Tasmania Assistant in Nursing Pay 2026
In Tasmania's numbered grade ladder, assistant in nursing is Grade 1. It is the entry rung, often held while studying.
In Tasmania public health, an assistant in nursing earns from $1,282.81 per week ($66,935 a year) to $1,401.69 ($73,138) 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 December 2025 — before penalties, allowances and overtime. Entry/each step shown (1 December 2025).
| Step | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1, Year 1 | $1,282.81 | $33.76 | $66,935 |
| Grade 1, Year 2 | $1,322.36 | $34.80 | $68,999 |
| Grade 1, Year 3 | $1,362.02 | $35.84 | $71,068 |
| Grade 1, Year 4 | $1,401.69 | $36.89 | $73,138 |
How to become an assistant in nursing
Ways to earn more
- Climb the four Grade 1 increments from $1,282.81 to $1,401.69/wk, then take the real jump by qualifying out of Grade 1.
- Qualify as an enrolled nurse (Diploma) to move onto the Grade 2 scale (from $1,401.13/wk), because the EN ladder climbs well beyond the AIN ceiling.
- Work nights for a 27.5% penalty on the base rate (or 55% on a permanent non-rotating night roster), and afternoons for 15%. That is the fastest cash lift while you study.
- If you're stationed at a Category R remote location (Bass Strait Islands, Maria or Bruny Island) the district allowance adds $4,942/yr with dependants ($2,470 without).
- 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, and there is a real trade-off between them:
- No university degree, so training is shorter and cheaper
- Start earning as a nurse sooner
- Can later bridge to registered nurse
- Lower pay ceiling, because the EN scale tops out well below the RN scale
- Narrower scope of practice (you work under an RN)
- Less progression, with no clinical-nurse, nurse-practitioner or management track
- Far higher ceiling, with progression into clinical nurse, consultant, nurse practitioner and management/Director of Nursing roles
- Broader, more autonomous scope
- Postgraduate study keeps paying off (qualification allowances and higher grades)
- Three-year university degree, which costs more and takes longer
- 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 Tasmania?
What is the starting assistant in nursing salary in Tasmania?
Do Tasmania 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 Tasmania nurse pay & conditions guide.
Keep going
Pay figures are drawn from the Nurses and Midwives (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2023. Confirm your exact classification, step and allowances against the current instrument and your payslip.
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