If you run a private medical practice, day surgery, specialist clinic, or community health service, you’ll almost certainly have staff covered by the Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034].
But recent major updates, including increases to minimum pay rates and changes to how some nursing roles are classified and paid, mean employers must review job classifications, pay points, and more to keep compliant.
This guide helps you classify roles correctly, understand the pay rates that apply, and stay on top of your obligations.
Key Takeaways
- The Nurses Award 2020 covers 6 main nursing classifications, each with their own levels or pay points.
- Pay rates depend on the employee’s classification, level or pay point, and employment type, with extra pay applying for weekends, public holidays, overtime, and certain shift types.
- Employers must correctly classify staff, apply the right rates, give breaks and leave, and keep accurate records to avoid underpayments and stay compliant with Fair Work rules.
Award Basics
The Fair Work Nurses Award sets the minimum pay rates and working conditions for nurses and nursing support staff in Australia’s private healthcare sector. It ensures that employees providing nursing or patient care services are paid fairly and get core entitlements such as leave, allowances, overtime, and penalty rates.
The Award tells you how much you must pay at each classification level, when overtime or penalty rates apply, what kinds of leave and breaks employees are entitled to, and more. It applies to a wide range of healthcare settings, including private hospitals, medical centres, day surgeries, and community health services.
Employees under this Award are grouped into 6 main classifications based on their qualifications, skills, and the type of work they do. Each classification has its own minimum pay rate, which increases with experience and responsibility.
The Award operates under the Fair Work Act 2009, which sets the national framework for employment conditions in Australia. The Fair Work Commission is the independent body responsible for creating and updating the Award, while the Fair Work Ombudsman helps employers and employees understand and apply its rules in real workplace situations.
Who’s covered under the Nurses Award?
The Award applies to employees in the private healthcare sector whose main duties involve nursing or direct patient care.
Commonly covered job types include:
- Nursing assistants and personal care attendants work under the supervision of a registered nurse.
- Student enrolled nurses completing practical placements.
- Enrolled nurses (ENs) with a diploma qualification.
- Registered nurses (RNs) work in general wards, clinics, or specialist areas.
- Nurse practitioners and occupational health nurses.
- Community and practice nurses in non-government health and community services (such as private hospitals, medical centres, day surgeries, and community health services).
- Aged-care nurses, such as RNs, ENs and nurse practitioners, who work in aged-care facilities.
It also covers employees providing healthcare, nursing, or midwifery services in these settings.
Who isn’t covered under the Nurses Award?
The Award doesn’t apply to everyone working in a healthcare setting. It excludes:
- Aged care workers (such as personal care workers, care assistants, etc.) who are covered under the Aged Care Award 2020.
- Home care and disability support workers, who fall under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award 2020.
- Medical practitioners (including doctors and surgeons) who are covered by their own awards or contracts.
- Administrative, clerical, or reception staff who are covered by the Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020.
- Public sector nurses, whose pay and conditions are set by state or territory awards, for example, the Nurses and Midwives (Victoria) State Reference Public Sector Award 2015.
- Managers and senior executives on individual employment contracts or earning above the high-income threshold.
Classifications
Under this Modern Award, what you pay an employee depends on their classification, their level or pay point, and their type of employment.
Classifications describe the role, while levels or pay points/grades show progression within a classification based on experience, training, and responsibilities.
Some classifications don’t have levels or pay points. Instead, progression is based on other factors, like years of service or age. (More on this below.)
Main classifications
Employees under the Nurses Award fall into 1 of the following 6 main classifications:
| Classification | Description | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nursing assistants | Employees who aren’t registered or in training to become registered nurses. They work under the supervision of an RN. | Assist patients with daily activities such as eating, bathing, and mobility, and support nurses with basic care tasks. |
| 2. Student enrolled nurses | Students completing formal training to become enrolled nurses. | Provide basic patient care and assist nurses during supervised placements. |
| 3. Enrolled nurses | Diploma-qualified nurses who are enrolled with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. They work under the supervision of an RN. There’s also a new classification (effective 1 March 2025) for Enrolled Nurses who supervise other direct-care employees. | Provide direct patient care, including administering medications, recording observations, and supporting treatment plans. |
| 4. Registered nurses | Degree-qualified nurses who provide professional care and lead or coordinate nursing teams. | Deliver and oversee patient care, supervise ENs and students, and manage documentation, safety, and training. |
| 5. Occupational health nurses | RNs specialising in workplace health, safety, and rehabilitation. | Provide first aid, monitor workplace injuries, run health programs, and help employees return to work safely. |
| 6. Nurse practitioners | RNs with postgraduate qualifications who are authorised to work independently in advanced care roles. | Diagnose and manage patient care, prescribe medicines, and make referrals in the areas they’re officially approved to work in. |
For full details on these classifications, refer to the Award.
