cultural parent leave) is via QES Div 8 with EB12/Award enhancements. Employees returning from parental leave can…
Long service leave1.3 weeks per year of service
LSL accrues at 1.3 weeks paid leave for each year of continuous service. You can TAKE LSL on full or half pay after 7 years' continuous service; the full 10-year…
Professional development leave3 days (24 hours) per year
Permanent Nurse Grade 3 and above working 16+ hours/fortnight may be granted 3 days paid PD leave per year (pro rata for part-time) at single time, to attend approved PD…
Professional development allowance$2,235 - $3,726 per year (current Sep2025/Mar2026)
A permanent Nurse Grade 3+ working 16+ hours/fortnight is paid a CASH professional development allowance, pro rata, by facility category, on top of salary - paid in the…
Seminar and conference leaveup to 5 working days per year
Separate from the 3 PD days: leave to attend AND travel to/from an approved seminar or conference - within or outside Australia - may be granted up to a maximum of 5…
Paid travel time for professional developmentup to 8 hours single time per travel day
All reasonable travel time associated with accessing PD leave is paid work time, at the ordinary rate for the day(s) of travel, on the basis of no more than 8 hours…
PD leave & allowance for RANIP (remote) employeesminimum 2 weeks paid PD leave/year + cost reimbursement
Remote Area Nursing Incentive Package (RANIP) employees working 16+ hours/fortnight get, in lieu of the standard 3 days, a MINIMUM of 2 weeks paid PD leave per year…
More leave types
Personal leave
Personal leave (sick leave, carer's leave, bereavement leave and cultural leave) is provided via Division 6 of the QES. Sick leave can be used for carer's purposes;…
Cultural leaveup to 5 days per year (unpaid)
An employee of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin may take up to 5 days unpaid cultural leave each year (or more under HR Policy C7) for cultural…
Hours, overtime, breaks & on-call
Ordinary hours per week38 hrs/wk (max 80/fortnight)
Full-time ordinary hours are an average of 38 hours per week, capped at no more than 80 in any one fortnight, worked to a roster. This applies to…
How ordinary hours are rosteredshifts 4–10 hrs (or 8+ADO; up to 12 by agreement)
Ordinary shifts run either as 19 x 8-hour days plus one 8-hour ADO per four-weekly cycle, OR as shifts of not less than 4 and not exceeding 10 hours…
Roster notice period7 days (ordinary roster); 4 weeks (ADO roster)
Rosters showing rostered days and start/finish times must be displayed at least seven days before each four-weekly cycle starts. The roster of…
Maximum consecutive shifts / days10 consecutive days/shifts
No employee may be rostered to perform ordinary duty for more than 10 consecutive days or shifts unless mutually agreed otherwise. Each employee must…
Days off pattern2 consecutive days off per week
Each employee is allowed two whole consecutive rostered days off each week (excluding accrued days off). Alternatives in a fortnight: one day off one…
12-hour shift arrangements12 hrs max/day; max 4 consecutive 12-hr shifts
Where 12-hour shifts are introduced (voluntary, by agreement): maximum continuous ordinary hours is 12 in any one day. An employee may work a maximum…
Break between shifts after a 12-hour shift10 hours
An employee who completes a 12-hour shift must be allowed a break of 10 hours between the end of that shift and the start of another shift.
Minimum break between rostered shifts10 hrs (8 hrs by written agreement)
An employee must get a rest break of not less than 10 hours between the end of an ordinary shift and the start of the next. By written agreement…
Consequence if minimum break not givendouble rates until released
If the required 10-hour (or agreed 8-hour) break has not occurred, the employee is paid DOUBLE RATES until released from duty for the 8 or 10 hours.…
Afternoon shift penalty12.5% (15% for Nursing Grade 1)
An afternoon shift attracts a 12.5% allowance on all ordinary hours (15% for a Nursing Grade 1 / AIN employee). Does NOT apply to hours on a…
Night shift penalty20% (17.5% for Nursing Grade 1)
A night shift attracts a 20% allowance on all ordinary hours (17.5% for a Nursing Grade 1 / AIN employee). Does NOT apply to…
Sunday night shift penalty25%
EB12 sets the night shift allowance for all employees on a Sunday night shift at 25%. The Sunday penalty rate (double time) applies up to midnight,…
All figures are drawn from the Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (EB12) 2025, read with the Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health) Award – State 2015. Confirm your exact classification, step and allowances against the current instrument and your payslip.