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Tasmania Nurse Pay & Conditions 2025–26
What Tasmanian public-sector nurses and midwives are entitled to in 2025–26, and how to earn more.
In Tasmania public health, a registered nurse earns from $1,543.24 per week ($80,524 a year) to $1,960.48 ($102,295) 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
+$21,771 by Year 9
Automatic increments
Your Grade 3 base climbs from $80,524 to $102,295 by Year 9 just by accruing satisfactory service.
Salary figures current to December 2025.
+7.5% for a Masters
Postgrad qualification
Hold a relevant qualification and work in its area: +4% Grad Cert, +6.5% PG Dip, +7.5% Masters, +10% PhD on your pay.
Permanent, but paid only while you work in an area relevant to the qualification.
$3,797/yr + 10%
Remote & rural postings
A defined remote site pays you a $3,797/yr development allowance plus 10% on your incremental point; rural sites 4%.
You must apply in advance — these postings are often under-claimed.
55% permanent nights
Permanent night shift
A fixed night roster that never rotates pays double the night penalty — 55% (2 x 27.5%) above base.
Award Pt V Sec C cl (f)(x); rotating night rosters get the standard 27.5%.
4-hr min first call-back
On-call recall stacking
You keep the on-call allowance and get a 4-hr overtime minimum on the first call-back, then 3 hrs on each one after.
On-call allowance: $5.26/hr weekday, $6.78/hr weekend, 8-hr minimum; travel counts as time worked.
Up to 38 hrs leave/yr
Excess on-call leave
Pass 250 on-call hours in a financial year and you accrue 7.6 hrs paid leave, then 0.0304 hr per extra hour.
Capped at 38 hrs/yr — an entitlement many nurses never claim.
Registered nurse pay scale
Base rates, in force from 1 December 2025 — before penalties, allowances and overtime.
| Step | Weekly | Hourly | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 Year 1 | $1,543.24 | $40.61 | $80,524 |
| Grade 3 Year 2 | $1,597.32 | $42.03 | $83,346 |
| Grade 3 Year 3 | $1,661.89 | $43.73 | $86,715 |
| Grade 3 Year 4 | $1,726.40 | $45.43 | $90,081 |
| Grade 3 Year 5 | $1,791.02 | $47.13 | $93,453 |
| Grade 3 Year 6 | $1,855.55 | $48.83 | $96,820 |
| Grade 3 Year 7 | $1,920.25 | $50.53 | $100,196 |
| Grade 3 Year 8 | $1,941.75 | $51.10 | $101,318 |
| Grade 3 Year 9 | $1,960.48 | $51.59 | $102,295 |
Progression beyond the base scale
Senior and specialty grades — the pay step up, and what each takes.
| Grade | Pay | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Salary schedule | 3.5% then 3% then 3% | All employees covered by the agreement. |
| Grade 2 | $73,109 - $80,524/yr | Registered (Division 2) Enrolled Nurses with a current practising certificate. |
| Grade 2S | $83,346 - $86,715/yr | Enrolled Nurses appointed as specialist EN (Grade 2S) - see 'Grade 2S Specialist Enrolled Nurse'. |
| Grade 3 | $80,524 - $102,295/yr | Registered Nurses (Division 1) / Registered Midwives working within the Grade 3 scope. |
| Grade 4 | $102,439 - $109,175/yr | RN/RM appointed as Grade 4 (incl. Clinical Coach role). |
| Grade 5 | $109,767 - $115,813/yr | RN appointed as Clinical Coordinator, Clinical Nurse Specialist, or ANUM. |
| Grade 6 | $118,297 - $125,543/yr | RN appointed as CNE, CNC, NP Candidate, or Project/Research Nurse. |
| Grade 7 | 7a $126,036 - $132,932; 7b $134,109 - $140,384/yr | RN/RM in charge of a ward/unit. 7b for units scoring >=15 on the FTE/beds/budget/hours criteria. |
| Grade 8 | $141,509 - $164,681/yr | ADON/DON/Nursing Director appointments; and Nurse Practitioners (Registered Nurses endorsed by the NMBA as nurse practitioners). |
Allowances you can claim & rural/remote
Uniform allowance$500/yr
If you provide direct care but are required NOT to wear a uniform (the award names mental health and child & family health nurses as examples), you get a flat uniform allowance of $500.00 per annum, paid from the first full pay period on or after 1 February each year (pro rata for part-timers).
Laundering of heavily soiled uniforms
You normally launder your own issued uniform, BUT if an employer-supplied uniform is heavily soiled or contaminated (vomit, blood, faeces etc.) the employer must either dispose of and replace it or have it professionally laundered.
Meal allowance — overtimeBreakfast $16.05 / Lunch $18.05 / Dinner $30.75
If you start duty at least 1.5 hours before, or stay at least 1.5 hours after, your normal hours and that means buying a meal away from home, you get a meal allowance.
Meal allowance — day travelBreakfast $16.05 / Lunch $18.05 / Dinner $30.75
Same meal rates apply when you're sent to work more than 60 km from your normal work location and have to buy breakfast or an evening meal, provided you start ≥1.5 hrs before your normal start (for breakfast) or work ≥1.5 hrs past your normal finish (for dinner).
