South Australia Enrolled Nurse Pay 2025–26
South Australian enrolled nurses have their own scale, with an EN qualification allowance and rural/remote incentives available on top.
In South Australia public health, an enrolled nurse earns from $1,275.46 per week ($66,552 a year) to $1,519.36 ($79,278) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
Becoming an enrolled nurse
An Enrolled Nurse (EN) is a registered nursing professional who provides care under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, who keeps overall accountability for delegated care. The EN is still responsible for their own actions within their scope of practice.
Full pathway: how to become an enrolled nurse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled Nurse (Certificate) - not authorised in medication administration — 1st increment | $1,275.46 | $33.56 | $66,552 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Certificate) - not authorised in medication administration — 2nd increment | $1,296.35 | $34.11 | $67,642 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Certificate) - not authorised in medication administration — 3rd increment | $1,324.21 | $34.85 | $69,095 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Certificate) - not authorised in medication administration — 4th increment | $1,352.08 | $35.58 | $70,550 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Certificate) - not authorised in medication administration — 5th increment | $1,379.98 | $36.32 | $72,005 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Certificate) - not authorised in medication administration — 6th increment | $1,407.83 | $37.05 | $73,459 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Certificate) - not authorised in medication administration — 7th increment | $1,435.73 | $37.78 | $74,914 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma) / EN (Certificate) authorised in medication administration — 2nd increment | $1,357.00 | $35.71 | $70,806 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma) / EN (Certificate) authorised in medication administration — 3rd increment | $1,387.97 | $36.53 | $72,422 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma) / EN (Certificate) authorised in medication administration — 4th increment | $1,414.80 | $37.23 | $73,822 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma) / EN (Certificate) authorised in medication administration — 5th increment | $1,449.60 | $38.15 | $75,638 |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma) / EN (Certificate) authorised in medication administration — 6th increment | $1,491.50 | $39.25 | $77,824 |
| Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse — 2nd increment | $1,519.36 | $39.98 | $79,278 |
Ways to earn more
- Get authorised in medication administration: completing the medication-administration education moves you off the 'not authorised' scale onto the EN (Diploma)/authorised scale — worth about $60–$84/wk more at the same increment (e.g. $1,491.50 vs $1,407.83 at the 6th increment).
- Progress to Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse ($1,519.36/wk) — it needs an Advanced Diploma of Enrolled Nursing plus 3 years in the clinical area, or 5 years' experience with demonstrated advanced skills.
- Claim the EN qualification allowance ($2,619.10/yr) for a post-enrolment course of at least 6 months, plus the Professional Development Allowance ($2,547.70/yr).
- Work nights and weekends: ordinary night-shift hours attract a 20.5% loading, Saturdays 50% and Sundays 75% — substantial on the EN base rate.
- Register as a registered nurse to move onto the RN scale (from $1,491.50/wk), then build toward the senior clinical grades.
- Salary-package about $11,660/yr tax-free — it doesn't reduce any penalty or allowance.
The current Diploma includes medicines education (unit HLTENN040). Since July 2010 there's no 'endorsed enrolled nurse' title — by default ENs may administer medicines, and a notation appears on the register only against those who can't.
Allowances you can claim
On top of base pay — the allowances most relevant to this role.
Where it leads next
Step up from here: Registered Nurse — see exactly what each step takes →
Frequently asked questions
How much does an enrolled nurse earn in South Australia?
What is the starting enrolled nurse 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.