The salary of nurses in Australia is one of the things every nurse wishes to know before starting a job.
A worker is liable for his wages, so if you wish to know the salary of nurses in Australia this article is for you.
Nursing as a career has a high demand and always proved to be a rewarding one. It also provides an opportunity to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of people financially.
The salary of nurses in Australia is dependent on different factors like;
- City
- Type of nursing work
- Level of Academic acquisition
- Work experience
- Nature of establishment
- Health institution
In this article on the salary of nurses in Australia, the factors that determine what a nurse earns in Australia are elaborated with the average estimated salary in Australian dollars.
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Salary of nurses in Australia based on city
Different cities in Australia have their various salaries for different services, the salary of nurses in Australia might be higher in some cities maybe because of the cost of living or the population in a given geographical entity.
Below is a breakdown of the salary of nurses in Australia based on city
| City | Average Salary |
| Adelaide | 73,200 AUD |
| Brisbane | 80,100 AUD |
| Canberra-Queanbeyan | 71,900 AUD |
| Gold Coast-Tweed | 69,900 AUD |
| Gosford | 67,500 AUD |
| Melbourne | 75,800 AUD |
| Newcastle | 72,300 AUD |
| Perth | 76,600 AUD |
| Sunshine Coast | 65,400 AUD |
| Sydney | 79,300 AUD |
| Wollongong | 65,800 AUD |
Salary of nurses in Australia based on Type of nursing work
The type of health service a nurse does determine his or her pay, in a health institution, not all nurses receive equal pay. Since there is a division of labor and specialization, there is equal variation in the salary of nurses in Australia.
Below is the comparison of the salary of nurses in Australia based on work type.
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Acute Care Nurse | 81,300 AUD | |
| Assistant Director of Nursing | 139,000 AUD | |
| Case Manager | 106,000 AUD | |
| Company Nurse | 61,700 AUD | |
| Critical Care Nurse | 82,000 AUD | |
| District Nurse | 70,900 AUD | |
| Head Nurse | 83,200 AUD | |
| Home Nurse | 68,000 AUD | |
| ICU Registered Nurse | 80,100 AUD | |
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 79,300 AUD | |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | 73,900 AUD | |
| MDS Coordinator | 82,400 AUD | |
| Mental Health Nurse | 76,500 AUD | |
| NeonatalNurse Practitioner | 109,000 AUD | |
| Nurse | 72,600 AUD | |
| Nurse Midwife | 88,400 AUD | |
| Nurse Practitioner | 93,100 AUD | |
| Nursing Assistant | 68,900 AUD | |
| Nursing Coordinator | 91,100 AUD | |
| Nursing Director | 168,000 AUD | |
| Nursing Services Instructor | 81,900 AUD | |
| Nursing Supervisor | 111,000 AUD | |
| Occupational Health Advisor | 142,000 AUD | |
| Occupational Therapist | 123,000 AUD | |
| Personal Support Worker | 57,300 AUD | |
| Psychiatric Nurse | 74,100 AUD | |
| Registered Nurse | 73,800 AUD | |
| Respiratory Manager | 142,000 AUD | |
| School Nurse | 67,300 AUD | |
| Staff Nurse | 73,800 AUD | |
| Theatre Manager | 126,000 AUD | |
| Utilization Review Nurse | 80,100 AUD |
Salary of nurses in Australia based on Level of Academic acquisition
As in our previous post (how to become a nurse in Australia), you learned about enrolled nurses and registered nurses, however, there are other levels of academic acquisitions that are rated higher than others.
In the same vein, there are differences in the salary of nurses in Australia based on the level of academic acquisition.
We will be considering the salary difference between nurses having some work experience, doing some work but different levels of education or academic acquisition.
Below is the salary of nurses in Australia based on level of academic acquisition
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Staff Nurse salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor’s Degree, the average salary of a Staff Nurse is 52,100 AUD annually while a nurse with a Master’s Degree gets a salary of 92,400 AUD annually.
Many people pursue higher education levels as a tactic to switch to higher-paying jobs.
The salary of nurses in Australia based on Work experience
The experience level a nurse has is one of the most important factors in determining the salary. Normally, the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Staff Nurse salaries by experience level and this is what we can say.
A Staff Nurse with less than two years of experience makes approximately 42,200 AUD annually While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 55,200 AUD annually.
However, an experience level between five and ten years attracts a salary of 77,200 AUD annually.
Additionally, Staff Nurse(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 92,800 AUD annually while the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 101,000 AUD annually.
The salary of nurses in Australia increases as one advance in the experience of work.
The salary of nurses in Australia based on the nature of the establishment
There is a great difference in salary for the nurses working in the private sector and those working under government establishments.
On a general comparison, the nurses working in Australia earn more than 10 percent of those under private establishments.
Salary of nurses in Australia based on health institution
The health institution one works for has a lot to say about the salary he or she gets annually. Different hospitals have different salaries they can pay to workers depending on what they earn as a health institution.
There is a variation of salary for different establishments most especially for private sectors.
You are, therefore, recommended you check and discuss your salary terms before accepting work offers as a nurse in Australia.
Nurse salary Australia per hour
The nurse salary Australia per hour is determined by many factors as stated above however, some of the salaries are compared and summarized below on an hourly basis by indeed.
The salary of nurses in Australia per hour
Salary estimated from employees, users, past and present job advertisements on Indeed
Assistant in Nursing
4 salaries reported
$55.83 per hour
Endorsed Enrolled Nurse
5 salaries reported
$88.36 per hour
Midwife
17 salaries reported
$58.44 per hour
Nurse
51 salaries reported
$47.07 per hour
Practice Nurse
3 salaries reported
$80,000 per year
Registered Mental Health Nurse
80 salaries reported
$49.67 per hour
Registered Nurse
89 salaries reported
$57.25 per hour
Registered Nurse – Acute Care
71 salaries reported
$56.65 per hour
Registered Nurse – Anaesthetics
16 salaries reported
$53.81 per hour
Registered Nurse – Catheterization Lab
5 salaries reported
$43.93 per hour
Registered Nurse – Emergency Room
40 salaries reported
$58.67 per hour
Who are the highest-paid nurses in Australia?
The highest-paid nurses are also determined by many factors like;
- Place of work
- Work experience
- City of work
- Education and other factors.
For the sake of comparison, the highest-paid nurses are listed below based on general annual salaries in Australia.
| Assistant Director of Nursing | 139,000 AUD | |
| Case Manager | 106,000 AUD | |
| Nursing Director | 168,000 AUD | |
| Nursing Supervisor | 111,000 AUD | |
| Occupational Health Advisor | 142,000 AUD | |
| Occupational Therapist | 123,000 AUD | |
| Respiratory Manager | 142,000 AUD | |
| Theatre Manager | 126,000 AUD |
The salary of nurses in Australia is not fixed considering various factors that determine what a nurse earns either per hour, monthly, or per year.
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Chibueze Uchegbu is a certified medical physiologist with a great passion for healthy living.