Nurses Award 2025/26 — at a glance
The Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) sets minimum pay and conditions for many nurses in the private health and aged care sectors. To stay compliant, employers must confirm award coverage, apply the correct classification and stream (aged care vs non-aged care), set correct base rates, and pay the right penalties, overtime and allowances based on when work is performed.
Most common payroll errors: wrong award, wrong classification, missed aged care stream uplift dates, and incorrect stacking/substitution of shift/weekend/public holiday payments.
General information only – not legal advice
This guide provides general information about the Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) and related Australian workplace laws as at the date of publication. It is intended as a practical overview only and does not constitute legal, financial, industrial relations, payroll, or employment advice.
This content does not take into account the specific circumstances of any employer or employee and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice. Award coverage, classification, pay rates, penalties, allowances and entitlements must be confirmed for each employee by reference to the current version of the Award, the Fair Work Act 2009, and applicable Fair Work Commission determinations.
This guide does not consider enterprise agreements, individual flexibility arrangements, or other industrial instruments that may apply. Where an enterprise agreement or other instrument covers an employee, its terms may override or modify Award conditions (subject to the Better Off Overall Test).
Quick summary for time-poor managers
The four compliance pillars that drive Nurses Award underpayments
Most underpayments trace back to one (or more) of these:
| Compliance pillar | What commonly goes wrong | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Award coverage | Wrong award applied (or a role is EA-covered but treated as Award-covered) | Entire framework may be wrong |
| Stream / classification | "Aged care employee" stream applied incorrectly (or not applied when it should be) | Base rates can differ materially and change on different dates |
| Employment type | Part-time hours not properly agreed in writing; casual stacking miscalculated | Hidden underpayments (and rostering disputes) |
| When work is done | Shift, weekend, public holiday, overtime and recall rules missed or stacked incorrectly | Penalties can quickly exceed base pay |
The biggest "2025/26 trap" in this Award is that aged care EN/RN minimum rates have extra scheduled increases (Oct 2025 and Aug 2026), while other classifications mainly follow Annual Wage Review adjustments.
If you only skim one section, make it this one:
The Nurses Award covers many nurses in the private health sector and also includes a specific aged care employee stream for eligible ENs/RNs working in aged care.
From 1 January 2025, the Nurses Award no longer covers nursing assistants who provide care services to older people in residential aged care or home care (those workers generally fall under the Aged Care Award or SCHADS instead). This is a common mis-award risk.
Another big lever: Registered nurse Levels 4 and 5 have special rules—overtime rates don't apply to those levels (and shiftwork loadings/allowances have exclusions too).
"Sanity check" adult minimum hourly rates (ordinary weekday hours)
Indicative only — verify in the current pay guide / Award.
Employees other than aged care employees (ppc 1 Jul 2025):
- Nursing assistant: $26.40–$28.12/hr (depends on year/qualification)
- Enrolled nurse (PP1–PP5): $28.64–$30.13/hr
- Registered nurse Level 1 (PP1–PP8): $30.64–$36.82/hr
- Nurse practitioner (Yr 1–2): $47.16–$48.56/hr
Aged care employees (additional uplift ppc 1 Oct 2025):
- Enrolled nurse (aged care stream): $37.09/hr
- RN Level 1 (aged care): $38.07/hr (first year) → $43.72/hr (in excess of 4 years at Level 1)
- RN Level 5 (aged care): $66.91/hr (with preserved higher rates for some employees under translation rules)
Headline penalties (the "big levers")
- Saturday ordinary hours: 150%
- Sunday ordinary hours: 175%
- Public holiday ordinary shift: 200% (FT/PT of minimum hourly rate; casual of casual hourly rate)
- Shiftwork loadings (Mon–Fri): 12.5% afternoon, 15% night (not cumulative with weekend/PH/overtime; and exclusions apply to RN Levels 4–5)
Award coverage
Does the Nurses Award apply? – quick self-check (rule of thumb)
Tick the statements that best fit your situation:
- We operate in the health industry (provide health/medical services) and employ nurses to deliver nursing care OR we employ nurses/midwives (even if health services aren't our "main" business).
- The employee is a nursing assistant, enrolled nurse, student enrolled nurse, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, or occupational health nurse.
