SA Nurse Pay Rates 2026: Registered Nurse Salary & Take-Home
SA nurse pay rates are set by the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022 – rates with the 4% interim administrative increase from 1 January 2026. From 1 January 2026 a new-graduate registered nurse or midwife earns $77,824 a year and the top of the RN scale pays $106,187 – about $2,392.34 to $3,131.77 a fortnight after tax, before shift penalties and salary packaging. The next pay rise is due on 1 January 2027. These are the latest rates we could confirm from the official tables; check the note on the increases below.
Updated 2026-10-03 · rates in force from 1 January 2026 · ATO 2026–27 tax
| Instrument | Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022 – rates with the 4% interim administrative increase from 1 January 2026 |
| Rates shown apply from | 1 January 2026 (latest confirmed rates – a newer increase may be due) |
| Full-time hours | 38 a week |
| Employer super | 12% – 12% superannuation guarantee. 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 January 2027 – not yet agreed |
| Agreement nominal expiry | 31 July 2025 |
South Australia nurse pay calculator
| Base salary | $77,824 |
| Hourly rate (ordinary) | $39.26 |
| Gross per fortnight | $2,983.67 |
| Salary packaged (tax-free) | $9,000 |
| Income tax | $11,167 |
| Medicare levy | $1,376 |
| Take-home a year | $65,280 |
| Employer super (12%) | $9,339 |
- Take-home $65,280 83.9%
- Income tax $11,167 14.3%
- Medicare $1,376 1.8%
Your result is ready
South Australia nurse pay scale from 1 January 2026
| Classification | Step | Annual | Hourly | Take-home / fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant in Nursing / Midwifery | AIN 1 1st increment | $61,458 | $31.00 | $1,968.67 |
| AIN 2 2nd increment | $63,278 | $31.92 | $2,015.07 | |
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma, or Certificate with medication authorisation) | EN 1 1st increment | $69,095 | $34.86 | $2,164.78 |
| EN 2 2nd increment | $70,807 | $35.72 | $2,209.41 | |
| EN 3 3rd increment | $72,423 | $36.53 | $2,251.54 | |
| EN 4 4th increment | $73,823 | $37.24 | $2,288.04 | |
| EN 5 5th increment | $75,638 | $38.16 | $2,335.35 | |
| EN 6 6th increment | $77,824 | $39.26 | $2,392.34 | |
| Advanced Skills Enrolled Nurse | ASEN 1 1st increment | $77,824 | $39.26 | $2,392.34 |
| ASEN 2 2nd increment | $79,278 | $39.99 | $2,430.25 | |
| Registered Nurse / Midwife Level 1 | RN1.1 Level 1, 1st increment | $77,824 | $39.26 | $2,392.34 |
| RN1.2 2nd increment | $80,262 | $40.49 | $2,455.90 | |
| RN1.3 3rd increment | $83,694 | $42.22 | $2,545.38 | |
| RN1.4 4th increment | $87,275 | $44.03 | $2,638.73 | |
| RN1.5 5th increment | $90,913 | $45.86 | $2,733.58 | |
| RN1.6 6th increment | $94,570 | $47.71 | $2,828.92 | |
| RN1.7 7th increment | $98,229 | $49.55 | $2,924.31 | |
| RN1.8 8th increment | $101,886 | $51.40 | $3,019.65 | |
| RN1.9 9th increment | $106,187 | $53.57 | $3,131.77 | |
| Clinical Nurse / Midwife (Level 2) | RN2.1 1st increment | $90,913 | $45.86 | $2,733.58 |
| RN2.2 2nd increment | $94,570 | $47.71 | $2,828.92 | |
| RN2.3 3rd increment | $98,229 | $49.55 | $2,924.31 | |
| RN2.4 4th increment | $101,886 | $51.40 | $3,019.65 | |
| RN2.5 5th increment | $106,187 | $53.57 | $3,131.77 | |
| RN2.6 6th increment | $107,488 | $54.22 | $3,165.69 | |
| RN2.7 7th increment | $109,964 | $55.47 | $3,230.24 | |
| RN2.8 8th increment | $112,440 | $56.72 | $3,294.79 | |
| RN2.9 9th increment | $114,916 | $57.97 | $3,359.34 | |
| Associate Nurse / Midwife Unit Manager (Level 2) | ANUM 1 1st increment | $107,488 | $54.22 | $3,165.69 |
| ANUM 2 2nd increment | $109,964 | $55.47 | $3,230.24 | |
| ANUM 3 3rd increment | $112,440 | $56.72 | $3,294.79 | |
| ANUM 4 4th increment | $114,916 | $57.97 | $3,359.34 | |
| Level 3 – Nurse/Midwife Unit Manager, Consultant, Educator, Manager | RN3.1 1st increment | $130,190 | $65.68 | $3,757.54 |
| RN3.2 2nd increment | $133,098 | $67.14 | $3,833.35 | |
| RN3.3 3rd increment | $136,011 | $68.61 | $3,906.58 | |
| Level 4 – Advanced Unit Manager / Consultant / Educator / Manager and Nurse Practitioner | RN4.1 1st increment | $137,463 | $69.34 | $3,940.54 |
| RN4.2 2nd increment | $141,100 | $71.18 | $4,025.59 | |
| RN4.3 3rd increment | $143,282 | $72.28 | $4,076.62 |
Rates: Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022 – rates with the 4% interim administrative increase from 1 January 2026, in force from 1 January 2026. Hourly = annual ÷ 52.1667 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 South Australia 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 | $77,824 | $62,400 | $2,392.34 | $2,344.63 | $9,339 |
| Top RN increment | $106,187 | $81,687 | $3,131.77 | $2,920.96 | $12,742 |
| Enrolled nurse, year 1 | $69,095 | $56,465 | $2,164.78 | $2,164.78 | $8,291 |
| Level 3 (NUM / consultant) | $130,190 | $98,009 | $3,757.54 | $3,408.33 | $15,623 |
| Level 4 / nurse practitioner | $137,463 | $102,782 | $3,940.54 | $3,543.93 | $16,496 |
Moving from new-graduate rn ($77,824) to top rn increment ($106,187) adds $28,363 a year before tax, or $739.43 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 $77,824, packaging both caps in full lifts spendable income by about $3,739 a year ($143.34 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 ($39.26 an hour).