Spoiled/missed meal on duty
If your meal (normally taken on hospital premises) is spoiled or missed because of something beyond your control, the employer must provide a replacement meal or a cash payment in lieu.
Kilometreage allowance — private vehicle used for work99.09 c/km (≥2L, first 10,000 km); 85.22 c/km (<2L); 52.52 c/km / 45.58 c/km additional km
If the employer requires you in writing to keep a private vehicle available for official use and you agree in writing, you're a 'Required user' and get the higher rates.
Kilometreage allowance — Occasional user66.06 c/km (≥2L, first 10,000 km); 56.81 c/km (<2L); 35.01 c/km / 30.39 c/km additional km
Occasional users of a private vehicle for work get the lower 'Rate 3/Rate 4' scale. Same engine-size split and 10,000 km step-down. Effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2023.
Kilometreage — minimum 4,000 km guarantee for required users
If you're required to provide a vehicle but travel LESS than 4,000 km on duty in a financial year, you're still paid as if you'd done 4,000 km (the rate x the difference between the actual kilometres travelled and 4,000 km).
Kilometreage — district / special vehicle add-onsCat R: $30.49/mo + $12.21 per 1600 km; Cat B: $20.18/mo + $12.21 per 1600 km; 4WD/utility $12.21/mo; trailer 3.65 c/km; heavy-equipment vehicle $12.21/mo; motorcycle 11.90 c/km
On top of the per-km rate, extra allowances if you're stationed in a district allowance area (Category R or B) or use a special vehicle. Includes utility/4WD/special-vehicle, trailer, heavy-equipment and motorcycle add-ons.
District (isolation) allowance — Category R remote$4,942.00/yr (with dependants) / $2,470.00/yr (no dependants)
If permanently stationed in a Category R remote location — including the Bass Strait Islands, Maria Island and Bruny Island — you can be paid a district allowance to compensate for the excess costs of living in an isolated area.
District (isolation) allowance — Category B$2,470.00/yr (with dependants) / $1,235.00/yr (no dependants)
Category B covers locations under the Commonwealth Taxation Zone B description (an 'isolated area', which the award says includes King Island, Flinders Island, Cape Barren Island, Maria Island and Bruny Island).
District (isolation) allowance — Category S special$1,235.00/yr (with dependants) / $619.00/yr (no dependants)
Category S covers special locations approved by the Commission. Lowest of the three district tiers.
Air fares from Bass Strait Islands3 x return economy airfare/yr (for employee + each dependant)
Explicitly a recruitment and retention strategy. If your place of employment is on the Bass Strait Islands, after 3 months continuous service you're entitled to the value of a return economy air fare three times each year, for yourself and any dependent family member residing with you on the Islands.
Remote & Rural Professional Development Allowance — REMOTE sites$3,797/yr PLUS +10% of salaried incremental point
BIG one for remote nurses. If you work at a defined Remote Site you get a Professional Development Allowance of $3,797/yr AND an additional 10% salary allowance on your salaried incremental point.
Correctional & Mental Health allowance6.5% all-purpose (excl. shift penalties)
An all-purpose 6.5% loading on base salary for all hours worked if you're engaged in correctional health services, forensic mental health, or secure mental health (however titled).
Postgraduate qualification allowance — RN/MidwifeGraduate Cert 4.0% / PG Dip or Degree 6.5% / Masters 7.5% / PhD or Doctorate 10.0%
Probably the single most-overlooked money lever. If you hold a relevant postgraduate qualification AND work in an area relevant to it, you get an ongoing % allowance on your salaried incremental point for as long as you stay in that relevant area.
Leave & study
Recreation (annual) leave entitlement152 hours/yr (4 weeks)
Full-time employees accrue 152 hours of recreation leave each year (= 4 weeks at a standard 38-hour week), accruing 5.85 hours per fortnight worked. Part-timers accrue on a pro rata basis in proportion to the hours they work.
Extra recreation leave for shift workers+38 hours (1 extra week; 5 weeks total)
Full-time shift workers get an ADDITIONAL 38 hours (1 extra week) of recreation leave per 12 months of continuous service, i.e. 5 weeks total. Pro rata if you only do part of the year as a shift worker.
Recreation leave loading17.5%
17.5% loading paid on recreation leave. Shift workers get the GREATER of 17.5% or their projected shift loadings/weekend penalties for the rostered period. Loading is capped at the amount that would be payable to a Nurse Grade 4, Year 2.
Personal (sick/carer's) leave152 hours/yr (4 weeks)
Accrues progressively at 0.077 hours per ordinary hour worked, up to a full-time equivalent of 152 hours per annum (= 4 weeks). Covers personal illness/injury, caring for an immediate family or household member, and unexpected emergencies.
Paid parental leave18 weeks paid (or 36 weeks at half pay)
18 weeks paid Primary Caregiver leave at normal pay after 12 months' continuous service, taken at the start of the parental-leave period. Can be taken as 18 weeks at full pay or 36 weeks at half pay.
