Nursing Wages in Queensland, Australia
Many people would like to know how much nurses get paid in Australia. Here are some current figures as of Dec 2009 to give you some indication (for Queensland at least – each state has their own award) of nursing wages.
The new Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (EB7) has gone to vote, with 94% of respondents supporting the agreement.
Following the voting process, the agreement has now gone to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for certification It should be implemented by the end of August 2009.
Increases to Wages and Allowances
The following increases apply to nurses and midwives:
• 4.5% or $34 per week, whichever is the greater, payable from 1 April 2009;
• 4% or $34 per week, whichever is the greater, payable from 1 April 2010; and
• 4% or $34 per week, whichever is the greater, payable from 1 April 2011.
To give some indication, the updated wages (which backdate to 1/4/09) are as follows:
For a Level 1 Public Sector Registered Nurse
(formerly NO1, now known as ‘grade 5′):
Re-entry nurse – $1,919.90 /fnight ($50,089 /annum)
year 1 – $2,010.40 /fnight ($52,450 /annum)
year 2 – $2,105.70 /fnight ($54,936 /annum)
year 3 – $2,201.00 /fnight ($57,423 /annum)
year 4 – $2,296.40 /fnight ($59,911 /annum)
year 5 – $2,392.10 /fnight ($62,408 /annum)
year 6 – $2,487.80 /fnight ($64,905 /annum)
year 7 – $2,583.30 /fnight ($67,396 /annum)
Or in hourly rates:
Re-entry nurse – $25.26
year 1 – $26.45
year 2 – $27.70
year 3 – $28.96
year 4 – $30.21
year 5 – $31.47
year 6 – $32.73
year 7 – $33.99
Penalty Rates
The above rates indicate what you can expect when you work day hours from Monday to Friday. For the majority of nurses however (shift workers), you can also add on the following hourly penalty rates:
- Shifts commencing after 12 midday (afternoon): +12.5%
- Night Shift Allowance: +20%
- Saturday penalty rates: +50% (time + 1/2)
- Sunday penalty rates: +75% (time + 3/4)
You can also be eligible for qualification allowance if you’ve done a Grad Cert / Grad Dip etc that is relevant to your current position. Generally speaking this equates to around $1 more per hour.
Clinical nurses, Nurse Practitioners etc. earn more than the rates posted above. To see these and many other changes in EB7, see a copy of the agreement.
NB – Private hospitals in Queensland have their own awards and agreements – see each individual hospital for current wages etc.
Hi Ross. I found you through Google. Great site you have here. There’s a new interactive website dedicated to nurses (and those aspiring to be nurses!) in Australia.
The members would benefit from reading your thoughts about nursing in Australia and in general.
When you have a moment, come and visit our site.
Cheers Christine
@Nurse Uncut – Hi, thanks for that – I’ll check it out…
Hey Ross
I am currently a nursing student. Just on this topic, I realized that you mentioned alot more can be earned if doing shift work for penalty rates. I was wondering, does the market at the moment offer any incentives for working in the rural areas?
Steven
@Steven – Hi, thanks for your enquiry. Hey look I believe incentives still are in place for nurses wanting to go rural or remote. The QLD Health rural and remote page lists bonuses such as:
* Free or subsidised accommodation available with over 120 hospitals and health care facilities
* Up to $2,500 in professional development allowance
* Minimum of 2 weeks paid professional development leave, with paid travel and course/conference costs
* Appointment and relocation costs paid
* Fly in – fly out (with spouse and dependants) with recreation leave twice p.a.
* Bonus payments for each year of service. After 1 year: $3,000. After 2 years: $9,000. Each year after 3 years: $6,000.
Check out this link for more info on how to apply etc…
Wow. . your rates in Queensland are great. I worked RNS in Sydney for a year. The pay was solid, especially with penalty pay.
What I detested was the rotating shifts to night duty. . .absolutely barbaric!! Plus the cost of housing rental in Sydney was horrific!
But other than that, I adored it. I worked at Gold Coast hospital in Queensland too. I still have my NSW and QLD license.
I am holding onto them. Right now, I am a nurse educator in the US. US trauma nurse too.
Great that you go to host Change of Shift! Good on ya!!!!
@Jeanette – I’m with you all the way on the night shift thing, can’t stand em! The US gig sounds great – I hear it can be quite tough to transfer registration to the US?
Hi, can you tell me please about new wages for practice Nurses in QLD, because it is always being low compared to nurses working in other sectors. thnaks.
Holy cow!! Excuse my language! I say that because I am currently a nursing student in Northern Ireland (UK)! Nurses here start on a salary of £17,000 if they are lucky and it goes up to roughly £30,000! £17,000 is around the same as $29,400 australian dollars give or take! The highest amount paid here is £30,000 thats $52,000! So what we get after a lifetime of service if we are lucky is the equivalent to what you guys get starting off! Hell no thats wrong, we got it all wrong here! I am so migrating! You guys still looking for nurses from UK and Ireland?? Give me another two years or soo and australia here I come! As much as I love nursing, thats just not right! Damn politicians here are claiming expenses on second homes while we are breaking our backs literally for beans!