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RN : THE JOB THAT NEEDS YOU
SNAPSHOT: REGISTERED NURSES IN AUSTRALIA
An introduction to rates of pay, LGBTQ+ takeaways from the 2016 Census, working conditions and key statistics.
What is fair pay?
Discover how your salary compares
According to SEEK.com, the average salary for a nurse in December 2023 is 80-90k per annum. The minimum rate of pay for a level 1 Registered Nurse is $1084.10 per week or $28.53 per hour.
Want to know more about the Nurses Award? Find the most up to date details via the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
LGBTQ+ RNs
Why diversity matters, according to the 2016 Census
According to the 2016 Census, the most common occupation for women in same-sex couples was Registered Nurse, with the next most common occupations being Sales Assistant, Retail Manager and Secondary School Teacher.
In 2016, 87% of people in same-sex couples were participating in the labour force, compared with 69% of opposite-sex couples. For those of working age (15-74 years), these figures were 88% and 74% respectively. The percentage employed was 84% for people in same-sex couples, significantly higher than opposite-sex couples (67%).
If you are affected by any issues related to your gender and sexuality at work, a dedicated LGBTQ+ Nurse and Midwife Support network is available. You can access it here. To read about the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022-2027 and to find out about what the government and Public Sector are doing to for people of diverse sexualities and genders, and intersex people, click here.
RNs at work
Registered Nurses and the employment environment
There are currently around 325,500 registered nurses employed within Australia, 49% of whom work full time. 89% of registered nurses are female, with a median age of 43 years old. The projected market growth for Registered Nurses is expected to increase by 13.9% within the next 5 years.
More that a third of Registered Nurses regularly work overtime, putting the actual average earnings at $1,937 per week, with three quarters earning $1,608 per week and one quarter earning $2,367 per week before tax.
NSW employs the largest proportion of nurses in Australia at around 31.3%, followed by VIC at 25.5% and QLD at 20.5%. 43% of Registered Nurses live outside of capital cities.
Registered Nurses typically have a 4 year degree as minimum, however many choose to also undertake a Master of Nursing degree.
More information can be found at the Australian Government Labour Market website.
The National Nursing Workforce Strategy
What is it and why does it matter?
From October to December 2023, the Department of Health and Aged care began consulting with nurses and providers nationally to identify issues facing the nursing workforce to develop a National Nursing Workforce Strategy.
Nurses are the largest health profession in Australia, comprising over 40% of the health workforce. They provide high-quality care and perform key functions across all health and aged care service settings in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas.
All jurisdictions invest substantially in nursing. Despite this, there has never been a national strategic approach to nursing policy.
Nurses are the largest health profession in Australia, comprising over 40% of the health workforce.
The strategy will provide future-focused national guidance and direction for the profession and the health system. This ensures the nursing profession meets the care needs of Australian communities. With a focus on workforce planning and policy reform.
Once published, we will develop an implementation plan and a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress.
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