NSW Nursing Wages 2026–27: Registered Nurse Pay Rates & Take-Home
NSW nursing wages are set by the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025. From 1 July 2026 a new-graduate registered nurse or midwife earns $81,692 a year and the top of the RN scale pays $114,694 – about $2,494.33 to $3,355.07 a fortnight after tax, before shift penalties and salary packaging. The next pay rise is due on 1 July 2027.
Updated 2026-10-03 · rates in force from 1 July 2026 · ATO 2026–27 tax
| Instrument | Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025 |
| Rates shown apply from | 1 July 2026 |
| Full-time hours | 38 a week |
| Employer super | 12% – 12% superannuation guarantee (NSW Health pays SG to the member's chosen fund; defined-benefit members of closed State schemes differ). Public hospital employer: salary packaging is FBT-exempt up to the $17,000 grossed-up hospital cap (about $9,010 of benefits a year), plus a separate $5,000 grossed-up meal entertainment / holiday accommodation cap. |
| Next pay rise | 1 July 2027 (3.0%) |
| Agreement nominal expiry | 30 June 2028 |
New South Wales nurse pay calculator
| Base salary | $81,692 |
| Hourly rate (ordinary) | $41.23 |
| Gross per fortnight | $3,133.40 |
| Salary packaged (tax-free) | $9,000 |
| Income tax | $12,328 |
| Medicare levy | $1,454 |
| Take-home a year | $67,911 |
| Employer super (12%) | $9,803 |
- Take-home $67,911 83.1%
- Income tax $12,328 15.1%
- Medicare $1,454 1.8%
Your result is ready
New South Wales nurse pay scale from 1 July 2026
| Classification | Step | Annual | Hourly | Take-home / fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant in Nursing / Midwifery | 1st Year | $65,106 | $32.86 | $2,062.61 |
| 2nd Year | $67,181 | $33.91 | $2,115.84 | |
| 3rd Year | $69,293 | $34.97 | $2,170.92 | |
| 4th Year+ 4th year and thereafter | $71,431 | $36.05 | $2,226.68 | |
| Enrolled Nurse | 1st Year | $74,961 | $37.83 | $2,318.75 |
| 2nd Year | $76,556 | $38.64 | $2,360.37 | |
| 3rd Year | $78,188 | $39.46 | $2,402.94 | |
| 4th Year | $79,841 | $40.29 | $2,446.05 | |
| 5th Year+ 5th year and thereafter | $81,453 | $41.11 | $2,488.07 | |
| Special Grade Enrolled nurse – special grade | $83,945 | $42.37 | $2,553.08 | |
| Registered Nurse / Registered Midwife | 1st Year RN/RM 1st year (new graduate) | $81,692 | $41.23 | $2,494.33 |
| 2nd Year | $86,125 | $43.47 | $2,609.93 | |
| 3rd Year | $90,572 | $45.71 | $2,725.94 | |
| 4th Year | $95,343 | $48.12 | $2,850.38 | |
| 5th Year | $100,073 | $50.51 | $2,973.73 | |
| 6th Year | $104,781 | $52.88 | $3,096.54 | |
| 7th Year | $110,168 | $55.60 | $3,237.02 | |
| 8th Year+ 8th year and thereafter | $114,694 | $57.88 | $3,355.07 | |
| Clinical Nurse / Midwife Specialist | CNS 1 Grade 1 – 1st year and thereafter | $119,355 | $60.24 | $3,476.66 |
| CNS 2.1 Grade 2 – 1st year | $128,214 | $64.71 | $3,707.72 | |
| CNS 2.2 Grade 2 – 2nd year and thereafter | $132,433 | $66.84 | $3,817.74 | |
| Clinical Nurse / Midwife Educator | CNE Year 1 | $124,189 | $62.68 | $3,602.73 |
| CNE Year 2+ Year 2 and thereafter | $128,214 | $64.71 | $3,707.72 | |
| Nursing / Midwifery Unit Manager | NUM 1 Level 1 | $143,899 | $72.62 | $4,092.91 |
| NUM 2 Level 2 | $150,714 | $76.06 | $4,252.37 | |
| NUM 3 Level 3 | $154,771 | $78.11 | $4,347.28 | |
| Nurse / Midwife Practitioner | NP Year 1 | $158,129 | $79.81 | $4,425.85 |
| NP Year 2 | $161,065 | $81.29 | $4,494.54 | |
| NP Year 3 | $165,179 | $83.36 | $4,590.80 | |
| NP Year 4 | $169,314 | $85.45 | $4,687.54 |
Not shown in full: Clinical Nurse / Midwife Consultant $143,477–$161,065; Nurse / Midwife Educator $139,498–$161,065; Nurse / Midwife Manager $143,477–$231,348 (use the calculator for any step).
