Registered nurse salary QLD per hour: what you take home after tax

How to calculate your take-home pay as a registered nurse in Queensland

If you are a registered nurse working for Queensland Health, your hourly rate is set by the Nurses and Midwives Certified Agreement. The rates published by Queensland Health for 2026–27 show a clear progression from entry level to experienced practitioner. But the number you see on your pay slip after tax and Medicare is lower than the advertised rate. This guide walks you through the steps to work out what actually lands in your bank account.

Step 1: Know your hourly rate

Queensland Health publishes hourly rates for each grade and pay point. For a registered nurse or midwife (Nurse Grade 5), the rates from 1 April 2026 are:

• Pay point 1: $44.28 per hour
• Pay point 2: $46.36 per hour
• Pay point 3: $48.44 per hour
• Pay point 4: $50.53 per hour
• Pay point 5: $52.61 per hour
• Pay point 6: $54.70 per hour
• Pay point 7: $56.79 per hour

These rates include a 0.5% CPI uplift adjustment applied in mid-2026. The corresponding annual salaries range from $87,790 to $112,607. You can compare these with the national minimum wage of $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week set by Fair Work.

Step 2: Convert hourly to annual

Your annual salary is your hourly rate multiplied by 38 hours per week and 52 weeks. For example, at pay point 1:

$44.28 × 38 × 52 = $87,790 (rounded to the dollar by Queensland Health).

This is your gross income before any deductions.

Step 3: Apply tax and Medicare

For the 2026–27 tax year, the Australian Tax Office uses these brackets for residents:

• Up to $18,200: no tax
• $18,201 to $45,000: 15 cents per dollar over $18,200
• $45,001 to $135,000: $4,020 plus 30 cents per dollar over $45,000
• $135,001 to $190,000: $31,020 plus 37 cents per dollar over $135,000
• Over $190,000: $51,370 plus 45 cents per dollar over $190,000

You also get the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) of up to $700, which phases out between $37,500 and $66,667.

Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income, but if you earn below $28,011 you pay nothing, and between $28,011 and $35,013 you pay a reduced rate. For a full-time registered nurse, your income is well above these thresholds, so you pay the full 2%.

Using the Take-home pay calculator on this site, a registered nurse at $87,790 takes home about $2,661 per fortnight after tax and Medicare. That's $69,186 per year. At $112,607, the take-home is about $3,310 per fortnight, or $86,060 per year.

Step 4: Super is extra

Your employer pays 12% superannuation on top of your salary from 1 July 2026. This does not reduce your take-home pay; it is an additional contribution to your retirement fund. The salary figures quoted by Queensland Health are before super, so your total employment cost is higher.

Example: Registered nurse at pay point 1

Let's walk through a full example for a registered nurse starting at pay point 1 ($87,790 per year).

• Gross annual salary: $87,790
• Income tax: approximately $16,204 (including LITO)
• Medicare levy: $1,756 (2% of $87,790)
• Total deductions: $17,960
• Net annual take-home: $69,830
• Fortnightly take-home: $2,686 (before rounding by payroll)

If you have a HECS-HELP debt, an additional 1% to 10% of your repayment income is withheld, reducing your take-home further.

How the registered nurse salary QLD per hour compares

The hourly rate for a registered nurse in Queensland is well above the national minimum wage. Even at the lowest pay point, $44.28 per hour is 67% higher than the minimum of $26.44. Experienced nurses at pay point 7 earn more than double the minimum. This reflects the skill and responsibility required in nursing roles.

Queensland Health's rates are set by an enterprise agreement that guarantees pay at least as high as the Nurses Award 2020 from Fair Work. The award rates are lower, so the agreement rates apply.