Victorian registered nurses are graded — most ward RNs are Grade 2, paid on an eight-year ladder from the graduate year up. Beyond it sit the senior clinical and management grades.
Stepping into the senior clinical grades (from $2,152/wk — above the top of the base RN scale) is the largest pay jump beyond your annual increments, and Victoria pays a qualification allowance that rewards postgraduate study. Far more accessible than people assume — and most who are eligible never apply.
Pay scale
Base rates, in force from 11 May 2026 — before penalties, allowances and overtime. Entry/each step shown (11 May 2026).
Step
Weekly
Hourly
Annualised
RN Grade 2 Year 1 (Grad Year)
$1,619.00
$42.61
$84,477
RN Grade 2 Year 2
$1,665.00
$43.82
$86,877
RN Grade 2 Year 3
$1,717.00
$45.18
$89,591
RN Grade 2 Year 4
$1,773.90
$46.68
$92,560
RN Grade 2 Year 5
$1,836.90
$48.34
$95,847
RN Grade 2 Year 6
$1,900.00
$50.00
$99,139
RN Grade 2 Year 7
$1,968.20
$51.79
$102,698
RN Grade 2 Year 8
$2,067.50
$54.41
$107,879
Ways to earn more
Climb your annual increments — the registered-nurse scale runs from $1,619 to $2,067.50 a week before penalties.
Step into the senior clinical grades (from $2,151.50/wk for Clinical Nurse Specialist) — the biggest pay jump beyond your increments.
Work nights and weekends, and salary-package about $11,660 a year tax-free.
Allowances you can claim
On top of base pay — the allowances most relevant to this role.
Qualification Allowance — RN/MidwifeGrad Cert/Hospital Cert $65.10; Post Grad…
RNs/Midwives with a relevant post-basic qualification (or a base double-degree/Masters, paid after 1 year experience in a relevant area) get a per-ordinary-hour-worked…
On Call AllowanceMon–Fri $77.20; Sat $115.80; Sun/weekday PH…
Paid per 12-hour period (or part) rostered on call. The old separate telephone allowance is now included in these rates. If on call spans two days with different rates,…
Employer must provide any required uniform at no cost (no payment in lieu). If a uniform is NOT provided, you are paid a uniform allowance at the daily or weekly rate…
If laundering of the uniform is not provided by/at the expense of the employer, you are paid a laundry allowance at the daily or weekly rate (whichever is lesser…
Salary packaging~$11,660/yr tax-free
As a public-hospital employee you can package about $9,010 of everyday expenses plus ~$2,650 of meal entertainment FBT-free, plus a novated car lease — and it doesn't reduce any penalty or allowance.
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 Victoria nurse classifications — see the full Victoria nurse pay & conditions guide.