Rates: Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025, in force from 1 July 2026. Hourly = annual ÷ 52.143 weeks ÷ 38 hours. Take-home is for an Australian resident in 2026–27 with the tax-free threshold, Medicare levy, no HELP debt and private hospital cover (no Medicare levy surcharge). Employer super is paid on top and not included.
Midwives are paid on the same scale as registered nurses. Compare with New South Wales teacher pay or see every state on the nurse salaries hub.
Take-home pay at the start and top of the scale
| Pay point | Gross a year | Take-home a year | Take-home a fortnight | With HECS-HELP | Employer super |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New-graduate RN | $81,692 | $65,031 | $2,494.33 | $2,424.34 | $9,803 |
| Top RN increment | $114,694 | $87,472 | $3,355.07 | $3,095.21 | $13,763 |
| Enrolled nurse, year 1 | $74,961 | $60,453 | $2,318.75 | $2,287.49 | $8,995 |
| NUM level 1 | $143,899 | $106,708 | $4,092.91 | $3,654.16 | $17,268 |
| Nurse practitioner, year 1 | $158,129 | $115,389 | $4,425.85 | $3,894.31 | $18,975 |
Moving from new-graduate rn ($81,692) to top rn increment ($114,694) adds $33,001 a year before tax, or $860.74 a fortnight after tax. Employer super of 12% is paid on top.
Salary packaging: the public hospital cap
Public hospitals and health services are FBT-exempt up to a grossed-up cap of $17,000, which lets staff pay up to $9,010 a year of living expenses (rent, mortgage, bills) from pre-tax salary, plus up to $2,650 of meal entertainment and venue hire. For a new-graduate rn on $81,692, packaging both caps in full lifts spendable income by about $3,731 a year ($143.11 a fortnight). The packaged amount is reported on your income statement as a reportable fringe benefit, which counts towards HELP repayments and some income tests. Try your own numbers in the salary packaging calculator.
Shift and weekend rates
Dollar amounts are for new-graduate rn ($41.23 an hour).
| When | Rate | Per hour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday (ordinary hours) | 100% | $41.23 | Casual hourly rate = 1/38th of the weekly rate plus 10% (cl. 29 Part II(ii)); annual leave for casuals is under the Annual Holidays Act 1944 (NSW) |
| Afternoon shift starting 10am–1pm | 110% | $45.35 | 10% on the ordinary rate (cl. 11(i)). Casual figure assumes the 10% casual loading and the shift % are both added to the ordinary rate – check your payslip |
| Afternoon shift starting 1pm–4pm | 112.5% | $46.38 | 12.5% on the ordinary rate (cl. 11(i)); part-timers only get it if the shift starts before 6am or ends after 6pm |
| Night shift starting 4pm–4am | 120% | $49.47 | 20% from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025 (was 15%) (cl. 11(i)) |
| Night shift starting 4am–6am | 110% | $45.35 | 10% (cl. 11(i)) |
| Saturday | 150% | $61.84 | Time and a half for ordinary hours midnight Friday – midnight Saturday, instead of shift allowances (cl. 11(iv)); casuals do not get the 10% loading on top for weekend hours |
| Sunday | 175% | $72.15 | Time and three quarters (cl. 11(iv)); no casual 10% on top |
| Public holiday | 150% | $61.84 | Permanent staff: half time extra on top of the weekly rate AND a day added to annual leave, or elect time and a half extra instead of the leave day (= 2.5 in total) (cl. 30(ii)). Casuals: double time and a half, in lieu of weekend/shift rates (cl. 29 Part II(v)) |
Good to know
- Night shift loading rose from 15% to 20% (shifts starting 4pm–4am) from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025.
- Staff who regularly work Sundays/public holidays get up to 5 extra days of annual leave a year (cl. 30(xi)).
- The Crown Employees Nurses' (State) Award 2025 (Justice Health etc.) received the same increases.
- The IRC refused the union claim to lift sick leave from 10 to 20 days.
