South Australia Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing) Pay 2025–26
South Australia's management track runs from associate unit managers up to directors of nursing, with pay set by the size and complexity of the service.
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)).
| Grade | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) — 1st increment | $2,059.99 | $54.21 | $107,487 |
| Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) — 2nd increment | $2,107.46 | $55.46 | $109,964 |
| Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) — 3rd increment | $2,154.90 | $56.71 | $112,440 |
| Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) — 4th increment | $2,202.38 | $57.96 | $114,917 |
| Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager; Nurse/Midwife Consultant; Nurse/Midwife Educator; Nurse/Midwife Manager (Level 3) — 1st increment | $2,495.09 | $65.66 | $130,190 |
| Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 3) — 2nd increment | $2,550.84 | $67.13 | $133,099 |
| Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 3) — 3rd increment | $2,606.63 | $68.60 | $136,010 |
| Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 4) — 1st increment | $2,634.49 | $69.33 | $137,464 |
| Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 4) — 2nd increment | $2,704.19 | $71.16 | $141,101 |
| Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager (Level 4) — 3rd increment | $2,745.99 | $72.26 | $143,282 |
| Nursing/Midwifery Director (Level 5) — 5.1 | $2,871.42 | $75.56 | $149,827 |
| Nursing/Midwifery Director (Level 5) — 5.2 | $3,205.95 | $84.37 | $167,282 |
| Nursing/Midwifery Director (Level 5) — 5.3 | $3,373.22 | $88.77 | $176,010 |
| Director of Nursing/Midwifery (Level 6) — 6.2 | $3,038.68 | $79.97 | $158,554 |
Ways to earn more
- Management grades run from $2,059.99 to $3,038.68/wk; your grade rises with the size and complexity of the unit or facility.
- Directors of Nursing sit in the upper management grades — moving to a bigger facility is a direct pay step.
Allowances you can claim
On top of base pay — the allowances most relevant to this role.
Leave, study & the full conditions
Leave and study support (annual, parental, long-service, study leave, the career-break scheme), the overtime, minimum-break and on-call rules, and the complete allowance list apply across all South Australia nurse classifications — see the full 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.