Nurses Award Pay Rates 2026-27: Every Classification
Minimum rates under the Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034), effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 , with some classifications varying again from 1 August 2026.
The short answer
A nursing assistant in their 1st year is paid $27.65 an hour or $1,050.70 a week full-time. A casual at the same classification is paid $34.56 an hour, including the 25% casual loading. On that full-time wage, take-home pay after income tax and the Medicare levy is $46,633 a year, or $1,794 a fortnight.
MA000034 rates by classification.
All 67 classifications, with the casual rate for each and what each one actually takes home after tax.
Nursing assistantOther
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $1,050.70 | $27.65 | $34.56 | $46,633 |
| 2nd year | $1,067.30 | $28.09 | $35.11 | $47,220 |
| 3rd year and thereafter | $1,084.40 | $28.54 | $35.68 | $47,824 |
| Experienced (the holder of a relevant certificate III qualification) | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 | $49,051 |
Student enrolled nurseOther
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 21 years of age | $976.20 | $25.69 | $32.11* | $43,998 |
| 21 years of age and over | $1,024.70 | $26.97 | $33.71* | $45,713 |
Enrolled nurseOther
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay point 1 | $1,139.90 | $30.00 | $37.50 | $49,787 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,155.00 | $30.39 | $37.99 | $50,321 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,170.40 | $30.80 | $38.50 | $50,865 |
| Pay point 4 | $1,187.20 | $31.24 | $39.05 | $51,459 |
| Pay point 5 | $1,199.20 | $31.56 | $39.45 | $51,884 |
Registered nurse—Levels 1–5Other
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse—level 1Pay point 1 | $1,219.50 | $32.09 | $40.11 | $52,602 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,244.50 | $32.75 | $40.94 | $53,486 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,275.00 | $33.55 | $41.94 | $54,564 |
| Pay point 4 | $1,309.00 | $34.45 | $43.06 | $55,766 |
| Pay point 5 | $1,349.20 | $35.51 | $44.39 | $57,188 |
| Pay point 6 | $1,388.10 | $36.53 | $45.66 | $58,563 |
| Pay point 7 | $1,428.30 | $37.59 | $46.99 | $59,985 |
| Pay point 8 and thereafter | $1,465.50 | $38.57 | $48.21 | $61,300 |
| Registered nurse—level 2Pay point 1 | $1,504.40 | $39.59 | $49.49 | $62,676 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,528.30 | $40.22 | $50.28 | $63,521 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,554.80 | $40.92 | $51.15 | $64,458 |
| Pay point 4 and thereafter | $1,580.30 | $41.59 | $51.99 | $65,359 |
| Registered nurse—level 3Pay point 1 | $1,631.20 | $42.93 | $53.66 | $67,159 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,661.10 | $43.71 | $54.64 | $68,216 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,689.80 | $44.47 | $55.59 | $69,231 |
| Pay point 4 and thereafter | $1,720.10 | $45.27 | $56.59 | $70,303 |
| Registered nurse—level 4Grade 1 | $1,861.70 | $48.99 | $61.24 | $75,310 |
| Grade 2 | $1,995.10 | $52.50 | $65.63 | $80,027 |
| Grade 3 | $2,111.60 | $55.57 | $69.46 | $84,146 |
| Registered nurse—level 5Grade 1 | $1,878.60 | $49.44 | $61.80 | $75,907 |
| Grade 2 | $1,978.40 | $52.06 | $65.08 | $79,436 |
| Grade 3 | $2,111.60 | $55.57 | $69.46 | $84,146 |
| Grade 4 | $2,243.10 | $59.03 | $73.79 | $88,796 |
| Grade 5 | $2,474.10 | $65.11 | $81.39 | $96,964 |
| Grade 6 | $2,706.90 | $71.23 | $89.04 | $104,793 |
Minimum entry rateOther
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 year degree | $1,273.40 | $33.51 | $41.89 | $54,507 |
| Masters degree | $1,317.20 | $34.66 | $43.33 | $56,056 |
Nurse practitioner—other than aged care employeesOther
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $1,877.00 | $49.39 | $61.74 | $75,851 |
| 2nd year | $1,932.70 | $50.86 | $63.58 | $77,820 |
Occupational health nursesOther
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational health nurse—level 1Pay point 1 | $1,309.00 | $34.45 | $43.06 | $55,766 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,349.20 | $35.51 | $44.39 | $57,188 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,388.10 | $36.53 | $45.66 | $58,563 |
| Pay point 4 | $1,428.30 | $37.59 | $46.99 | $59,985 |
| Pay point 5 | $1,465.50 | $38.57 | $48.21 | $61,300 |
| Occupational health nurse—level 2Pay point 1 | $1,504.40 | $39.59 | $49.49 | $62,676 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,528.30 | $40.22 | $50.28 | $63,521 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,554.80 | $40.92 | $51.15 | $64,458 |
| Pay point 4 | $1,580.30 | $41.59 | $51.99 | $65,359 |
| Senior occupational health clinical nurse | $1,580.30 | $41.59 | $51.99 | $65,359 |
| Occupational health nurse—level 3Pay point 1 | $1,631.20 | $42.93 | $53.66 | $67,159 |
| Pay point 2 | $1,661.10 | $43.71 | $54.64 | $68,216 |