Paid parental leave4 weeks paid (+2 weeks from other leave)
4 weeks paid Secondary Caregiver leave at normal pay after 12 months' continuous service, taken at the time of birth. Plus a right to access a further 2 weeks from accrued recreation or long service leave, or as leave without pay.
Additional paid parental leave+12 weeks paid
A secondary caregiver who takes over primary caregiving can access an ADDITIONAL 12 weeks paid leave within the first 78 weeks after birth, provided they are meeting the child's physical needs more than anyone else.
Paid adoption leave18 weeks (primary) / 4 weeks (secondary)
Primary caregiver: 18 weeks paid adoption leave (after 12 months' service), continuous from day of placement. Secondary caregiver: 4 weeks paid, with a further 12 weeks paid available within the first 78 weeks of placement if they take over primary caregiving.
Paid grandparent leave18 weeks paid
18 weeks paid grandparent leave (part of an entitlement to 52 weeks unpaid grandparent leave) for a grandparent who assumes primary caregiving responsibility for the grandchild at the time of its birth or adoption.
Unpaid parental leaveUp to 52 weeks (extendable to 104 weeks)
Up to 52 weeks unpaid parental leave after 12 months' continuous service (reduced by any paid caregiver/adoption leave taken). Can request an extension up to a maximum of 104 weeks.
Long service leave
Long service leave is provided under the Long Service Leave (State Employees) Act 1994 (i.e. governed by State legislation, not the Award itself).
Postgraduate qualification allowance4.0% / 6.5% / 7.5% / 10.0%
Permanent percentage allowance for holding a relevant postgraduate qualification and working in a relevant area. Registered Nurse/Midwife: Graduate Certificate 4.0%; Postgraduate Diploma or Degree 6.5%; Masters 7.5%; PhD or Doctorate 10.0%.
More leave types
Compassionate & bereavement leaveUp to 10 days/yr per family member
Up to 10 days' paid leave per personal-leave year PER immediate-family/household member, for a life-threatening illness, injury and/or death of that member. Bereavement leave must be taken within three months of the death.
Hours, overtime, breaks & on-call
Ordinary hours per week38 hrs/week
Full-time ordinary hours average not more than 38 per week, set across a regular pattern or roster. This is the baseline against which overtime is measured.
Ordinary hours≤8 hrs/day; avg ≤38/wk
Part-time hours are fixed in the appointment and capped at 8 hours/day; may be extended by agreement up to a 38-hour average. Minimum 2 continuous hours of work (or pay) on each occasion you attend.
Minimum engagement2 hours
A casual must be given a minimum of 2 hours' work or pay each time required to attend, unless mutually agreed otherwise.
Day-worker span of ordinary hours7:00am–5:30pm
Full-time day workers (Mon–Fri only) average 38 hrs/week worked between 7:00am and 5:30pm, max 9 hours any working day, 76 hrs/14 days or 152 hrs/28 days.
Shift-worker max hours / max shift length / max consecutive shifts8/day, 48/wk, 88/14d, 152/28d; ≤8 shifts in 9 days
Shift workers average 38 hrs/week, capped at: 8 hours any one day, 48 in any one week, 88 in any 14 consecutive days, 152 in any 28-day period.
One shift per 24 hours1 shift/24h
Except at the regular change-over of shifts, a shift worker (including casual) cannot be required to work more than one shift in each 24 hours.
Roster requirements2 consecutive days off; 4 weeks' notice
Roster must give a minimum of two consecutive days off; roster not changed except on 4 weeks' notice (an individual's place not changed except on a week's notice or payment of overtime rates).
Two days off after night shift2 consecutive days; overtime if denied
Employees get two consecutive days off after a night shift (the morning the night shift ends is a 'sleep day', not counted as a day off). If made to resume work without those two consecutive days off, you're paid overtime rates until released for two consecutive days.
Afternoon shift penalty+15%
Afternoon shift (a shift terminating after 6:00pm and at or before midnight) is paid 15% above base rate for the period of the shift.
Night shift penalty+27.5%
Night shift (a shift commencing at or after 4:00pm and before 6:00am) is paid 27.50% above base rate for the period of the shift.
12-hour shift penaltiesday +16.75%; night +21.75%
On 12-hour rosters: day shift (worked between 7:00am and 7:00pm) is paid 16.75% above base; night shift is paid 21.75% above base.
Permanent (non-rotating) night shift+55% (2 × 27.5%)
A shift worker required to do a night shift that does NOT rotate to day/afternoon shift is paid double the night-shift penalty (i.e. 55%).
All figures are drawn from the Nurses and Midwives (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2023, with the Nurses and Midwives (Tasmanian State Service) Award for conditions. 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 Tasmania?
In Tasmania public health, a registered nurse earns from $1,543.24 per week ($80,524 a year) to $1,960.48 ($102,295) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.
What is the starting registered nurse salary in Tasmania?
A first-step registered nurse in Tasmania starts at $1,543.24 per week — about $80,524 a year ($40.61 an hour) before penalties and allowances.
Do Tasmania nurses get paid more for nights and weekends?
Yes — on top of base pay, Tasmania public-health nurses receive shift loadings for afternoon, night and weekend work, plus overtime and a range of allowances.