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Western Australia Nurse Management (NUM / Director of Nursing) Pay 2025–26

WA's nurse management grades reach the most senior senior-registered-nurse levels; pay rises with the seniority and scope of the role.

In Western Australia public health, a nurse manager earns from $3,343.71 per week ($174,470 a year) to $3,722.51 ($194,235) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.

Enrolled Nurse Registered Nurse Clinical Nurse (senior clinical grades)

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Becoming a nurse manager

The nursing leadership and operations track. A Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) runs a single ward or unit — staffing, roster, budget, clinical governance — while staying a registered nurse; a Nurse Manager / Director of Nursing (DON) leads nursing across a facility or service, up to Executive Director of Nursing.

Full pathway: how to become a nurse manager in Australia →

Pay scale

Base rates, in force from 12 October 2025 — before penalties, allowances and overtime. Entry/each step shown (12 October 2025).

Grade	Weekly	Hourly	Annualised
Senior Registered Nurse/Midwife (SRN/M) Level 8	$3,343.71	$87.99	$174,470
Senior Registered Nurse/Midwife (SRN/M) Level 9	$3,527.89	$92.84	$184,080
Senior Registered Nurse/Midwife (SRN/M) Level 10	$3,722.51	$97.96	$194,235

Ways to earn more

Management grades step from $3,343.71/wk (SRN/M Level 8) to $3,722.51/wk (Level 10) — your level rises with the size and complexity of the unit or facility.
Moving to a larger facility or service is the direct pay step: Directors of Nursing sit in the upper Level 8–10 band.
Keep claiming your qualification allowance — a relevant Masters or PhD adds $5,865/yr (Level 3) on top of your management rate.
Salary-package about $11,660/yr tax-free as a public-hospital employee.

Pay grade in most public awards is driven by the size/complexity of the unit or facility you manage (a role-evaluation/'span of control' assessment), not by years of service — so moving to a larger hospital is often the real mechanism for a pay step up.

Allowances you can claim

On top of base pay — the allowances most relevant to this role.

Qualification allowance3.5% / 4.5% / 5.5% of base; $3,732 / $4,798 / $5,865 a year (from 12 October 2025).

Paid to full-time and part-time RNs and Midwives who hold/acquire a qualification relevant to their current practice. Three levels: Level 1 = Graduate Certificate; Level 2 = Graduate Diploma; Level 3 = a Masters or PhD relevant to the area of practice.

Remote Area Nurse — overtime buy-out allowance25% of base salary, paid fortnightly.

Remote area nurses (employed as the 24-hour health-care provider in an isolated community at listed Group A/B sites) are paid an annual allowance equal to 25% of base salary, paid fortnightly in lieu of overtime, and pro-rated where the nurse is not employed in a remote area full-time.

Uniform allowance$10.90 per week (12 Oct 2025)

Where the Employer does NOT provide a uniform free of charge, it reimburses a weekly uniform allowance provided the employee conforms to the employer's uniform standard.

Laundry allowance$3.49 per week (12 Oct 2025)

Where a uniform is required and is NOT laundered by the hospital, the employee is reimbursed a weekly laundry allowance. Claimable in addition to the uniform allowance.

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.

Where it leads next

Step up from here: Nurse Manager → Director of Nursing — see exactly what each step takes →

Frequently asked questions

How much does a nurse manager earn in Western Australia?

In Western Australia public health, a nurse manager earns from $3,343.71 per week ($174,470 a year) to $3,722.51 ($194,235) across the scale — before shift penalties, allowances and overtime.

What is the starting nurse manager salary in Western Australia?

A first-step nurse manager in Western Australia starts at $3,343.71 per week — about $174,470 a year ($87.99 an hour) before penalties and allowances.

Do Western Australia nurses get paid more for nights and weekends?

Yes — on top of base pay, Western Australia public-health nurses receive shift loadings for afternoon, night and weekend work, plus overtime and a range of allowances.

Annual, parental, long-service and study leave, plus overtime, on-call and the full allowance list, are set out in the Western Australia nurse pay & conditions guide.

Pay figures are drawn from the WA Health System – ANF Industrial Agreement 2024. Confirm your exact classification, step and allowances against the current instrument and your payslip.