South Australia Assistant in Nursing Pay 2025–26
Assistant in nursing is the entry classification in South Australian public health — often a foot in the door while studying.
In South Australia public health, an assistant in nursing earns from $1,177.84 per week ($61,458 a year) to $1,212.72 ($63,278) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
Becoming an assistant in nursing
An Assistant in Nursing (AIN — also called a nursing assistant or patient care assistant) gives hands-on care like hygiene, mobility, feeding, observations and ward support. AINs aren't nurses and have no scope of practice of their own: they work only on tasks delegated by, and under the supervision of, a Registered or Enrolled Nurse.
Full pathway: how to become an assistant in nursing in Australia →
Pay scale
Base rates, in force from 1 January 2026 (incl. 4% interim increase) — before penalties, allowances and overtime. Entry/each step shown (1 January 2026 (incl. 4% interim increase)).
| Step | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery — 1st increment | $1,177.84 | $31.00 | $61,458 |
| Assistant in Nursing/Midwifery — 2nd increment | $1,212.72 | $31.91 | $63,278 |
How to become an assistant in nursing
Ways to earn more
- The entry scale runs $1,177.84/wk (1st increment) to $1,212.72/wk (2nd) — the increment step is worth about $35/wk.
- Qualifying is the real jump: finishing the enrolled-nurse (Diploma) pathway moves you onto the EN scale from $1,275.46/wk, and the registered-nurse degree onto the RN scale from $1,491.50/wk.
- Working at a rural/remote (Zone 2–4) site adds the Service Incentive Payment — up to $6,696.80/yr (Zone 4, Year 5), plus a one-off relocation payment of $502–$837.
- Salary-package about $11,660/yr tax-free — it doesn't reduce any penalty or allowance.
Where it leads: enrolled nurse vs registered nurse
From here, the two routes into nursing practice are the enrolled-nurse (Diploma) and registered-nurse (degree) pathways — a real trade-off:
- No university degree — shorter and cheaper training
- Start earning as a nurse sooner
- Can later bridge to registered nurse
- Lower pay ceiling — the EN scale tops out well below the RN scale
- Narrower scope of practice (you work under an RN)
- Less progression — no clinical-nurse, nurse-practitioner or management track
- Far higher ceiling and much more progression — clinical nurse, consultant, nurse practitioner, management/Director of Nursing
- Broader, more autonomous scope
- Postgraduate study keeps paying off (qualification allowances and higher grades)
- Three-year university degree — longer and more expensive
- More study before you start earning as a nurse
Allowances you can claim
On top of base pay — the allowances most relevant to this role.
Where it leads next
Step up from here: Enrolled Nurse · Registered Nurse — see exactly what each step takes →
Frequently asked questions
How much does an assistant in nursing earn in South Australia?
What is the starting assistant in nursing salary in South Australia?
Do South Australia 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 South Australia nurse pay & conditions guide.
Pay figures are drawn from the Nursing/Midwifery (SA Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022. Confirm your exact classification, step and allowances against the current instrument and your payslip.