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Nurse salary QLD: what to expect from job ads and award rates
Compare nurse salary QLD offers using Queensland Health wage schedules and the Nurses Award. Understand pay scales, index benchmarks, and how to read job ads.
Nurse salaries in Queensland range from an index of about 64 for an entry-level Assistant in Nursing to over 180 for senior executive roles, with most Registered Nurses sitting between 80 and 100 on the index.
Reading a job ad for a nurse salary QLD
When you see a job advertisement for a nursing role in Queensland, the advertised salary is usually based on a classification from the Queensland Health Nurses and Midwives Certified Agreement or, for private sector roles, the Nurses Award 2020. Understanding where that figure sits against the national line helps you judge whether the offer is competitive.
The Salary Index sets 100 as full-time adult ordinary-time earnings, which the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports as $108,352 per year (May 2026). A nurse salary QLD can range from well below that line for entry-level roles to well above for senior clinical or management positions.
Queensland Health wage scales
Queensland Health publishes detailed wage rates for nursing stream employees. The current agreement (EB12 2025) covers assistants in nursing, enrolled nurses, registered nurses, clinical nurses, nurse practitioners, and directors of nursing. Rates are set by grade and pay point.
For example, a Registered Nurse (Grade 5) starts at pay point 1 with an annual salary of $85,649 from April 2025, rising to $87,790 from April 2026. That works out to an index of about 81 – meaning the salary is roughly 19% below the national average. At the top of Grade 5 (pay point 7), the salary is $109,859 in 2025 and $112,607 in 2026, giving an index of about 104.
A Clinical Nurse Consultant (Grade 7) starts at $137,201 in 2025 ($140,632 in 2026), index around 130. A Nurse Practitioner (Grade 8) starts at $154,482 in 2025 ($158,344 in 2026), index about 146. At the executive level, a Health Service Director of Nursing (Grade 13) earns $212,693 in 2025, index 196.
These figures are before tax and superannuation. The states page shows Queensland's overall index is 97.9, slightly below the national line, but nursing salaries in the public sector often exceed the state average.
Award minimums for comparison
The Nurses Award 2020 sets the legal floor for most private sector nurses in Queensland. As of 1 August 2026, a Registered Nurse at pay point 1 earns a minimum of $1,139.90 per week ($30.00 per hour), annualised to about $59,275. That's an index of 55. An Enrolled Nurse at pay point 1 earns $1,050.70 per week ($27.65 per hour), index 50. These are much lower than Queensland Health rates, so a job ad offering award minimums would be at the low end.
However, many private hospitals and aged care facilities pay above the award, sometimes matching or exceeding public sector rates. When you see a nurse salary QLD in a private sector ad, check whether it references the Nurses Award or an enterprise agreement.
How to use the index when comparing offers
Suppose you have two offers: one from a public hospital for a Grade 5 Registered Nurse at pay point 3 ($96,053 in 2026), and another from a private hospital offering $85,000. The public offer has an index of 89, the private offer an index of 78. The difference of 11 index points represents about $12,000 per year. You can also factor in superannuation (12% from July 2026) and penalties for shift work.
The industries page shows health care and social assistance has an average index of 97.8, so a nurse salary QLD around that mark is typical for the sector. Offers below 80 may be worth questioning, while offers above 110 indicate senior or specialised roles.
Tax and take-home pay
For a nurse earning $96,053 per year, the estimated tax (including 2% Medicare levy) for 2026–27 is about $24,500, leaving a take-home of around $71,500. That's roughly $5,960 per month. Superannuation at 12% adds $11,526 to your retirement savings, but that is not reflected in the advertised salary.
Caveats
The Queensland Health agreement rates shown here are from the published schedule. A 0.5% CPI uplift was applied in mid-2026 but not yet reflected in the published document, so actual rates may be slightly higher. Also, award rates can override agreement rates if they are more favourable – employees are paid the higher of the two.
When reading a job ad, look for the classification (e.g., Grade 5, pay point 3) and the enterprise agreement or award cited. Then use the pay guides and how the index works to translate that into a meaningful comparison against the national line.
Summary
A nurse salary QLD varies widely by employer, classification, and experience. Public sector roles under Queensland Health are well above award minimums and generally sit between index 80 and 130. Private sector roles may be lower but can still be competitive. The Salary Index gives you a quick way to see where an offer stands relative to the typical Australian full-time earner.
Questions people ask
How does a nurse salary QLD compare to the national average?
The national full-time adult ordinary-time earnings are $108,352 per year (index 100). A Queensland Health Registered Nurse at Grade 5 pay point 1 earns $87,790 (index 81), while a Clinical Nurse Consultant at Grade 7 pay point 1 earns $140,632 (index 130). Most nursing roles fall between index 80 and 130, meaning they are below or above the national line depending on seniority.
What is the minimum wage for a nurse in Queensland under the award?
Under the Nurses Award 2020, the minimum weekly rate for a Registered Nurse at pay point 1 is $1,139.90 per week ($30.00 per hour) as of 1 August 2026. For an Enrolled Nurse at pay point 1, it is $1,050.70 per week ($27.65 per hour). However, Queensland Health enterprise agreement rates are significantly higher than these award minima.
Are Queensland Health nurse salaries higher than the award rates?
Yes, Queensland Health's certified agreement pays well above the Nurses Award minimums. For example, a Registered Nurse Grade 5 pay point 1 earns $87,790 per year under the agreement, compared to the award minimum of about $59,275 per year (based on $1,139.90 per week). The agreement also includes higher rates for experience and advanced roles.