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Registered Nurse salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a registered nurse is $114,000 per annum, before tax, up $23,500 since 2018.
In public hospitals, pay is set by state enterprise agreements, so rates differ between states and step up with each new agreement and each year of service. Shift penalties for nights, weekends and public holidays add a meaningful amount to a rotating roster, and clinical specialties and senior grades sit higher again. Private hospitals, aged care providers and nursing agencies each set their own rates, and agency work often pays more per shift in exchange for casual conditions.
Roles that pay more than registered nurse
The largest typical pay rise is $24,200 a year, moving into Nurse Manager.
- Nurse Manager+$24,200/yr
- Director of Nursing+$21,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher registered nurse salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time registered nurse salary is $114,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Registered Nurses are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Patient care and support and Clinical assessment and treatment tend to command a premium over general registered nurse experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Nurse Manager pays a typical $24,200 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Registered Nurse salary questions
How much do registered nurses earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a registered nurse is $114,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is registered nurse pay rising or falling?
The median registered nurse salary is up $23,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than registered nurse?
Nurse Manager pays a typical $24,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to registered nurse.