How is the annual salary calculated for nurses under the Nurses Award?

Annual salary is hourly rate × 38 hours per week × 52 weeks. For example, a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 at $32.09/hour gives $63,401.84 per year. This assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, no penalty rates, and no allowances. The Nurses Award 2020 defines full-time ordinary hours as 38 per week or an average of 38 per week.

What is the casual loading for nurses and how does it affect pay?

Casual nurses receive a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate. For a nursing assistant 1st year at $27.65/hour, the casual rate is $34.56/hour. The loading is paid for each ordinary hour worked. Superannuation is calculated on the casual hourly rate (including loading). Overtime for casuals is paid at 150% of the casual hourly rate for the first 2 hours Monday to Saturday, then 200% after 2 hours.

How much tax and super will be deducted from a nurse's salary?

Tax uses the 2026–27 resident rates: nil up to $18,200, 15% from $18,201 to $45,000, 30% from $45,001 to $135,000, 37% from $135,001 to $190,000, and 45% above $190,000. The Medicare levy is generally 2%. Superannuation is 12% of ordinary earnings, paid on top of your salary, up to the $270,830 maximum contribution base. For a nurse earning $63,400, super adds about $7,608 per year.

Nurses Salary: From Hourly Rate to Annual, Fortnightly, and Take-Home Pay

For a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1, the annual salary based on a 38-hour week is approximately $63,400 before tax and super.

Understanding Your Nurses Salary

When you work as a nurse under the Nurses Award 2020, your pay is set by minimum hourly rates that depend on your classification and experience. Whether you are a nursing assistant, enrolled nurse, or registered nurse, converting your hourly rate to an annual figure helps you compare job offers, plan your budget, and estimate tax and super. This guide explains the calculation, the role of the 38-hour week, and how casual loading, tax, and super affect your take-home pay.

The Basic Conversion: Hourly to Annual

The standard formula for a full-time employee is:

Annual gross pay = hourly rate × hours per week × 52

Under the Nurses Award, full-time ordinary hours are 38 per week (or an average of 38). So for a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 earning $32.09 per hour, the annual salary is:

$32.09 × 38 × 52 = $63,401.84

This figure assumes you work exactly 38 hours every week, with no unpaid overtime, penalty rates, or allowances. It is a base estimate. Your actual pay may differ if you work shifts, weekends, or public holidays, which attract higher penalty rates under the award.

Award Rates for Nurses

The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the Nurses Award 2020 pay guide, which lists minimum weekly and hourly rates for each classification. For example, from 1 August 2026:

Nursing assistant 1st year: $27.65/hour, $1,050.70/week
Enrolled nurse pay point 1: $30.00/hour, $1,139.90/week
Registered nurse level 1 pay point 1: $32.09/hour, $1,219.50/week
Registered nurse level 4 grade 2: $52.50/hour, $1,995.10/week

These rates apply to full-time and part-time employees. Part-time nurses are paid pro-rata based on 38 hours. You can check your exact classification using the pay guides or reference tables on this site.

Fortnightly Pay

Most nurses are paid fortnightly. To find your fortnightly gross pay, multiply your weekly rate by 2. For a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1, that is $1,219.50 × 2 = $2,439.00 per fortnight. The award requires wages to be paid fortnightly unless otherwise agreed, up to a maximum monthly period.

Casual Loading

If you work as a casual nurse, you receive a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate. For example, a nursing assistant 1st year on $27.65/hour would get $34.56/hour as a casual. The loading compensates for the lack of paid leave and other entitlements. When converting to annual, use the casual hourly rate in the formula. Superannuation is calculated on the casual rate including loading. For more details, see our casual loading page.

Tax and the Medicare Levy

Your annual gross pay is not what you take home. The Australian Taxation Office applies the 2026–27 resident tax rates:

$0 – $18,200: nil
$18,201 – $45,000: 15% of excess over $18,200
$45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 plus 30% of excess over $45,000
$135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 plus 37% of excess over $135,000
$190,001+: $51,370 plus 45% of excess over $190,000

Additionally, the Medicare levy is generally 2% of your taxable income. For a nurse earning $63,400, the tax would be approximately $4,020 + 30% of ($63,400 - $45,000) = $9,540, plus Medicare levy of $1,268, giving total deductions of about $10,808. Your take-home pay would be around $52,592 per year. Use our take-home pay tool for a personalised estimate.

Superannuation Paid on Top

Your employer must pay superannuation of 12% of your ordinary earnings on top of your salary. This is not deducted from your pay. For a nurse earning $63,400, the super contribution is $7,608 per year, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. Super is paid into a nominated fund and is separate from your take-home pay. Learn more on super and packaging.

Comparing with National Minimum Wage and Average Earnings

The National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for 38 hours. Casual workers get $33.05 per hour including the 25% loading. Most nurses earn well above the minimum. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, average weekly earnings for full-time adult ordinary time employees were $2,083.70 in May 2026. A Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 earns about $1,219.50 per week, which is below that average, but higher classifications such as Level 4 Grade 2 at $1,995.10 per week are close to the average.

Using the Timesheet Calculator

Our the timesheet calculator lets you enter your base hourly rate and optionally add the 25% casual loading. It then shows your annual, fortnightly, and weekly gross pay, along with estimated tax and super. Remember to enter your base rate without casual loading – the checkbox adds it on top. This tool is designed for quick estimates and uses the assumptions described above.

Important Disclaimer

Annual pay shown here is hourly rate × hours per week × 52. It assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, no penalty rates, no allowances, and no salary sacrifice. Super is estimated at 12% of ordinary earnings only, paid on top, and stops at the $270,830 maximum contribution base. Tax is the 2026–27 resident scale with the full tax-free threshold. Medicare uses the 2025–26 single reduction thresholds because the 2026–27 reduction thresholds were not confirmed here. HELP, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary packaging are not deducted. This is an estimate, not a determination of your pay or tax.

For your specific nurses salary, always refer to the Nurses Award 2020 and consult your employer or a qualified adviser.