SA Health Nurse Salaries (2025–2026)
SA Health nurse salaries for a Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1, 1st increment, are $77,824 a year from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026.
Last updated October 2026.
Key takeaways
- From the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026, RN/M Level 1 runs from $77,824 to $106,187.
- The 1 January 2025 column was $74,831 to $102,103. A chart that starts a graduate at $78,400 is neither column.
- EN diploma, 1st increment, is $69,095. Its 6th increment matches the RN first increment at $77,824.
- On $39.26 an hour, night is 120.5% and Sunday is 175%. Public holiday is 250%.
- Nurse Practitioner Level 4, 1st increment, is $137,463. Accumulation super is 12% SG.
1. Rates from 1 January 2026
Annual rates and ordinary hourly rates from the ANMF SA pay sheet for the 4% interim administrative increase, first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026. Super is 12% of the annual rate. Tax is Stage 3 PAYG plus 2% Medicare, with no HECS and no penalties. Other states are on the nursing salary hub.
| Classification | Annual salary | Ordinary hourly | Super 12% | Estimated tax | Net on the annual rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled Nurse (Diploma / medication), 1st increment Certificate without medication authority starts at $66,551. | $69,095 | $34.86 | $8,291 | $12,898 | $56,197 |
| RN/M Level 1, 1st increment Same annual rate as EN diploma 6th increment and Advanced Skills EN 1st increment. | $77,824 | $39.26 | $9,339 | $15,692 | $62,132 |
| RN/M Level 1, 2nd increment | $80,262 | $40.49 | $9,631 | $16,472 | $63,790 |
| RN/M Level 1, 3rd increment | $83,694 | $42.22 | $10,043 | $17,570 | $66,124 |
| RN/M Level 1, 4th increment | $87,275 | $44.03 | $10,473 | $18,716 | $68,559 |
| RN/M Level 1, 5th increment Same dollars as Clinical Nurse/Midwife Level 2, 1st increment. | $90,913 | $45.86 | $10,910 | $19,880 | $71,033 |
| RN/M Level 1, 6th increment | $94,570 | $47.71 | $11,348 | $21,050 | $73,520 |
| RN/M Level 1, 7th increment | $98,229 | $49.55 | $11,787 | $22,221 | $76,008 |
| RN/M Level 1, 8th increment | $101,886 | $51.40 | $12,226 | $23,392 | $78,494 |
| RN/M Level 1, 9th increment Top of Level 1. Clinical Level 2 continues to $114,916. | $106,187 | $53.57 | $12,742 | $24,768 | $81,419 |
| Nurse Practitioner (Level 4), 1st increment Level 4, 3rd increment is $143,282. | $137,463 | $69.34 | $16,496 | $34,949 | $102,514 |
2. Enrolled nurse pay versus registered nurse pay
The sheet has two enrolled-nurse scales and one nine-step registered scale. On the 1 January 2026 column:
- EN (Diploma), or certificate authorised in medication — $69,095 at the 1st increment through $77,824 at the 6th.
- EN (Certificate) not authorised in medication — $66,551 at the 1st increment through $74,914 at the 7th.
- RN/M Level 1 — $77,824 at the 1st increment through $106,187 at the 9th.
The 6th increment of the medication-authorised enrolled-nurse scale lands on the same annual rate as a new registered nurse. It is not a higher RN step. NSW public hospitals use a weekly award, not this annual scale — see NSW Health nurse salaries. SA government clerks are a different instrument — the South Australian public sector salaries page.
Clinical Nurse/Midwife Level 2 starts at $90,913, which is the RN/M Level 1, 5th increment, and runs to $114,916 at its 9th increment. Nurse Practitioner sits in Level 4 with Advanced Unit Manager, starting at $137,463. The 1 January 2025 column, before this 4% interim increase, was $74,831 to $102,103 for RN/M Level 1.
3. Afternoon, night, and weekend on the first increment
The ordinary hourly rate for RN/M Level 1, 1st increment, is $39.26. The same ANMF SA sheet prints the permanent penalty columns as percentages of that hourly rate:
- Afternoon — 112.5%, $44.17
- Night — 120.5%, $47.31
- Saturday — 150%, $58.89
- Sunday — 175%, $68.70
- Public holiday — 250%, $98.15
Night is 120.5%, not a flat 15% loading on top of an already loaded rate. Sunday is 175% of the ordinary hourly rate. The casual hourly rate on this step is $49.07, and the casual Saturday and public-holiday column is 175%, not the permanent 250% public-holiday column. Do not add those percentages again if the payslip already shows the penalty hourly rate. State pages are listed on the nursing salary hub.
4. Superannuation is 12% SG
The ATO Superannuation Guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2025. SA Health accumulation contributions follow that rate. The federal APS 15.4% contribution is a Commonwealth condition, not a line on this nursing sheet. Model cash after the increment is fixed on the take-home pay calculator. HELP withholding is separate — HECS-HELP guide.
5. How to read an SA Health nurse offer
- Confirm the instrument is the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022, plus the 4% interim administrative increase.
- Read the level (RN/M1, Clinical Level 2, Level 4) and the increment number.
- Match the annual dollars to the 1 January 2026 column, not the 1 January 2025 column of $74,831.
- Treat afternoon, night, Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday as the percentage columns on the ordinary hourly rate.
- Compare net pay on the job-offer comparator only after penalties are listed separately from the base salary.
Sources
- ANMF SA — Nursing/Midwifery (SA Public Sector) EA 2022 pay rates, 4% interim increase from 1 January 2026
- ANMF SA — enterprise agreement and pay-rate index
- Australian Taxation Office — Superannuation Guarantee rate
NSW Health nurse salaries
A weekly award. RN year 1 is $1,566.70 from 1 July 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Australian tax, superannuation, and take-home pay guidance grounded in current ATO rulings.
What is the SA Health registered nurse salary from 1 January 2026?
The ANMF SA pay sheet for the 4% interim administrative increase, first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026, sets Registered Nurse/Midwife Level 1, 1st increment, at $77,824 a year ($39.26 an hour). The 9th increment is $106,187 ($53.57 an hour). The 1 January 2025 column was $74,831 to $102,103.
What is the enrolled nurse rate in SA Health?
An Enrolled Nurse (Diploma), or a certificate EN authorised in medication administration, starts at $69,095 on the 1 January 2026 column. The 6th increment of that scale is $77,824, the same annual rate as RN/M Level 1, 1st increment. A certificate EN not authorised in medication administration starts at $66,551.
What are the weekend and night rates on the RN first increment?
On the ordinary hourly rate of $39.26, the same sheet lists afternoon at 112.5% ($44.17), night at 120.5% ($47.31), Saturday at 150% ($58.89), Sunday at 175% ($68.70), and public holiday at 250% ($98.15). Those are the permanent-rate columns, not a casual rate.
How much superannuation do SA Health nurses receive?
Accumulation super follows the Superannuation Guarantee, 12% from 1 July 2025. That is not the federal APS 15.4% rate. Super is paid on top of the annual salary in the table.
Is Clinical Nurse Level 2 the same as RN Level 1 year 5?
The 1st increment of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Level 2 is $90,913, which matches RN/M Level 1, 5th increment. Clinical Level 2 then continues through a 9th increment of $114,916. It is not a separate $116,800 specialist rate.