- The employee is not a doctor/registrar, not a general "health professional" like a physiotherapist, and not a clerical/admin employee.
- The employee is not a nurse employed in a primary or secondary school.
- There is no enterprise agreement covering the employee (if there is, the EA generally sets the pay/conditions, subject to the BOOT and Award interaction).
The big 2025+ coverage gotcha: nursing assistants in aged care
From 1 January 2025, the Nurses Award no longer covers nursing assistants providing care services to older people in residential aged care or home care. These employees are typically covered by the Aged Care Award or SCHADS instead.
What is the award?
Think of the Nurses Award as the minimum "rulebook" you can't go below when it applies. You can read the current consolidated Award (PDF) or view the Nurses Award clauses online. It sets:
- Minimum wages (including pay points, streams and entry rates)
- Ordinary hours, rostering, breaks and minimum notice rules
- Penalties, overtime, recall provisions, shiftwork loadings and public holiday rates
- Allowances (including on-call, uniforms/laundry, meal and travel)
- Leave-related extras such as annual leave loading and (for medical practices) shutdown directions
Who it covers
The Fair Work Ombudsman's Nurses Award summary (high-level guide) says the Nurses Award covers:
- employers and employees in the health industry, and
- employers who employ nurses and midwives, including labour hire placements into the health industry.
It also lists examples of covered roles: nursing assistants, enrolled nurses, student enrolled nurses, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and occupational health nurses.
2025/26 pay rates overview
Rates and effective dates: Modern award wages, penalties and allowances change periodically, including through Annual Wage Reviews and Fair Work Commission decisions. The rates shown in this guide are indicative only and reflect published determinations effective at the dates stated.
Always verify current minimum rates using the consolidated Award text, the Fair Work pay guide, or the Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) before paying employees.
Key dates you must not miss
For official updates on these changes, see the Fair Work update on Nurses Award aged care changes and the Fair Work announcement on additional pay increases.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 1 January 2025 | Nursing assistants in aged care/home care are no longer covered by the Nurses Award |
| 1 March 2025 | Initial changes for registered/enrolled nurses in the aged care employee stream (including classification structure simplification) |
| 1 July 2025 | Updated minimum rates for employees other than aged care employees (Annual Wage Review-style variation) |
| 1 October 2025 | Additional increases for eligible aged care enrolled and registered nurses |
| 1 August 2026 | Another scheduled tranche for aged care EN/RN rates (determinations published closer to the date) |
Which wage table applies? (the #1 pay setup decision)
Before you even look at numbers, decide:
- Employee other than an aged care employee → use clause 15.1 rates and pay point progression in clause 15.2
- Aged care employee (as defined in the Award) → use clause 15.3 rates (with the extra Oct 2025 and Aug 2026 uplift schedule for eligible EN/RN classifications)
Pay rates: employees other than aged care employees (ppc 1 Jul 2025)
Below are the minimum ordinary weekly and hourly rates. You can download the current Nurses Award pay guide (PDF) to verify these figures.
Nursing assistant
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $1,003.10 | $26.40 |
| 2nd year | $1,018.90 | $26.81 |
| 3rd year and thereafter | $1,035.20 | $27.24 |
| Experienced (holds relevant Cert III) | $1,068.40 | $28.12 |
Important: if your "nursing assistants" are actually providing aged care services to older people (residential or home care), the Nurses Award may not apply from 1 Jan 2025. Re-check coverage before relying on this table.