New South Wales nurse pay rises – next on 1 July 2027
| From | Increase | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2025 | 10.0% | Paid | RNs and midwives +10% (ENs +12%, AINs +22%), backdated; includes the 3% interim increase paid in 2025. Back pay paid from late May 2026 |
| 1 July 2026 | 3.0% | Paid | All classifications +3% |
| 1 July 2027 | 3.0% | Scheduled | All classifications +3% (rates already published in IB2026_018, e.g. RN 8th year $2,265.60 a week) |
How pay progression works
- RNs and midwives move up one year on the scale for each year of experience, from 1st year (new graduate) to 8th year and thereafter.
- ENs progress 1st to 5th year and thereafter; AINs 1st to 4th year and thereafter.
- Clinical nurse/midwife specialist, CNC, nurse educator, NUM and nurse practitioner are appointed positions, not automatic increments.
- Continuing education allowance is paid on top of salary for a relevant post-graduate qualification used in the role (cl. 13).
- Total rises under the award 2025–2028: RNs/midwives 16%, ENs 18%, AINs 28% (NSW IRC, 16 April 2026).
Allowances
| Allowance | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RN in charge of ward / hospital | $44.79 per shift | From 1 July 2026 (cl. 12(i), (v)); $67.19 or $85.88 when also in charge of a hospital |
| On-call allowance | $4.90 an hour (minimum $39.20) | From 1 July 2026; $9.77 an hour (minimum $78.16) on a rostered day off (cl. 12(ii)) |
| Continuing education allowance | $52.10 a week (post-grad certificate), $78.40 (post-grad diploma/degree), $94.10 (masters/doctorate) | From 1 July 2026 (cl. 13) |
| Uniform (incl. shoes) and laundry allowance | $13.06 + $8.32 a week | From 1 July 2026, where uniforms are not supplied/laundered; CPI-indexed each July |
| Climatic / isolation allowance | $5.03 / $9.87 a week | From 1 July 2026, designated western NSW locations |
New South Wales vs other states
| State | New-graduate RN | Top RN increment | Take-home / fortnight (top) | Rates from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $81,692 | $114,694 | $3,355.07 | 1 July 2026 |
| Victoria | $84,420 | $107,806 | $3,175.42 | 11 May 2026 |
| Queensland | $87,367 | $112,063 | $3,284.24 | 1 April 2026 |
| Western Australia | $82,945 | $106,630 | $3,143.33 | 12 October 2025 |
| South Australia | $77,824 | $106,187 | $3,131.77 | 1 January 2026 |
Related
- Nurse salaries by state
- Salary packaging calculator (hospital cap)
- Salary sacrifice calculator
- Hourly pay calculator
- Salary calculator
- Teacher salaries in New South Wales
NSW nurse rates from 1 July 2027 are already set
The award made by the NSW IRC in April 2026 fixed all three years of rises, so the July 2027 rates are already published. A first-year RN moves to about $1,613.70 a week ($84,143 a year, about $2,558.25 a fortnight after tax) and an 8th-year RN to $2,265.60 a week ($118,135). The award then runs to 30 June 2028, so the next negotiated rise after that is a 2028 matter.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a registered nurse earn in New South Wales?
$81,692 a year as a new graduate and $114,694 at the top RN increment, from 1 July 2026. Shift, weekend and public holiday penalties are paid on top, and public hospital staff can salary package up to $9,010 a year tax-free.
What is the take-home pay of a graduate nurse in New South Wales?
About $2,494.33 a fortnight after income tax and Medicare levy on base pay, or $2,424.34 with a HECS-HELP debt. Penalty rates and salary packaging usually lift this.
When is the next nurse pay rise in New South Wales?
1 July 2027 (3.0%): All classifications +3% (rates already published in IB2026_018, e.g. RN 8th year $2,265.60 a week).
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- NSW Health Information Bulletin IB2026_018 (26 May 2026): increased rates of pay and allowances – Table 1 weekly rates from 1 July 2025, 2026 and 2027; Table 2 allowances; increases of 10/12/22% then 3% and 3%
- NSW Health: Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2025 (serial C10152) – shift allowances cl. 11, casuals cl. 29 (10% loading), public holidays cl. 30, salary packaging cl. 51
- NSW Industrial Relations Commission: NSWNMA v Health Secretary decision (16 April 2026) – 16% RNs, 18% ENs, 28% AINs over three years from 1 July 2025
- NSW Health news (26 May 2026): back pay to 1 July 2025 commenced