| When | Rate | Per hour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday (ordinary hours) | 100% | $39.26 | 25% casual loading |
| Afternoon shift | 112.5% | $44.17 | 112.5%; casual 137.5% (ANMF SA pay table) |
| Night shift | 120.5% | $47.31 | 120.5%; casual 145.5% |
| Saturday | 150% | $58.89 | 150%; casual 175% |
| Sunday | 175% | $68.70 | 175%; casual 200% |
| Public holiday | 250% | $98.15 | Permanent 250%; the ANMF table shows casuals at 175% ("Sat & PH") – check the agreement before relying on the casual figure |
Good to know
- Members rejected the government's 16% offer in a ballot closing 29 July 2026; the government asked the SA Employment Tribunal to arbitrate a new agreement.
- The union (ANMF SA) claimed 23% by the end of 2027.
- Level 5 (nursing/midwifery director) and Level 6 (director of nursing) run from $149,827 to $219,649 a year from 1 January 2026.
South Australia nurse pay rises – next on 1 January 2027
| From | Increase | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2023 | 3.0% | Paid | 2022 agreement (plus $1,500 one-off payments in the first two years) |
| 1 January 2024 | 3.0% | Paid | 2022 agreement |
| 1 January 2025 | 3.0% | Paid | 2022 agreement – last scheduled rise |
| 1 January 2026 | 4.0% | Paid | Interim administrative increase, back-dated, agreed February 2026 when industrial action was called off |
| 1 October 2026 | 2.0% | Pending – not yet paid | Further 2% interim increase "in October 2026" – exact date and rate table not published at 8 Oct 2026 |
| 1 January 2027 | – | Not yet agreed | Rejected June 2026 offer: 3% Jan 2027, 3% Jul 2027, 4% Jul 2028 (on top of the 6% interim). Outcome now depends on SAET arbitration |
How pay progression works
- Level 1 RNs/midwives move up one increment each year of service, 1st to 9th increment.
- Clinical nurse/midwife (Level 2) has nine increments overlapping Level 1 increments 5–9 and above.
- Level 3 (unit manager, consultant, educator, manager) and Level 4 (advanced roles and nurse practitioner) are appointed positions with three increments each.
- Enrolled nurses with a Diploma (or a Certificate with medication authorisation) have six increments; Advanced Skills ENs two.
South Australia vs other states
| State | New-graduate RN | Top RN increment | Take-home / fortnight (top) | Rates from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia | $77,824 | $106,187 | $3,131.77 | 1 January 2026 |
| 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 |
Related
- Nurse salaries by state
- Salary packaging calculator (hospital cap)
- Salary sacrifice calculator
- Hourly pay calculator
- Salary calculator
- Teacher salaries in South Australia
SA nurse pay dispute: where arbitration stands
SA public sector nurses have had no agreement in force since the 2022 agreement expired on 31 July 2025. Pay has moved only through interim administrative increases: 4% from January 2026, when industrial action was called off, and a further 2% announced for October 2026. No table for the 2% had been published at 8 October 2026; applied to current rates it would take a graduate RN to about $79,380 and a 9th-increment RN to about $108,311.
The government's offer, which members rejected in a ballot closing 29 July 2026, was 3% in January 2027, 3% in July 2027 and 4% in July 2028, on top of the 6% interim rises, about 16% in total. On that path a graduate RN would have reached about $87,583 by July 2028. The ANMF (SA Branch) claimed 23% by the end of 2027. The government has asked the SA Employment Tribunal to arbitrate, so the final rates and dates depend on the tribunal's decision.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a registered nurse earn in South Australia?
$77,824 a year as a new graduate and $106,187 at the top RN increment, from 1 January 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 South Australia?
About $2,392.34 a fortnight after income tax and Medicare levy on base pay, or $2,344.63 with a HECS-HELP debt. Penalty rates and salary packaging usually lift this.
When is the next nurse pay rise in South Australia?
1 January 2027: Rejected June 2026 offer: 3% Jan 2027, 3% Jul 2027, 4% Jul 2028 (on top of the 6% interim). Outcome now depends on SAET arbitration.
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- ANMF (SA Branch): Nursing/Midwifery (SA Public Sector) EA 2022 + 4% Interim Administrative Increase pay rates, ffpp on or after 1 January 2026 – annual, fortnightly, hourly, shift/weekend/PH and casual rates; 1/1/25 column
- SA Attorney-General's Department: Enterprise agreement advice – Nursing/Midwifery (SA Public Sector) EA 2022 (approved 1 Dec 2022, expiry 31 July 2025, increases 1 Jan 2023/2024/2025)
- ANMJ (25 Feb 2026): SA nurses secure interim wage rise – 4% backdated to 1 January 2026, further 2% in October 2026
- ABC News (30 July 2026): SA public sector nurses and midwives reject offer; government to seek SAET arbitration
- SA Health: Proposed Nursing/Midwifery (SA Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2026