Enrolled nurses (other than aged care employees)
Student enrolled nurse
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Under 21 | $931.90 | $24.52 |
| 21 and over | $978.20 | $25.74 |
Enrolled nurse
| Pay point | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 | $1,088.20 | $28.64 |
| PP2 | $1,102.60 | $29.02 |
| PP3 | $1,117.30 | $29.40 |
| PP4 | $1,133.40 | $29.83 |
| PP5 | $1,144.80 | $30.13 |
Registered nurses (other than aged care employees): Levels 1–5
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| RN Level 1 – PP1 | $1,164.20 | $30.64 |
| RN Level 1 – PP8+ | $1,399.00 | $36.82 |
| RN Level 2 – PP1 | $1,436.20 | $37.79 |
| RN Level 2 – PP4+ | $1,508.60 | $39.70 |
| RN Level 3 – PP1 | $1,557.20 | $40.98 |
| RN Level 3 – PP4+ | $1,642.10 | $43.21 |
| RN Level 4 – Grade 1 | $1,777.30 | $46.77 |
| RN Level 5 – Grade 1 | $1,793.40 | $47.19 |
| RN Level 5 – Grade 6 | $2,584.20 | $68.01 |
Minimum entry rates (RN Level 1 entry pathways):
- 4 year degree: $31.99/hr (progression to RN L1 PP4)
- Masters degree: $33.09/hr (progression to RN L1 PP5)
Nurse practitioner (other than aged care employees)
| Year | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $1,791.90 | $47.16 |
| 2nd year | $1,845.10 | $48.56 |
Occupational health nurses
The Award also contains separate wage tables for occupational health nurses (Levels 1–3) including a "Senior occupational health clinical nurse" rate.
Pay point progression (non-aged care employees)
If you're using a pay-pointed classification (for example RN Level 1 PP1→PP8), the Award provides that progression is:
- annual movement for full-time employees, or
- 1786 hours of experience for part-time or casual employees,
with progression having regard to skills/knowledge in Schedule A.
Pay rates: aged care employees (additional increase ppc 1 Oct 2025)
The Fair Work Ombudsman's major changes page explains this stream changed from 1 March 2025, with additional increases from 1 October 2025 and a further tranche from 1 August 2026.
Below are the aged care employee ordinary rates shown in the Award wage table (from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2025).
Enrolled nurse (aged care employee stream)
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled nurse (may supervise other direct care employees) | $1,409.60 | $37.09 |
Registered nurse (aged care employee stream)
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| RN Level 1 – first year at Level 1 | $1,446.50 | $38.07 |
| RN Level 1 – >1 year up to 4 years at Level 1 | $1,519.90 | $40.00 |
| RN Level 1 – >4 years at Level 1 | $1,661.40 | $43.72 |
| RN Level 2 – first 3 years at Level 2 | $1,799.10 | $47.34 |
| RN Level 2 – >3 years at Level 2 | $1,880.40 | $49.48 |
| RN Level 3 – all years | $1,946.00 | $51.21 |
| RN Level 4 – all years | $2,249.40 | $59.19 |
| RN Level 5 – all years | $2,542.40 | $66.91 |
Translation / preserved higher rates: Schedule F applies from 1 March 2025 and can preserve higher minimum rates for some existing employees if their old minimum was higher as at 28 Feb 2025. Build this check into your payroll setup (especially for RN Level 4/5 employees).
Nurse practitioner (aged care employee stream)
The Award lists a nurse practitioner rate for aged care employees (year 1 and year 2).
Employment types & rostering
Getting rostering right under the Nurses Award can be complex. Many employers use rostering software for award compliance to reduce manual errors and ensure rosters meet notice requirements. Be aware of the new right to disconnect rules when communicating roster changes outside hours.
Full-time ordinary hours (core rule)
Full-time ordinary hours are 38 per week, or may be rostered as 76 per fortnight or 152 over 28 days. Ordinary shifts can be up to 10 hours (excluding meal breaks). Using daily, weekly and monthly roster views can help you spot weekend and public holiday patterns early.
Rosters and roster changes (a real compliance lever)
- Rosters must be posted at least 7 days before the roster period starts (see the rostering clause in the online Award).
- Changes to a roster generally require 7 days' notice, with limited exceptions (for example to cover absences or emergencies) (see the rostering clause in the online Award).
To reduce manual errors, consider using auto-scheduling to reduce award breaches and award-compliant roster templates for consistent rostering patterns.
Part-time agreements (don't skip the paperwork)
Part-time employees must have their guaranteed hours and rostering patterns properly set (the Award contains detailed part-time provisions and record-keeping expectations). If you routinely vary part-time hours, build a written variation workflow. Using digital employment contracts can help ensure award-aligned documentation from day one.
Casual minimum engagement and loading
- Casuals receive a 25% casual loading.
- Minimum engagement for casual employees is 2 hours per engagement.
- Shift loadings for casuals are calculated in a specific way (loading and penalties don't simply "stack" in every scenario).
Use staff availability management to avoid short-shift breaches and kiosk time clock for accurate start/finish times.
