The average nurse salary in Australia is $87,757 per year or $45 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $76,121 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $119,043 per year.
The lowest-paying states are South Dakota ($60,540), Alabama ($61,920), Mississippi ($63,130), Iowa ($64,990), and Arkansas ($65,810).
The average registered nurse salary in Australia is around $79,550 per year (about $41,00 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $76,063 per year up to $97,568 per year.
South Dakota is known to have the lowest nursing salary compared to any other state at an average annual wage of $60,540.
Registered Nurse Salary Statistics In The United States
The average annual wage for a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States is $82,750. The bottom 10% of annual nursing salaries is $59,450. The top 10% of RNs make an annual salary of $120,250.
Nurses and midwives are some of the worst affected, taking a real pay cut of almost $3000. According to the report: “A first-year nurse working for NSW Health in 2022 earned an annual wage of $76,403.60. When adjusted to 2022 dollars, that same first-year nurse working in 2012 earned $79,184.68.
The most important descriptor to note in RN level 1 is that 'an employee at this level performs their duties… under the general guidance of, or with general access to a more competent registered nurse (RN) who provides work related support and direction'.
Assistant in nursing (level one): The classification of a level one nurse is a nurse who's under the direct supervision of a registered nurse and holds no medical registrations. They do not require any university degrees to perform their duties.
Nurses are an integral part of the country's health service. Nursing salaries in Australia range from around $70,000 for an entry-level position right up to $250,000 for a specialist full time practitioner.
Working Hours of Australian Nurses
Keep in mind that most nurses will work an average of 38 hours but overtime opportunities abound. When a nurse first starts off their career they can work up to 12 hour shifts for three days in a row.
Based on our latest GP salary survey (May 2023), the average GP salary in Australia is $334,000 for GPs who work 7 or more sessions per week (full-time). The annual General Practitioner salary for part-time GPs, working 6 sessions or less per week, amounts to an average of $164,000 pa.
Many will argue that med-surg work is the heart of nursing and provides new grads with the foundational skills they will need to move on to other specialties later, if they so choose. And frankly, the easiest and fastest way to get a job as a new grad is to go to a med/surg floor.
Depending on how you enter the healthcare industry, the cost of living may be on par with your salary, however, the good news is that Registered Nurses and above can expect to live relatively comfortably anywhere in Australia.
What are graduate outcomes like for nursing students? If you want to be a registered nurse, Australia is a great place to be one. It's a regulated profession with an average graduate annual salary over $70,000.
Australia's nursing regulations are seen as more attractive than those in some other countries, including the UK: wages tend to be higher, there is greater job mobility and skill qualifications can often be recognised across all states.
As alluded to, the profession is facing increasingly stressful working conditions and with evidence of a future shortfall of nurses/midwives, there is a growing need to provide detailed research and evidence as a catalyst and platform for intervention strategies to address issues facing the profession.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Sydney, Australia
The average salary for Registered Nurse is A$3,178 per month in the Sydney, Australia. The average additional cash compensation for a Registered Nurse in the Sydney, Australia is A$3,140, with a range from A$280 - A$6,000.
Getting a nursing job in Australia with no experience can be challenging, but it is possible. By familiarising yourself with the process, doing your research, and preparing for your interviews, you will increase your chances of landing the job you want. Good luck!