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South Australia Nurse Pay & Conditions 2025–26
What South Australian public-sector nurses and midwives are entitled to in 2025–26.
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
- The instrument is current: the Nursing/Midwifery (SA Public Sector) EA 2022 (operative 1 Dec 2022, nominal expiry 31 July 2025) is still the registered instrument. Its pay schedule's last column is the first full pay period on/after 1 January 2025 (3% pa). The 2022 pay rates lapsed 1 Jan 2026; ANMF (SA Branch) secured a 4% interim administrative increase backdated to 1 January 2026 with a further 2% from October 2026 (6% total) while a successor 2025 agreement is bargained.
- CAUTION on senior pay figures: the correct 1 January 2025 (rightmost-column) rates are higher than several figures in the guide. RN/Midwife Level 1 9th increment is $102,103 (not $99,129); Clinical Nurse/Midwife L2 tops out at $110,497; Level 3 roles run $125,183-$130,779; Nurse Practitioner (L4, 3rd incr) is $137,771; Level 5 runs to $169,240; Level 6 tops at $211,200. The lower figures in the guide are the 1 Jan 2024 column. Entry/1st-increment rates in the guide (RN1 $74,831; CN2 $87,416) are correctly 2025.
- Under-claimed money - the qualification allowance (Appendix 12): a relevant grad cert pays $3,573.70/yr, grad diploma $4,594.60/yr, second degree/Masters/PhD $5,615.70/yr (ENs on the Diploma/ASEN scale: $2,619.10/yr) at 1 Jan 2025, paid fortnightly on top of salary - but you must lodge written evidence to switch it on, and only the single highest allowance is paid.
- The Professional Development Allowance is automatic and paid into salary fortnightly (including during paid leave): $2,147.70/yr from 1 Jan 2025, rising to $2,547.70 from 1 July 2025 (EA 5.2.2). It is NOT paid to casuals, student-AIN/Ms, or nurses in their 12-month Transition to Professional Practice year - so finishing TPPP and leaving casual status switches it on.
- SA's minimum rest between shifts is 8 consecutive hours, NOT 10 (Award 5.1.8). If overtime cuts that 8-hour break, you must be released without loss of ordinary pay, or paid at overtime rates until released (Award 5.4.10/5.4.11) - a genuine money-and-safety lever.
- Penalties are strong and percentage-based (so they auto-rise with the 2026 increases): afternoon +12.5%, rostered night +20.5% (the EA's 9.3 enhancement over the Award's old 15%), Saturday +50%, Sunday +75% (Sat/Sun substitute for, not stack on, the weekday penalty), public holidays 250%, and overtime 150% (first 3h) then 200% Mon-Sat / flat 200% Sunday.
Registered nurse pay scale
Base rates, in force from 1 January 2026 — before penalties, allowances and overtime.
| Step | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Increment 1 | $1,491.49 | $39.25 | $77,824 |
| Level 1 Increment 2 | $1,538.22 | $40.48 | $80,262 |
| Level 1 Increment 3 | $1,603.99 | $42.21 | $83,694 |
| Level 1 Increment 4 | $1,672.62 | $44.02 | $87,275 |
| Level 1 Increment 5 | $1,742.34 | $45.85 | $90,913 |
| Level 1 Increment 6 | $1,812.43 | $47.70 | $94,570 |
| Level 1 Increment 7 | $1,882.55 | $49.54 | $98,229 |
| Level 1 Increment 8 | $1,952.64 | $51.39 | $101,886 |
| Level 1 Increment 9 | $2,035.07 | $53.55 | $106,187 |
Progression beyond the base scale
Senior and specialty grades — the pay step up, and what each takes.
| Grade | Pay | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled Nurse | $63,992-$72,033/yr (1 Jan 2025) | EN enrolled with NMBA, no medication-administration notation. |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma) or Certificate authorised in medication administration | $66,438-$74,831/yr (1 Jan 2025) | EN holding a Diploma, or a Certificate EN with medication-administration authorisation. |
| Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse | $74,831-$76,229/yr (1 Jan 2025) | By appointment only, within specified settings; in addition to all EN duties. |
| Clinical Nurse/Midwife (Level 2) salary | $87,416-$107,279/yr (1 Jan 2025) | RN/M reclassified or appointed; see reclassification criteria item. |
| Reclassification to Clinical Nurse/Midwife | 3 years post-registration experience | RN/M with 3 years post-registration experience demonstrating the four indicator areas. |
| Associate Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager | $100,343-$107,279/yr (1 Jan 2025) | RN/M with 3 years post-registration experience; supports the NUM. |
| Level 3 roles: Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager, Consultant, Educator, Manager | $121,537-$126,970/yr (1 Jan 2025) | RN/M, at least 3 years post-registration experience; expert practice + portfolio of postgraduate… |
| Level 4 roles: Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager/Consultant/Educator/Manager | $128,327-$131,122/yr (1 Jan 2025) | Advanced-practice RN/M appointed/reclassified to Level 4. |
| Nurse Practitioner (Level 4) salary | $133,758/yr (1 Jan 2025, 3rd increment) | NMBA-endorsed nurse practitioner. |
Allowances you can claim & rural/remote
Salary packaging — general FBT-free cap~$11,660/yr tax-free
As a public-hospital employee you can salary-package roughly $9,010 of everyday living expenses (mortgage, rent, bills, credit card) plus a separate ~$2,650 of meal entertainment each FBT year free of income tax — about $11,660 tax-free in total — plus a novated car lease on top. It doesn't reduce any award allowance, penalty or overtime.