This Might Interest You
Recent changes to the Nurses Award have introduced new employee classification structures for RNs and ENs in aged care. These updates simplify pay points. For example, the former 5-level pay classification structure for ENs in aged care has changed to a single level.
Employment types
Under the Nurses Award, every employee must be classified as full-time, part-time, or casual. At the time of hiring, you’re required to clearly confirm which category applies. This affects pay, leave, and other entitlements.
Full-time
Full-time employees work 38 ordinary hours per week, or an average of 38 hours when rostered over a period (for example, a fortnightly or monthly roster). They’re ongoing staff members and get all standard entitlements, including paid annual leave, personal and carer’s leave, and public holidays.
Part-time
Part-time employees work less than 38 hours per week on regular and predictable schedules.
Before a part-timer starts, both the employer and employee must agree in writing on the guaranteed minimum number of hours and the roster pattern.
They get the same benefits as full-time employees, such as paid leave and public holidays, but on a pro-rata basis (this means benefits are adjusted in proportion to however many hours they work). For example, if a full-time employee working 38 hours earns 4 weeks of annual leave, a part-timer working 19 hours per week would earn 2 weeks.
Casual
Casual employees work flexible or irregular hours with no guaranteed shifts. They get a 25% casual loading on top of their base hourly rate (or 125% of their base rate in total) instead of paid leave or notice of termination.
Casuals must be paid for at least 2 hours each time they’re called in to work, even if they work less than 2 hours.
If they regularly work consistent hours for 12 months, they can request to convert to permanent (part-time or full-time) employment under the National Employment Standards.
Did You Know?
The National Employment Standards (NES) are Australia’s minimum workplace rights. They cover things like leave, maximum weekly hours, public holidays, and rules around moving from casual to permanent work. Every employer covered by the Fair Work system must follow them.
Pay Rates and Entitlements
Pay rates and entitlements set out the minimum pay and benefits employees must get for the work they do.
Minimum base rates
Employees are paid based on their classification (for example, Nursing Assistant, EN, or RN), plus their level, pay point/grade, year, age or qualification within that classification.
For instance, RNs progress through Levels RN1 to RN5. Each level has multiple pay points (or grades for RN4 and RN5). Pay increases as experience and responsibility increase.
Meanwhile, nursing assistants don’t have levels or pay points. Instead, pay for full-time and part-time nursing assistants is based on which year of employment they’re in or whether they hold a Certificate III qualification.
- 1st year: $26.40/hour.
- 2nd year: $26.81/hour.
- 3rd year and thereafter: $27.24/hour.
- Experienced (Certificate III): $28.12/hour.
Student ENs also don’t have pay points or levels. Both full-time and part-timers are paid based on age only:
- Under 21: $24.52/hour.
- 21 and over: $25.74/hour.
Below are some more examples of Nurses Award pay rates for full-time and part-time employees:
| Classification | Minimum hourly rate | Minimum weekly rate (full-time) |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled Nurse – Pay Point 1 | $28.64 | $1,088.20 |
| Registered Nurse – Level 1 (Pay Point 1) | $30.64 | $1,164.20 |
| Registered Nurse – Level 4 (Grade 1) | $46.77 | $1,777.30 |
| Nurse Practitioner – 1st year | $47.16 | $1,791.90 |
So, a full-time registered nurse working 38 hours a week at $30.64/hour earns about $1,164/week, while a part-time nurse on the same rate working 19 hours earns about $582/week.
Meanwhile, a casual registered nurse who earns a base rate of $30.64/hour will get a 25% loading of $7.66/hour, bringing their rate to $38.30/hour. Over a 20-hour week, this totals $766.
For the complete list of minimum pay rates, including rates for nurses working in aged-care settings, see the Award or download the official Nurses Award Pay Guide. You can also use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) or the Fair Work Commission’s Modern Awards Pay Database.
This Might Interest You
Because the Nurses Award changed the classification structures for ENs and RNs working in aged care, many employees in these roles will also see higher minimum pay rates. These increases are meant to reflect the value provided by these workers, as their work has historically been undervalued.
