Nursing Jobs in Australia > Australia FAQ's > Salary and Benefits

Salary and Benefits

Nursing Pay NSW Australia

Here's a breakdown of the 2025 yearly pay rates for Registered Nurses at NSW Health, based on the most recent interim increase published in October 2024

These figures are based on a 38-hour work week and do not include additional allowances or penalties for shift work, weekends, or public holidays.

You can view the full bulletin here:

Pay rates1st Year71,9052nd year75,8053rd year79,7214th year 83,9175th year88,082

Source https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/careers/conditions/awards/nurses.pdf

Salary Packaging

What can you tell me about annual leave?

If you are employed full-time on a rotating roster, you are entitled to a base Annual Leave of 4 weeks per year. An extra leave is accrued dependent on the number of Sunday shifts that are worked.

If you are employed full-time on a Mon-Fri roster you are entitled to 4 weeks Base Annual Leave only. Every worker is entitled to a Public Holiday Leave of 2 weeks. Again, extra leave can be accrued by working Sundays, but only to a maximum of 1 week.

Do I have to pay for medical care?

It depends on the candidate and the type of Visa you carry. You are eligible for medical care if you have a permanent residency visa. You need to enroll in Medicare from the website www.medicareaustralia.gov.au.

If you travel on a TSS 482 visa you are not eligible for Medicare. In Australia the sponsors of TSS 482 visa holders are entirely liable for all medical and hospital expenses, other than costs that are met by health insurance, incurred in Australia by sponsored employees and their dependents. This is by virtue of their sponsorship Agreement with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA).

This responsibility commences upon the employee's arrival in Australia and explains why many employers either provide health insurance as part of the employment package or require the employee to take out health insurance as part of their employment contract.

Medicare contact details

Telephone: 132 011

Medicare website: www.medicareaustralia.gov.au

A Medicare Information Kit can be downloaded here:

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/language/index.jsp (Available in languages other than English)

Medicare Coverage

Sponsored employees directly recruited from a county with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) may be eligible for limited Medicare benefits though only for "immediate necessary treatment". For taxation purposes, these visa holders are treated in the same manner as Australia citizens and are subject to the same tax payments (Medicare levy) and penalties as Australian citizens. RHCA Agreements are currently in place with the following countries:

United Kingdom
New Zealand
Sweden
Finland
Netherlands
Malta
Italy
Norway
Ireland (hospitals only)

Private Health Funds

Australian Health Plans http;//www austhealth.com AHP is a leading long-term provider of health plans for temporary residents working in Australia on 457 and other visas.

Australian Health Insurance Association: http://www.ahia.org.au

All members of the Australian Health Insurance Association are registered as health benefits organizations with the Commonwealth Government and therefore comply with Government standards and regulations in benefits and solvency.

For information about health coverage for people from overseas - visitors and temporary visa holders visit: http://www.ahia.org.au/ovhc.php

Annual Leave Entitlement for Nurses in NSW Health

According to the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award 2023

1. Standard Annual Leave

Full-time nurses are entitled to four weeks (20 working days) of paid annual leave per year.

This leave accrues progressively and is cumulative year to year if not used.

2. Additional Leave for Shift Workers

Nurses who work rostered shifts across weekends and public holidays are entitled to an additional week of annual leave, bringing the total to five weeks per year .

3. Annual Leave Loading

Nurses receive annual leave loading of 17.5% of their ordinary pay during annual leave, or the relevant shift penalties they would have earned--whichever is greater.

4. Excess Leave Management

If a nurse accrues more than 30 days of annual leave, the employer may request the employee to take leave to reduce the balance.

Shift-Based Additional Leave .

8-hour shifts: Entitled to 12 additional days off per year.

10-hour shifts: One additional day off every five weeks.

Other shift combinations: Adjusted to ensure average weekly hours do not exceed 38 hours.

These additional days are designed to compensate for extended or irregular shift patterns and are separate from standard annual leave.

Job Search