Salary packaging — meal entertainment / venue hire cap~$11,660/yr tax-free
As a public-hospital employee you can salary-package roughly $9,010 of everyday living expenses (mortgage, rent, bills, credit card) plus a separate ~$2,650 of meal entertainment each FBT year free of income tax — about $11,660 tax-free in total — plus a novated car lease on top. It doesn't reduce any award allowance, penalty or overtime.
Salary packaging — novated (car) lease~$11,660/yr tax-free
As a public-hospital employee you can salary-package roughly $9,010 of everyday living expenses (mortgage, rent, bills, credit card) plus a separate ~$2,650 of meal entertainment each FBT year free of income tax — about $11,660 tax-free in total — plus a novated car lease on top. It doesn't reduce any award allowance, penalty or overtime.
Salary sacrifice — what can be sacrificed
The EA confirms you may elect to salary sacrifice part of salary, and that 'salary' for this purpose includes responsibility allowance, on-call allowance,…
Rural & Remote Service Incentive PaymentUp to $6,696.80/yr (Zone 4, Yr 5, from Jan 2025)
Annual incentive paid fortnightly to nursing/midwifery staff at sites in Zones 2, 3 or 4, escalating by year of service (Years 1–5; nothing after the 5th year in a…
Rural & Remote — one-off incidental (relocation) paymentZone 2 $502 / Zone 3 $668 / Zone 4 $837 (from Jan 2025)
A one-off incidental payment paid when you take up an appointment at a Zone 2, 3 or 4 site, on top of the annual Zone incentive. From first full pay period on/after 1…
Locality Allowance
The EA repeatedly refers to 'Locality Allowances' that are paid in country/remote localities — the Rural & Remote incentive is paid 'in addition to' them. The actual…
Qualification allowance — Registered Nurses/Midwives$3,573.70 / $4,594.60 / $5,615.70 per yr (from Jan 2025)
Annual allowance for a relevant additional qualification held beyond your base registration: 3.5% (hospital certificate or graduate certificate) = $3,573.70; 4.5%…
Qualification allowance — Enrolled Nurses$2,619.10/yr (from Jan 2025)
Annual allowance of 3.5% (calculated on increment 6 of the Diploma scale) for one or more post-enrolment courses of at least 6 months' duration. From first full pay…
Professional Development Allowance$2,547.70/yr (from 1 July 2025)
Paid into salary fortnightly (including during paid leave) to fund CPD for AHPRA registration. Increased each July 2023–2025 by $400 plus salary increases: it reached…
On-call allowance$38.70 weekday / $67.60 weekend-PH-RDO (from Jan 2025)
Paid per on-call period (between rostered shifts, max 24h). Mon–Fri $38.70; Weekends/Public Holidays/RDOs $67.60 from Jan 2025. If a period spans two days at different…
Responsibility AllowanceUp to $8,586/yr ($4.33/hr) (from Jan 2025)
Annual/hourly allowance for nominated coordination/responsibility roles. From Jan 2025: DON-M classifications 6.1–6.3 = $4,294/yr ($2.17/hr); DON-M 6.4–6.5 = $7,162/yr…
Hyperbaric allowance$26.70 per occasion (from Jan 2025)
Paid per occasion for participating in a hyperbaric chamber treatment at the RAH Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, recognising limits on social/recreational activity. $25.10…
Uniform allowance$9.20/week (from Jan 2025)
Paid to full-time employees (pro-rata part-time, excluding casuals) required to wear a distinctive uniform/clothing item. $8.60 (2023) → $8.90 (2024) → $9.20 (2025). NOT…
Additional Duties Allowance
An allowance may be authorised where you continuously perform extra duties (not amounting substantially to a whole higher position) for 5 consecutive days or more, at…
Overtime-meal / meal break payment+50% of base rate (delayed meal break)
Not a flat meal allowance but a penalty: if your unpaid meal break is delayed beyond 5 hours (or 6 hours where you requested a later break), you are paid an extra 50% of…
Leave & study
Annual/recreation leave — 7-day/shift workers6 weeks/yr (2.5 working days per completed month)
Nurses/midwives regularly rostered for duty on 7 days of the week (including Sundays and public holidays) accrue annual leave at 2.5 working days (or 3.5 calendar days)…
Annual/recreation leave — day workers4 weeks/yr (1 2/3 working days per completed month)
Nurses/midwives who are not 7-day-week workers (e.g. Monday-Friday day workers) accrue annual leave at 1 2/3 working days (or 2 1/3 calendar days) per completed month —…
Annual leave loading — shift/weekend/night workers20% of ordinary rate
A 20% leave loading is paid on annual leave for 7-day-week workers, rotating-shift workers over 7 days, shift workers rostered over 6 days including a regular weekend…
Annual leave loading — other (day) workers17.5% of ordinary rate (capped)
All other employees (day workers not in the 20% categories) receive 17.5% leave loading on annual leave, up to a maximum prescribed by the Public Service (Recreation…
Extra annual leave for 1-in-2 weekend on-call workers5 extra working days (or 7 calendar days) /yr