Penalty rates
Penalty rates apply when ordinary hours are done outside standard weekday hours, such as on weekends, public holidays, or during night shifts. These higher rates recognise that working at these times can be harder or less convenient.
| When the hours are worked | Rate of pay |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 150% (time and a half) |
| Sunday | 175% (time and 3-quarters) |
| Public holidays | 250% (double time and a half) |
For example, if a full-time or part-time nurse earns a base rate of $30.64/hour and regularly works on Sundays, they’ll be paid $53.62/hour (175%) for those shifts.
Shift loading
Under the Nurses Award, shift work means rostered afternoon or night shifts, not just working outside normal daytime hours. These shifts attract extra pay (called shift loading) when worked Monday through Friday (for all types of employees). These loadings recognise the inconvenience of working outside normal daytime hours.
- An afternoon shift starts at or after 12:00 pm and finishes after 6:00 pm (same day).
- A night shift starts at or after 6:00 pm and finishes before 7:30 am (next day).
If a shift meets either definition, the shift loading applies to the entire shift, not just the hours worked outside 9-to-5.
If a nurse starts after 12:00 pm but finishes on or before 6:00 pm, it doesn’t count as an afternoon shift, so no shift loading applies.
Here are the shift loading rates:
- Afternoon shift: +12.5%
- Night shift: +15%
For example, a 4:00 pm–10:00 pm shift is a rostered afternoon shift, so the whole 6 hours get the 12.5% loading added to the employee’s base rate.
For casuals, the 12.5% shift loading and the 25% casual loading are each calculated and added to the base rate separately (one isn’t applied on top of the other).
So if the base rate is $30:
- The shift loading is $30 x 12.5%, which is $3.75.
- A full-time employee earns $33.75/hour for the whole shift (base rate + 12.5%).
- A casual earns $41.25/hour (base rate + 12.5% shift loading + 25% casual loading).
Shift loading doesn’t apply to:
- Weekend or public holiday work (weekend and public holiday penalty rates apply instead).
- Registered Nurse Levels 4 and 5.
- Overtime hours (overtime rates replace shift loading).
Note: The Nurses Award uses the term “shiftworker” differently in different parts of the Award. In this section, it refers only to employees working afternoon or night shifts. This is separate from the annual leave definition, where a shiftworker is someone who’s rostered over 7 days and regularly works weekends.
Overtime rules and rates
The Nurses Award overtime applies when an employee works beyond their ordinary hours, which is typically more than 38 hours a week or outside their regular rostered shift times. These higher rates compensate employees for extra work hours.
Overtime applies when:
- Full-time employees work more than 38 hours a week.
- Part-time employees work more than their agreed or rostered hours.
- Casual employees work more than the ordinary daily or weekly hours.
- Any employee is asked to stay past their usual finish time.
Note: Employees shouldn’t be rostered for more than 10 ordinary hours unless both sides agree, but overtime is paid when they work beyond their rostered finish time, not when they pass the 10-hour mark.
Here are the overtime pay rates:
| When overtime is worked | Rate of pay |
|---|---|
| Monday–Saturday (first 2 hours of overtime) | 150% (time and a half) |
| Monday–Saturday (all hours after the first 2 hours of overtime) | 200% (double time) |
| Sunday | 200% (double time) |
| Public holidays | 250% (double time and a half) |
For example, if a Level 1 registered nurse (part-time or full-time) earns $30.64/hour, their overtime rate would be:
- $45.96/hour (150%) for the first 2 hours of overtime, and
- $64.06/hour (200%) for additional hours.
Casuals get overtime on top of their 25% loading, meaning it’s calculated after the loading is added to their base rate.
Did You Know?
Employers can also agree with staff to provide time off instead of overtime pay, as long as both parties agree in writing. More rules apply, so see the Award for the full conditions.
Breaks
Employees covered by the Nurses Award are entitled to proper breaks during their shifts to rest, eat, and recover. The Award gives both meal, tea, and rest breaks to support safe and balanced working hours.
Meal breaks (unpaid)
- An employee who works more than 5 hours must get an unpaid meal break of 30–60 minutes.
- This break should usually be taken between the 4th and 6th hours after starting work.
- If a shift is 6 hours or less, the employee and employer can agree in writing to skip the meal break.
- If an employee is required to stay on duty during their meal break, that time is paid as overtime until the break is taken.
- If an employee is required to remain available but not actively working, they’re paid ordinary rates for a 30-minute meal break.
