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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.
In South Australia public health, a registered nurse earns from $1,491.49 per week ($77,824 a year) to $2,035.07 ($106,187) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
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
+6% by Oct 2026
2026 interim pay rise
Your pay rose 4% backdated to 1 Jan 2026, with 2% more from October 2026, while a successor agreement is bargained.
An interim administrative increase — the 2022 EA's own pay rates lapsed 1 Jan 2026.
Up to $5,615.70/yr
Qualification allowance
A grad cert adds $3,573.70/yr, a grad diploma $4,594.60, a Masters/PhD $5,615.70 — paid fortnightly on top of salary.
You must lodge written evidence; only the highest is paid (ENs on ASEN scale: $2,619.10/yr).
$2,547.70/yr
PD Allowance (automatic)
You get it automatically in your salary each fortnight, even during paid leave — $2,547.70/yr from 1 July 2025.
Not paid to casuals, student AIN/Ms or during your TPPP year — it switches on once those end.
Min 8 hrs rest
Rest break after overtime
You're owed 8 consecutive hours off between shifts; if overtime cuts it, you're released without loss of ordinary pay.
Or paid at overtime rates until released — SA's minimum is 8 hours, not 10 (Award 5.1.8).
175% Sundays
Shift & weekend penalties
Nights +20.5%, Saturdays +50%, Sundays +75%, public holidays 250% — percentage-based, so they rise with 2026 increases.
Sat/Sun rates substitute for, not stack on, the weekday penalty.
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 | $66,552-$74,914/yr (1 Jan 2026, incl. 4% interim) | EN enrolled with NMBA, no medication-administration notation. |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma) or Certificate authorised in medication administration | $70,806-$77,824/yr (1 Jan 2026, incl. 4% interim) | EN holding a Diploma, or a Certificate EN with medication-administration authorisation. |
| Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse | $77,824-$79,278/yr (1 Jan 2026, incl. 4% interim) | By appointment only, within specified settings; in addition to all EN duties. |
| Clinical Nurse/Midwife (Level 2) salary | $90,913-$114,917/yr (1 Jan 2026, incl. 4% interim) | 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 | $107,487-$114,917/yr (1 Jan 2026, incl. 4% interim) | RN/M with 3 years post-registration experience; supports the NUM. |
| Level 3 roles: Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager, Consultant, Educator, Manager | $130,190-$136,010/yr (1 Jan 2026, incl. 4% interim) | RN/M, at least 3 years post-registration experience; expert practice plus a portfolio of postgraduate study and demonstrated advanced competencies. |
| Level 4 roles: Advanced Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager/Consultant/Educator/Manager | $137,464-$143,282/yr (1 Jan 2026, incl. 4% interim) | Advanced-practice RN/M appointed/reclassified to Level 4. |
| Nurse Practitioner (Level 4) salary | $143,282/yr (1 Jan 2026, 3rd increment, incl. 4% interim) | NMBA-endorsed nurse practitioner. |
Allowances you can claim & rural/remote
Salary packaging — general living-expenses cap~$9,010/yr pre-tax
As a public-hospital employee you can package roughly $9,010 of everyday living expenses (mortgage, rent, bills, credit card) from pre-tax salary each FBT year. It doesn't reduce any award allowance, penalty or overtime.
Salary packaging — meal entertainment / venue hire~$2,650/yr pre-tax
A separate ~$2,650 of meal-entertainment and venue-hire each FBT year, packaged free of income tax on top of the ~$9,010 living-expenses cap — about $11,660 tax-free combined.
Salary packaging — novated (car) leasePre-tax car + running costs
Lease a car from pre-tax salary with running costs (fuel, rego, insurance, servicing) bundled in — available on top of the two FBT-free caps above.
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 and the other recurring allowances that form part of your ordinary remuneration.
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 given zone).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 rates, the higher rate applies.
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, at $25.10 per occasion.
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). It is not payable where the employer supplies the uniform.
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.
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 your ordinary rate until you are released for the break.
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) per completed month of service.
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 — equivalent to four weeks of annual leave per year.
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, and 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 Leave Loading) provisions.
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 an additional week of annual leave.
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 days) per completed month of service.
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, carers leave and short-notice family-emergency 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 120-hour entitlement is more generous and prevails.
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 employer approves a greater amount.
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 parenting/adoption leave.
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 weeks paid leave.
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 Parental Leave may be taken in addition.
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.
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 union's governing bodies may be granted additional leave to attend.
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 the average over the cycle that counts).
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 with the affected employee's agreement.
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 finishing after 6pm and at or before midnight.
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 shift = a complete rostered shift finishing after midnight and at or before 8am.
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 afternoon and night shift loadings.
Sunday penalty75%
All ordinary hours worked between midnight Saturday and midnight Sunday attract a 75% loading. In substitution of (not cumulative on) the weekday shift loadings.
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 overtime worked on the public holiday.
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 the ordinary hourly rate for all time worked.
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 leaves less than 8 hours free, overtime provisions apply.
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 8 consecutive hours off, without loss of pay for ordinary hours that fall within that break.
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 roster.
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 otherwise.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a registered nurse earn in South Australia?
In South Australia public health, a registered nurse earns from $1,491.49 per week ($77,824 a year) to $2,035.07 ($106,187) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
What is the starting registered nurse salary in South Australia?
A first-step registered nurse in South Australia starts at $1,491.49 per week — about $77,824 a year ($39.25 an hour) before penalties and allowances.
Do South Australia nurses get paid more for nights and weekends?
Yes — on top of base pay, South Australia public-health nurses receive shift loadings for afternoon, night and weekend work, plus overtime and a range of allowances.