Nursing Careers

How is salary determined?

The majority of nurses have their pay determined by “Awards”

• These are pay and conditions determined by Industrial Tribunals
• Awards are legally enforceable
• Awards cover a particular industry or occupation.
• By law, employees whose pay is set by an award cannot be paid less.
• Severe penalties apply to employers who pay less.
• Some hospitals have “collective agreements” negotiated with the staff.

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Rates of Pay
Most nursing awards have a “base” rate of pay

• “Base rate” is the minimum a full time employee can be legally paid
• This is the rate of pay paid for a morning shift called “ordinary rate”
• Morning shifts can start as early as 6am and end as late as 4pm.
• A full time nurse is paid for 38 hours per week (1,976 hours per year)
• This pay includes 4 weeks holiday.
• For any other shift, evening, night, weekend, the rate of pay will be higher.
• Most nurses will work a rotation of shifts

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Reward for Experience
Most awards recognise and reward a nurse for experience.

• Experience is measured in hours worked as a nurse.
• Standard working hours are 1976 hours a year. ( 52 weeks x 38 hrs)
• There are 8 grades, one for each year (1,976 hours) of experience
• Pay rates increase by 4-5% for each year of experience.
• After the 8th year all the pay rates are the same

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Shift Allowances
Employees working shifts other than the morning shift are paid additional amounts.

• These are called “shift allowances” or “penalty rates”.
• Typically these are the following:
• Afternoon shift starting at 1pm: +10%
• Night shift starting at 4pm: +15%
• Saturday shift : +50%
• Sunday shift : +75%
• Public Holiday shifts:+200% (11 public holidays per year)
• Overtime: +200%

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Increases in Pay Rates
Pay rates in Nursing have increased 5-4% per year.

• In addition there is an increase by moving to a higher age scale.
• Inflation over the last 5 years has averaged 2.5%.
• This means a nurses pay may increase 8% per year.
• More than twice as fast as the wages of other occupations.
• We cannot guarantee these increases will continue.

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