Tea breaks (paid)
- Every employee is entitled to a paid 10-minute tea break for every 4 hours worked.
- By agreement, 2 tea breaks can be combined into one 20-minute break.
Rest between shifts
Employees must have at least 10 consecutive hours off between the end of one rostered shift and the start of the next.
This can be reduced to 8 hours if the employer and employee agree.
If an employee is required to return to work without having their full 10-hour rest break (or the agreed 8-hour break) between shifts:
- They must be paid at 200% of their minimum hourly rate.
- Casuals must be paid at 200% of the casual hourly rate.
- This 200% rate applies until they are released from duty and can take their full rest break.
*Separate rules apply when overtime cuts into this required 10-hour break.
Allowances
Allowances are extra payments that help cover work-related expenses or reward employees for taking on extra duties or responsibilities.
Under the Nurses Award, employees may be entitled to specific allowances depending on their duties or work situations.
| Type of allowance | When it applies | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| On-call allowance | When an employee is required to remain on call between rostered shifts or outside ordinary working hours. |
The entire on-call payment is based on the day on which most of the 24 hours fall. For example, if a nurse is on call from 7 pm Sunday to 7 pm Monday, most hours fall on Monday, so the Monday–Friday rate ($27.36 for those 24 hours) applies. |
| Uniform allowance | When the employer doesn’t supply uniforms. | $1.23/shift or $6.24/week (whichever is less). |
| Laundry allowance | When uniforms aren’t laundered by the employer. | $0.32/shift or $1.49/week (whichever is less). |
| Meal allowance – 1st | When an employee works more than 1 hour of overtime past their usual finishing time, they must be given a meal or paid a meal allowance. For shiftworkers (those working afternoon or night shifts), the allowance also applies when they work more than 1 hour beyond the start of their rostered shift. | $16.62/meal. |
| Meal allowance – additional | When overtime extends past 4 hours. | Extra $14.98/meal. |
| Vehicle allowance | When an employee uses their own car for work-related travel during their shift, with employer approval. (This doesn’t include normal travel between home and work. | $0.99/km. |
| Travel and accommodation reimbursement | When the employee travels for work and the employer doesn’t provide transport, meals, or accommodation. | Reimbursement for reasonable expenses with receipts. |
Leave entitlements
Employees covered by the Nurses Award get several types of leave under the NES and the Award. These entitlements allow employees to take time off for rest, family responsibilities, illness, and other personal matters.
Below is a summary of the main leave types, who they apply to, and what employees get:
| Type of leave | Who gets it | When it applies | Entitlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual leave | Full-time and part-time employees (casual employees don’t get annual leave). | When an employee takes time off for rest, holidays, or well-being. | 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year (based on ordinary hours).
|
| Personal and Carer’s leave | Full-time and part-time employees. | When the employee is sick or injured, or needs to care for a family or household member who is unwell or in an emergency. | 10 days of paid leave per year. |
| Compassionate leave | All employees. | When a close family or household member dies or develops a serious illness or injury. | 2 days’ leave each time this occurs.
|
| Parental leave | All employees with at least 12 months’ service with the same employer. | When a child is born or adopted. | Up to 12 months of unpaid leave, with the option to request an additional 12 months. |
| Family and domestic violence leave | All employees. | When an employee experiences family or domestic violence and needs time to attend appointments, court, relocate, or seek support. | 10 days of paid leave per year.
|
| Ceremonial leave | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander employees. | When an employee is required by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander tradition to attend ceremonial activities. | Up to 10 days of unpaid leave per year, with employer approval. |
For a full breakdown of leave entitlements, it’s best to check the NES and the Award.
Pro Tip
You can use the Fair Work Ombudsman Leave Calculator to check how much leave applies to your role.
How To Determine Nurses Award Coverage
The Nurses Award covers employees who perform nursing or nursing-support duties.
To determine if it applies to your staff, you’ll need to look at what they actually do day to day, not just their job titles.
1) Determine if another award applies
Some care roles may look similar to nursing roles, but they’re not covered by the Nurses Award.
Roles such as aged-care personal care workers, home-care workers, and disability support workers fall under other Modern Awards, including:
- Aged Care Award 2010.
- SCHADS Award (Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award 2010).
Even though these roles may involve hands-on personal care, they’re not classified as nursing under the Nurses Award.
2) Check the type of job
The Nurses Award usually covers employees who:
- Provide direct patient care or clinical support.