An employee (not rostered over 7 days) who is rostered on-call for 1-in-2 weekend on-call periods averaged over a service year (minimum 47 weekend on-call periods) gets…
Annual leave for 6-day-week workers5 weeks/yr (2 1/12 working days per completed month)
An employee required to be regularly rostered over 6 days of the week (including Saturday and/or Sunday) is granted annual leave at 2 1/12 working days (2 11/12 calendar…
Personal/Carers leave120 hours/yr
Each employee is credited 120 hours Personal/Carers leave per annum (pro rata part-time), accruing year to year without limit. This single bucket subsumes sick leave,…
Personal/sick leave96 hours/yr (48 hrs first 6 months)
The Award base personal-leave figure is 96 hours/yr, with 48 hours granted on appointment for the first six months and the balance after six months. NOTE: the EA's…
Carer's leaveup to 96 hours/yr (from personal leave pool)
An employee may use personal leave to care for immediate family or household members who are sick or need care in an unexpected emergency; up to 96 hours/yr unless the…
Paid parental / adoption leave — primary carer16 weeks paid
An employee (not casual) with 12 months continuous service immediately before the birth or before taking custody of an adopted child (under 16) is entitled to 16 weeks…
Paid parental / adoption leave — 5+ years service20 weeks paid
An employee who at the time of commencing paid parenting/adoption leave has at least 5 years SA public sector service (including approved unpaid leave) is entitled to 20…
Total parental leave cap104 weeks max
The combined total of paid and unpaid employer-provided parenting/adoption/special leave for an employee's child must not exceed 104 calendar weeks. Federal Paid…
More leave types
Bereavement / compassionate leaveup to 2 days per occasion
On the death in Australia of a member of the immediate family/household, an employee is entitled to up to 2 days paid bereavement leave on each occasion (Award). Under…
Union education / trade union training leave10 days every 2 years
All ANMF representatives are entitled to 10 days leave every 2 years for trade union training (per the HR Manual). Representatives/members elected as delegates to the…
Hours, overtime, breaks & on-call
Ordinary hours per week38 hrs/week (152 hrs / 28 days)
Full-time ordinary hours average 38 per week, worked by roster as 152 hours over a cycle of up to 28 days (not necessarily 38 each week - it's…
Roster notice14 days notice
The roster must be displayed and accessible at least 14 days before the roster period starts. It can be altered at any time only for emergencies or…
Afternoon shift penalty12.5%
Ordinary hours worked on an afternoon shift Monday to Friday attract a 12.5% loading on top of base pay. Afternoon shift = a complete rostered shift…
Night shift penalty20.5% (EA) - replaces Award's 15%
Ordinary hours on a rostered night shift Monday to Friday attract a 20.5% penalty. The EA's 20.5% REPLACES the Award's old 15% night rate. Night…
Saturday penalty50%
All ordinary hours worked between midnight Friday and midnight Saturday attract a 50% loading. This is in substitution of (not on top of) the…
Sunday penalty75%
All ordinary hours worked between midnight Saturday and midnight Sunday attract a 75% loading. In substitution of (not cumulative on) the weekday…
Public holiday penalty250% (non-casual); 175% casual
Working a public holiday pays 250% of the hourly rate for all time worked (non-casual). Casuals get 175% (inclusive of casual loading), or 275% for…
Christmas Day / New Year's Day on a weekend250% (non-casual); 175% casual
If Christmas Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday and is NOT a declared public holiday, non-casuals working that day are paid 250% of…
Minimum break between shifts8 hours (or = shift length if shift >8h)
An employee should wherever practicable have at least 8 hours free between finishing one rostered shift and starting the next. Where the shift worked…
Consequence of insufficient 8-hour break after overtimeOvertime rates until released; 8 hrs off without loss of pay
If overtime means an employee doesn't get 8 consecutive hours off between ordinary shifts, they MUST be released after the overtime until they've had…
20-hour break when changing day/night duty20 hours
An employee switching from night duty to day duty (or vice versa) must be free from duty for the 20 hours immediately before starting the changed…
Maximum shift length10 hours (max ordinary per shift)
Ordinary hours per shift are continuous and must not exceed 10 hours per day/shift unless the employer and a majority of affected employees agree…
All figures are drawn from the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022 (+ Nurses (SA Public Sector) Award 2002 for conditions; 4% interim increase from 1 Jan 2026). Confirm your exact classification, step and allowances against the current instrument and your payslip.