| Pay point 3 | $1,689.80 | $44.47 | $55.59 | $69,231 |
| Pay point 4 and thereafter | $1,720.10 | $45.27 | $56.59 | $70,303 |
Student enrolled nurseAged care
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 21 years of age | $1,122.60 | $29.54 | $36.93 | $49,175 |
| 21 years of age and over | $1,178.30 | $31.01 | $38.76 | $51,145 |
Enrolled nurseAged care
1 August 2026 · PR812118
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled nurse supervising other direct care employees | $1,542.00 | $40.58 | $50.73 | $64,005 |
Registered nurses—aged care employeesAged care
1 August 2026 · PR812118
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse—level 1First year of employment classified at this level | $1,571.60 | $41.36 | $51.70 | $65,052 |
| In excess of 1 year and up to 4 years of employment classified at this level | $1,654.30 | $43.53 | $54.41 | $67,976 |
| In excess of 4 years of employment classified at this level | $1,801.10 | $47.40 | $59.25 | $73,167 |
| Registered nurse—level 2First 3 years of employment classified at this level | $1,947.70 | $51.26 | $64.08 | $78,351 |
| In excess of 3 years of employment classified at this level | $2,046.00 | $53.84 | $67.30 | $81,827 |
| Registered nurse—level 3 | $2,094.20 | $55.11 | $68.89 | $83,531 |
| Registered nurse—level 4 | $2,390.30 | $62.90 | $78.63 | $94,001 |
| Registered nurse—level 5 | $2,711.30 | $71.35 | $89.19 | $104,932 |
Nurse practitioner—aged care employeesAged care
1 July 2026 · PR799315
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $2,158.60 | $56.81 | $71.01 | $85,808 |
| 2nd year | $2,222.70 | $58.49 | $73.11 | $88,075 |
Take-home is an estimate for a single Australian resident for tax purposes with no study loan debt and no Medicare levy surcharge, calculated with the same Wage Calculator used across this site. Superannuation is paid by your employer on top of these rates and is never deducted from them. A casual rate marked * is not published in the award and is the minimum hourly rate plus the 25% loading.
Where these figures come from.
Provenance
Verified- Award
- Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034)
- Effective from
- 1 July 2026 and 1 August 2026
- Consolidated to
- 1 August 2026
- Determinations
- PR812118
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-06
- Cross-checked
- 65 of 67 rates against Schedule B
Every rate above was read from the award text at the Fair Work award library and then checked a second time against Schedule B of the same award, which republishes the hourly rates. Casual rates are the award’s own published figures except where marked *, which the award does not publish. Nothing here is copied from another pay site.
What this page does not cover.
Listed as plainly as what it does, because a rate page that hides its gaps is how the wrong number ends up on a payslip.
Penalty rates
Shift, weekend and public holiday loadings are set separately in the award.
Enterprise agreements
Most public hospital nurses are covered by a state agreement paying above the award.
Allowances
On-call, in-charge and qualification allowances are published separately.
Nurses Award Pay Rates questions, answered.
What is the enrolled nurse pay rate?
An enrolled nurse other than an aged care employee is paid from $1,139.90 a week at pay point 1, $30.00 an hour, up to $31.56 an hour at pay point 5. You move up one pay point for each year of full-time experience, or every 1786 hours if part-time or casual.
What is the registered nurse pay rate under the award?
A registered nurse level 1 starts at $1,219.50 a week, $32.09 an hour, and the level 1 scale runs across eight pay points. The award scale reaches $71.23 an hour at level 5 grade 6. Note that most public hospital nurses are covered by a state enterprise agreement paying above the award, not by the award itself.
Why are aged care nurse rates different?
The Nurses Award carries a separate, higher rate scale for aged care employees following the Fair Work Commission's aged care work value case. An aged care registered nurse level 1 starts at $1,571.60 a week against $1,219.50 on the general scale. Both scales are published above and labelled.
Do all nurses rates change on 1 July?
Not this year. The non-aged-care rates on this page take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 under determination PR799315. The aged care enrolled nurse and registered nurse rates changed again from 1 August 2026 under PR812118. Each table above shows its own effective date.
Does the award rate apply if I work in a public hospital?
Usually not directly. Public sector nursing is generally covered by a state or territory enterprise agreement, which must pay at least the award but in practice pays above it. The award rate is the legal floor and a useful check, not a prediction of a public hospital payslip.
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