- Hold nursing qualifications or are training toward them.
- Work in private hospitals, medical clinics, day surgeries, non-government community health services, private aged-care facilities (for qualified nurses only), or home-based nursing services.
It doesn’t cover nurses employed in the public sector, who are usually covered by state or enterprise agreements.
3) Look at the work they actually do
The Award covers a range of nursing roles, such as:
- Nursing assistants (with or without a Certificate III).
- Enrolled nurses (student or qualified).
- Registered nurses (Levels 1–5).
- Nurse practitioners and occupational health nurses.
Each role is classified by its duties, qualifications, and level of responsibility, which determines pay, penalties, and entitlements.
To check whether a role fits one of these classifications, compare the employee’s actual duties with the definitions in Schedule A — Classification Definitions of the Award. This section shows what each classification actually covers (for example, typical responsibilities, required qualifications, supervision level).
This helps employers correctly classify staff and avoid misinterpreting job titles.
Nurses Award: A practical, real-world example
Anna, a full-time Registered Nurse (Level 1), works at a private medical clinic.
Her job involves:
- Checking patients’ vital signs and updating records.
- Giving vaccinations and medications as prescribed.
- Assisting doctors with minor procedures.
- Educating patients on aftercare and healthy habits.
Because Anna provides clinical nursing services in the private healthcare sector, her role clearly falls under the Nurses Award 2020 (not the Health Professionals Award).
Her base rate as a Registered Nurse Level 1 (Pay Point 3) is $32.03/hour.
When Anna works a Saturday shift, she earns 150% of her base rate:
$32.03 × 1.5 = $48.05/hour.
If she works on a public holiday, her rate jumps to 250%:
$32.03 × 2.5 = $80.08/hour.
Overtime also applies if Anna works more than 38 hours in a week or stays back after her shift. She’s paid time-and-a-half for the first 2 hours and double time after that.
- First 2 hours: 150% – $48.05/hour
- After 2 hours: 200% – $64.06/hour
She also gets 4 weeks of annual leave each year, plus 17.5% leave loading when she takes it.
Employer Obligations and Compliance Tips
Employers covered by the Nurses Award have several obligations, including:
- Providing staff with their breaks on time and avoiding rostering them for more than 5 hours without a meal break.
- Paying all relevant allowances, like uniform, on-call, or first-aid allowances, separately from hourly rates.
- Issuing pay slips within 1 working day of payment.
- Keeping accurate time, pay, and leave records for at least 7 years, including start and finish times, hours worked, and any overtime.
Common mistakes to avoid include:
- Misclassifying employees, especially as they move from student or enrolled nurse to registered nurse roles.
- Forgetting to add the 25% casual loading for casuals or the shift loading for shift work.
- Missing weekend or public holiday penalty rates, or the extra penalties that apply when required rest or meal breaks aren’t provided.
- Failing to record overtime or paid breaks correctly.
Accurate record-keeping protects both the business and employees. It also makes payroll checks and Fair Work audits much simpler. For templates and best-practice examples, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman’s record-keeping guide.
Resources and Links
For further reading and official resources, visit:
- Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034): The official Fair Work Commission Award that sets out pay rates, classification levels, allowances, breaks, overtime, and working conditions.
- Fair Work Information Statement (FWIS): A summary of employee rights and employer responsibilities under the NES.
- Annual Leave Cash-Out Agreement (Fair Work Commission): A template employers can use when arranging a lawful leave cash-out agreement with an employee.
- Connecteam: Australia Labor Laws Guide: Practical, plain-English resources to help employers understand key workplace laws and compliance requirements.
The Award covers registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nurse practitioners, student nurses, occupational health nurses, and some nursing assistants working in private healthcare settings such as clinics, day surgeries, and medical centres.
Pay rates depend on the employee’s classification (such as EN or RN), their level or pay point, and whether they’re full-time, part-time, or casual. The easiest way to check the correct rate is to look up the current Nurses Award pay tables on the Fair Work Commission website.
Employees may get higher rates for weekend work, public holidays, overtime, and night shifts. The exact rates depend on their classification and employment type.
Disclaimer
The information provided here is a summary only and does not constitute legal advice. While we have made every effort to ensure the information provided is up to date and reliable, we cannot guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or applicability to your specific situation. Laws change frequently, and outcomes may vary depending on your business circumstances. We recommend consulting a qualified employment lawyer before making decisions related to workforce management. Please note that we cannot be held liable for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented on this website.