Paediatric Nurse Salary: Award Minimums and What the Data Shows

Understanding the Paediatric Nurse Salary in Australia

When searching for a paediatric nurse salary, it is essential to separate the legal minimum from survey averages, award rates, and negotiated salaries. This guide explains the pay floor that applies to paediatric nurses under Australian workplace laws and what the available data shows about typical earnings.

The Legal Minimum: Nurses Award 2020

Paediatric nurses are covered by the Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034], a modern award made by the Fair Work Commission. The award sets minimum wages, penalty rates, allowances, and conditions for nurses employed in the health industry, including those working in paediatric wards, children’s hospitals, and community paediatric care.

Under the award, a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 (entry level for a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree) must be paid at least $32.09 per hour or $1,219.50 per week for a full-time employee working 38 ordinary hours. These rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 August 2026, following the annual wage review.

Higher classifications attract higher minimums:

• Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 8 and thereafter: $38.57 per hour
• Registered Nurse Level 2 Pay Point 1: $39.59 per hour
• Registered Nurse Level 3 Pay Point 1: $42.93 per hour
• Registered Nurse Level 4 Grade 1: $48.99 per hour

These are the minimum rates that an employer must pay. An enterprise agreement or individual contract can set a higher rate, but never lower. The award also includes penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work (e.g., Saturday 50% loading, Sunday 75% loading, public holiday 100% loading), which increase the effective hourly rate.

Superannuation: Paid on Top

When discussing a paediatric nurse salary, remember that the employer must also pay superannuation guarantee contributions of 12% of ordinary time earnings. For the minimum weekly rate of $1,219.50, the employer adds $146.34 in super, making the total employment cost $1,365.84 per week. This is separate from the cash wage paid to the employee.

How the National Minimum Wage Relates

The adult national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week). This is the absolute floor for award-free employees. However, paediatric nurses are covered by the Nurses Award, so their minimum is the award rate, which is higher. The award backstop ensures that no classification falls below the national minimum, but in practice, all nursing classifications exceed it.

What the ABS Data Shows

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects earnings data through the Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours. The most recent data (May 2025) shows median weekly earnings for Registered Nurses (ANZSCO 2544) – the broad occupation group that includes paediatric nurses. For full-time non-managerial adult employees, the median weekly earnings were $2,083.70 (all employees average total earnings $1,579.20 per week). However, the ABS does not publish a separate median for paediatric nurses (6-digit occupation 254425) because the sample size is too small to produce reliable estimates. Therefore, we cannot provide a specific “average paediatric nurse salary” from official sources.

Award Rates vs. Market Salaries

It is common to confuse the award minimum with the market rate. Many public hospitals and large private health providers have enterprise agreements that set higher wages than the award. For example, a paediatric nurse employed by a state health department may be paid under a nurses’ enterprise agreement that includes incremental pay scales, allowances for shift work, and additional leave. These agreements are negotiated between the employer and unions (such as the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation) and typically exceed the award minimum.

Individual contracts can also offer higher pay, but they must not undercut the award. The award acts as a safety net; any agreement or contract must leave the employee better off overall.

Casual and Part-Time Rates

Paediatric nurses may work casually or part-time. Casual employees under the Nurses Award receive a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate in lieu of paid leave. For a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1, the casual hourly rate is $40.11 ($32.09 × 1.25). Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rate as full-time employees, but their weekly pay is proportional to their ordinary hours (e.g., 0.6 FTE = 22.8 hours per week).

Key Takeaways

• The legal minimum paediatric nurse salary is set by the Nurses Award 2020, not the national minimum wage.
• Entry-level Registered Nurses (Level 1 Pay Point 1) earn at least $32.09 per hour plus 12% super.
• Higher classifications and experience attract higher minimum rates.
• Enterprise agreements and individual contracts can pay more.
• The ABS does not publish a median for paediatric nurses specifically; the broad Registered Nurses median is $2,083.70 per week (May 2025).
• Always check the applicable award or agreement to determine the correct pay floor.

For more information, see our Which minimum wage applies guide or explore Rate tables for award classifications. If you need to understand how we compile these figures, visit How the figures work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum paediatric nurse salary under the Nurses Award 2020? The Nurses Award 2020 covers paediatric nurses. For a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 (entry level), the minimum hourly rate is $32.09, or $1,219.50 per week for a full-time employee (38 hours). Higher pay points and levels apply with experience and qualifications. The employer must also pay 12% superannuation on top of these amounts.

How does the award minimum compare to the national minimum wage? The adult national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week). The Nurses Award rate for a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1 is $32.09 per hour, which is well above the national minimum. Award rates are the legal floor for covered employees; enterprise agreements or individual contracts can set higher rates but cannot go below the award.

What does ABS data say about the median paediatric nurse salary? The ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) provides median weekly earnings for Registered Nurses (ANZSCO 2544) but not specifically for paediatric nurses (6-digit occupation). For full-time non-managerial adult employees, the median weekly earnings for Registered Nurses was not published at the paediatric specialisation level due to sample size. Therefore, no reliable median figure is available for paediatric nurses alone. Award rates remain the best reference for minimum pay.