Registered nurse salary NSW: award rates, median pay, and how they compare to the national minimum wage

What does "registered nurse salary nsw" mean?

When someone searches for "registered nurse salary nsw", they are usually trying to understand how much a registered nurse can expect to earn in New South Wales. The answer is not a single number. Pay depends on whether you work in the public or private sector, your level of experience, the type of employer, and any applicable award or agreement. The two main benchmarks are the Nurses Award 2020 (a national modern award) and the recent NSW Industrial Relations Commission decision that boosted public sector rates. This article explains both, and shows how they stack up against the national minimum wage using the Salary Index.

Award rates versus the national minimum wage

The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a full-time employee. That gives a Salary Index of 48.2 – meaning it is less than half the national full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $108,352 per year. The Nurses Award 2020 sets much higher minimums. For example, a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 (the entry point for a newly qualified nurse) earns $1,219.50 per week, or $32.09 per hour. That is an index of 58.5. A more experienced Level 1 nurse at Pay Point 8 earns $1,465.50 per week (index 70.3). These award rates are a floor, not a ceiling.

The NSW IRC 16% increase

In a landmark decision, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission awarded a 16% salary increase for registered nurses and midwives in the NSW public sector, phased over three years from 1 July 2025. The Commission found that nursing work had been historically undervalued because of gender, and that the real value of pay had fallen due to high inflation. For a Level 1 Pay Point 8 nurse, the increase would lift the weekly rate to about $1,700 by the end of the phase-in (index ~81.6). That is still below the national median, but a significant step up from the award floor. The decision applies only to nurses covered by NSW state awards – mainly those in public hospitals and health services. Private sector nurses remain under the national award unless their employer has a different enterprise agreement.

Median earnings and the salary index

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (via Jobs and Skills Australia), the median full-time registered nurse in Australia earns $2,192 per week, or $57 per hour. That annualises to $113,984, giving a Salary Index of 105.2 – above the national line of 100. This figure is for all of Australia, not just NSW, but NSW’s state index is 101.2, suggesting pay is slightly above the national average. The median is a useful benchmark because it reflects what a typical nurse actually earns, including over-award payments, penalties, and allowances. It shows that many nurses are paid well above the award minimum.

How the index works

The Salary Index compares your gross annual salary to the national full-time adult ordinary-time earnings ($108,352 in May 2026). An index of 100 means you earn exactly the national average. An index of 105.2 means you earn 5.2% more. You can calculate your own index by dividing your yearly gross pay by $108,352 and multiplying by 100. For example, a nurse on the Level 1 Pay Point 8 award rate ($76,206 annualised) has an index of 70.3.

Super and tax considerations

All wages quoted are before tax and super. From 1 July 2026, the superannuation guarantee is 12%, paid on top of your salary. For a nurse earning the median $113,984, that means an extra $13,678 into super each year. Tax for 2026–27 uses marginal rates with a tax-free threshold of $18,200, then 15% up to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above that. Plus a 2% Medicare levy. A resident nurse on the median would pay roughly $26,000 in tax and Medicare, leaving about $88,000 take-home. Award-level nurses pay less tax but also have lower take-home pay.

Putting it together

So what is a registered nurse salary in NSW? It can be anywhere from the award minimum of around $1,200 per week for a new graduate to well over $2,000 per week for an experienced nurse in a senior role. The NSW IRC increase will lift public sector award rates, but the median already sits above the national average. To see where your pay sits, use the Salary Index. For more on how awards compare across industries, see our pay guides or explore states and industries. You can also read about the Nurses Award 2020 for detailed classification rates.

Key takeaway

The national minimum wage is a floor, not a guide for professional nursing. Award rates for registered nurses are higher, and the median is higher still. The NSW IRC decision acknowledges that nursing has been undervalued and provides a meaningful increase for public sector workers. Whether you are an employer setting a salary or a nurse negotiating pay, the Salary Index helps you see where a figure sits against the national line.