Breaks
| Break type | Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Meal break | If an employee works more than 5 hours, they're entitled to an unpaid meal break (30–60 minutes), generally taken between the 4th and 6th hour (with some flexibility by agreement) |
| Paid tea breaks | Generally 10 minutes per 4 hours worked |
Penalties & overtime
Because penalties are where most payroll errors occur, using award interpretation for the Nurses Award and award compliance warnings can help catch issues before they become underpayments. For authoritative guidance, see the Fair Work Ombudsman's pages on how penalty rates work and when overtime applies.
Weekend ordinary hours (non-overtime)
If an employee (not on overtime) works ordinary hours:
| Day | Rate |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 150% |
| Sunday | 175% |
Shiftwork loadings (Mon–Fri)
For shiftworkers (Mon–Fri):
| Shift type | Loading |
|---|---|
| Afternoon shift | 12.5% of the minimum hourly rate |
| Night shift | 15% of the minimum hourly rate |
No stacking rule (high level): shiftwork loadings are not paid on top of weekend/public holiday/overtime payments in many cases. Build clear payroll rules for substitution.
Special exclusion: shiftwork provisions do not apply to Registered nurse Levels 4 and 5.
Public holidays
For work on a public holiday (ordinary shifts):
| Employment type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Full-time/part-time | 200% of the minimum hourly rate |
| Casual | 200% of the casual hourly rate |
Overtime (use the Award trigger rules, not memory)
Overtime is paid (in summary):
| Day | Rate |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 150% first 2 hours, then 200% |
| Sunday | 200% |
| Public holiday | 250% |
RN Level 4 and 5 warning: overtime rates do not apply to Registered nurse Levels 4 and 5 (see the overtime clause in the online Award).
Recall to work (minimum payment risk)
The Award contains detailed "recall" provisions (including minimum payments) when employees are recalled to duty after leaving the workplace. If you use on-call arrangements, formalise the workflow: on-call roster → call-out time captured → minimum recall payment applied. Consider using managed shift swaps and staff communication tools to handle last-minute changes compliantly.
Allowances
Allowance amounts change periodically, so always verify against the current consolidated Award and the applicable allowance schedule. For general guidance, see the Fair Work Ombudsman's explainer on what is an allowance.
Common allowances in Schedule C include:
- On-call allowance (different amounts depending on day)
- Clothing & laundry allowances
- Meal allowance (including an allowance for "further overtime")
- Travel by vehicle (cents per kilometre)
Important exclusion: the Award's allowances clause notes that allowances do not apply to Registered nurse Levels 4 and 5.
Practical payroll tip: itemise allowances on payslips and keep the underlying trigger evidence (on-call rosters, recall logs, meal allowance eligibility, vehicle travel approvals). Accurate time and attendance tracking makes this much easier.
Leave
Annual leave entitlement (more than NES)
The Nurses Award provides an additional week of annual leave on top of NES entitlements:
- Non-shiftworkers: 5 weeks paid annual leave per year
- Shiftworkers (meeting the Award definition): 6 weeks paid annual leave per year
Annual leave loading (a common "silent underpayment")
For annual leave, the Award also provides a loading:
| Employee type | Annual leave loading |
|---|---|
| Non-shiftworkers | 17.5% annual leave loading (subject to a maximum cap on hours per annum) |
| Shiftworkers | Higher of 17.5% or the weekend/shift penalties they would have received if not on leave |
Medical practice shutdown directions (if applicable)
Where clause 22.7 applies, employers can direct annual leave during a temporary shutdown period, with notice requirements and reasonableness requirements.
Excessive leave accruals
The Award contains additional-to-NES rules for managing excessive leave accruals, including thresholds and notice / direction frameworks.
Other leave types (personal/carer's, compassionate, parental, FDV leave) operate under the National Employment Standards (NES), with Award interaction where specified.
