Nurse salary guide: what you take home after tax and Medicare

Your nurse salary under the Nurses Award

The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the Nurses Award [MA000034] pay guide with minimum rates for each classification. For a full-time or part-time nurse, your base pay depends on your role and experience. Examples from the award:

• Nursing assistant 1st year: $27.65 per hour
• Enrolled nurse pay point 1: $30.00 per hour
• Registered nurse level 1 pay point 1: $32.09 per hour
• Registered nurse level 4 grade 2: $52.50 per hour
• Nurse practitioner 1st year: $49.39 per hour

These are the minimums. Many employers pay above award, but the award sets the floor. Your nurse salary also includes penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work, as shown in the award table.

What changes your fortnight: tax brackets, the Medicare levy, and super

Once you know your annual nurse salary, the next step is working out what reaches your bank account after tax and the Medicare levy. For 2026–27, the tax brackets are:

• $0 – $18,200: no tax
• $18,201 – $45,000: 15c per $1 over $18,200
• $45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c per $1 over $45,000
• $135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c per $1 over $135,000
• Over $190,000: $51,370 plus 45c per $1 over $190,000

The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) can reduce tax by up to $700 for incomes under $37,500, phasing out by $66,667.

Medicare levy is 2% of taxable income for most full-time workers. The latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your taxable income is below $28,011, no Medicare levy. Between $28,011 and $35,013, you pay a reduced rate (10c per $1 over the lower threshold). Above $35,013, the full 2% applies.

Super is not deducted from your take-home pay. Your employer contributes 12% on top of your ordinary earnings (up to $270,830 a year). So if your nurse salary is quoted as $80,000 plus super, your take-home is based on the $80,000, not the $89,600 total package.

Example: take-home for a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1

Assume a nurse earning $1,219.50 per week (award rate for RN Level 1 Pay Point 1). Annualised: $1,219.50 × 52 = $63,414. Tax on $63,414: $4,020 + 30c × ($63,414 – $45,000) = $4,020 + $5,524.20 = $9,544.20. Medicare levy: 2% × $63,414 = $1,268.28. Total deductions: $10,812.48. Net annual: $52,601.52. Fortnight: $52,601.52 ÷ 26 = $2,023.13.

If you work weekends or public holidays, penalty rates increase your gross pay, and therefore your take-home. For example, Saturday work at 50% extra: $48.14 per hour instead of $32.09. That extra $16.05 per hour is taxed at your marginal rate (likely 30c per dollar), so the net gain is about $11.24 per hour after tax and Medicare. Over a full weekend shift, that adds up.

Allowances and deductions to know

The award includes allowances like laundry ($0.33 per shift, max $1.53 per week), meal allowance ($17.30 per overtime shift), on-call allowances, and vehicle allowance ($1.01 per km). These are taxable income, so you pay tax and Medicare on them, but you can claim deductions for work-related expenses. The Australian Taxation Office provides a guide for nurses and midwives on what you can deduct: uniforms, travel, meals, laundry, and more. Keep receipts.

Your nurse salary and the minimum wage benchmark

The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour and $1,004.90 per week. Most nurse classifications pay above that. For example, a nursing assistant 1st year gets $27.65, well above the minimum. The ABS average weekly total earnings for all employees (May 2026) is $1,579.20, and full-time adult ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70. Many registered nurses earn above the all-employees average.

Summary

Your nurse salary under the award is a minimum, but actual pay can be higher. After tax and Medicare, your fortnight take-home depends on your classification, hours, penalties, and allowances. Use the Take-home pay tool to estimate your net pay. For more on tax brackets and the Medicare levy, see Tax and Medicare. And remember, super is on top, not out of your pocket.

Note: This is an estimate only. Your actual tax may vary due to HELP/HECS, Medicare levy surcharge, salary sacrifice, or payroll rounding. Not an assessment.