Pediatric Nurse Salary in Australia: Award Rates and Minimum Pay

Pediatric Nurse Salary: Understanding Your Pay Floor

When searching for a pediatric nurse salary in Australia, it's important to separate the legal minimum from the award rate and any survey averages. The legal minimum is the national minimum wage, but most paediatric nurses are covered by the Nurses Award 2020 Which minimum wage applies or an enterprise agreement. The national minimum from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week). However, the Nurses Award sets a higher minimum for registered nurses. For a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1, the minimum hourly rate is $32.09 per hour (full-time and part-time). Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual hourly rate $40.11 per hour. These rates are from the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guide for the Nurses Award 2020.

Award Rates for Paediatric Nurses

The Nurses Award 2020 covers employees in the health industry and their nurses/midwives. Classification definitions in Schedule A. For a Registered Nurse with a 4 year degree entry rate $33.50 per hour; Masters degree entry rate $34.66 per hour. The award also has multiple pay points for each level. For a typical entry point, the minimum weekly rate $1,219.50, hourly $32.09. These rates are higher than the national minimum because the award backstop ensures no classification falls below the national minimum. The Fair Work Commission sets the national minimum wage; the Fair Work Ombudsman explains and enforces it.

Casual Loading and Penalty Rates

Casual employees under the award get a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate. For a Registered Nurse Level 1 Pay Point 1, the casual hourly rate is $40.11. Penalty rates apply for Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday work. For example, Saturday rate $48.14 per hour, Sunday $56.16 per hour, public holiday $64.18 per hour. These are paid on top of the base rate.

Superannuation

Super guarantee is paid by the employer on top of ordinary time earnings. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee rate is 12%. So if you earn $32.09 per hour, your employer must also contribute 12% into your super fund. This is not included in the hourly rates shown.

How the Figures Work

The ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) provides median weekly earnings for occupations, but for Registered Nurses (Paediatrics) the median is not published due to the 6-digit ANZSCO code. Therefore we rely on award rates as the most reliable floor. Enterprise agreements can set higher rates. For more details, see Rate tables and Guides.

FAQs

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