Common Nurses Award scenarios (and which rule usually decides it)
Click each scenario to see the key compliance checks:
Related search: Nurses Award medical practice pay rates
Key checks:
- Coverage applies (health industry employer)
- Determine RN level based on qualifications and duties
- Check if ordinary hours or shiftworker rules apply
- Apply correct weekend/public holiday rates if applicable
Related search: RN vs AIN award aged care
Key checks:
- RN falls under Nurses Award aged care employee stream
- AIN/care staff may be under Aged Care Award or SCHADS
- Apply correct wage table for each role
- Check Oct 2025 and Aug 2026 uplifts for aged care RN/EN
Related search: labour hire nurses award coverage
Key checks:
- Coverage can apply based on labour hire arrangement
- Placement into health industry triggers Award coverage
- Verify correct classification with labour hire provider
- Check pay rates match Award minimums
Related search: on-call allowance Nurses Award
Key checks:
- On-call allowance triggers (different rates for weekdays/weekends)
- Recall minimum payment rules
- Time recording and audit trail requirements
- Itemise allowances separately on payslips
Glossary (plain English)
Click any term to see its definition:
Nurses Award compliance checklist (print this)
Use this as a quarterly internal audit checklist to reduce underpayment risk. Review your obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009 and ensure you meet Fair Work record-keeping requirements. Many employers pair this checklist with HR software for award compliance and payroll integration to automate tracking.
Coverage
Classification
Pay setup
Time-based pay
Allowances & leave
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Using roster compliance warnings and roster reporting for Fair Work audits can help you catch these errors before they become costly underpayments.
1) Mis-award: nursing assistants in aged care still paid under the Nurses Award
From 1 Jan 2025, nursing assistants who provide aged care/home care to older people are no longer covered by this Award. Re-check coverage for AIN/PCW-type roles in aged care settings.
2) Aged care EN/RN stream missed (or applied to the wrong people)
If you employ ENs/RNs in aged care, confirm whether they meet the Award's aged care employee definition and apply the correct wage table and effective dates (including the 1 Oct 2025 uplift).
3) RN Level 4/5 overtime and allowance errors
Overtime rates and certain provisions/allowances don't apply to RN Levels 4 and 5 (see the overtime clause in the online Award). This can cause both underpayments and overpayments if your payroll engine applies a "one size fits all" overtime rule.
4) Pay point progression not tracked (especially part-time/casual 1786 hours)
If you don't track the 1786-hour progression rule for part-time/casual employees, you can strand staff on the wrong pay point. Proper employee onboarding for award compliance and licence and certification management help track qualifications from day one.
5) Shift/weekend/public holiday stacking done by "instinct"
The Award has specific rules for what substitutes for what. Test your payroll outcomes on:
- weekday afternoon shift
- weekday night shift
- Saturday night
- public holiday shift
- overtime after a night shift
Final takeaways
- Confirm coverage first. Nurses Award coverage is broader than just hospitals, but it has important exclusions—especially for nursing assistants in aged care from 1 Jan 2025.
- Get the stream right. "Aged care employee" EN/RN rates have their own structure and staged increases (Oct 2025 and Aug 2026).
- Configure pay point progression. Annual movement (FT) vs 1786 hours (PT/casual) is a payroll setup item, not a "nice to have."
- Penalties and exclusions matter most. Weekend, shiftwork, public holiday and overtime rules—and the RN Level 4/5 exclusions—are where the money is.
- Always verify current rates. Use the current consolidated Award, pay guides and PACT before paying staff.
- Consider technology solutions. Tools like workforce analytics and Fair Work compliance bot can help identify penalty cost patterns and provide guidance on Award interpretation.
Employers remain solely responsible for ensuring compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009, the National Employment Standards, the current Nurses Award, and any other applicable industrial instruments, regardless of any guidance, summaries, examples or tools referenced in this guide.
Sources for this guide
- Nurses Award summary (MA000034) (Fair Work Ombudsman)
- Pay Guide – Nurses Award (PDF) (Fair Work Ombudsman)
- Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) – consolidated Award (PDF) (Fair Work Commission)
- Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034) – online Award (Fair Work Ombudsman)
- Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) (Fair Work Ombudsman)
- Fair Work Act 2009 (legislation.gov.au)
Record-keeping obligations
Employers are required under the Fair Work Act 2009 to maintain employee records, including time and wage records, generally for a period of 7 years. Records generally include hours worked, leave taken, superannuation contributions, and all payments made. Pay slips must be issued within one working day of payment and must itemise base rates, loadings, allowances, and deductions. For detailed requirements, refer to Fair Work's record-keeping and pay slip obligations and pay slip requirements guidance.