Work in a state public hospital or a public birthing unit? This award is not your pay scale. Use the state nurse and midwife pay pages linked on this page, which quote each state's own instrument.
Which award covers midwives
Midwives employed by private hospitals, private obstetric and GP practices, agencies and other national-system employers are covered by the Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034]. The award covers "a nurse/midwife, principally engaged in nursing/midwifery duties" (cl 4.1(b)) and says nursing care "includes care provided by midwives" (Schedule A.2).
There is no separate midwife pay scale in the award. A registered midwife is paid on the registered nurse classifications: level 1 for a midwife in clinical practice, moving up one pay point each year of experience to pay point 8, then level 2 (which the award says "may also be known as a Clinical nurse") and level 3 (Clinical nurse consultant, Nurse manager or Nurse educator) under Schedule A.5.2–A.5.3.
Most Australian midwives work in state public hospitals, and they are not paid under this award. Each state sets midwives' pay in its own award or enterprise agreement, and those rates are well above the federal floor — a first-year registered nurse/midwife in NSW Health earns $1,566.70 a week, and Queensland Health's Nurse Grade 5 pay point 1 is $87,790 a year. The state pages linked below list every public-sector step.
NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia pay registered nurses and midwives on one shared scale. Victoria gives midwives their own classification codes (Midwife Grade 2, Year 1–8) but pays the same base rate as the equivalent registered nurse grade.
Read the Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 August 2026), or see every classification on our MA000034 award rates page.
Midwife award pay rates 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
Midwife pay rates under the Nurses Award — registered nurse level 1
Clause 15.1, general stream, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 (PR799315). A registered midwife is paid on this ladder. Casual is the hourly rate plus the 25% loading, matching Schedule B.1.3.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 1 | $32.09 | $1,219.50 | $63,414 | $40.11 |
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 2 | $32.75 | $1,244.50 | $64,714 | $40.94 |
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 3 | $33.55 | $1,275.00 | $66,300 | $41.94 |
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 4 | $34.45 | $1,309.00 | $68,068 | $43.06 |
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 5 | $35.51 | $1,349.20 | $70,158 | $44.39 |
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 6 | $36.53 | $1,388.10 | $72,181 | $45.66 |
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 7 | $37.59 | $1,428.30 | $74,272 | $46.99 |
| Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 8 and thereafter | $38.57 | $1,465.50 | $76,206 | $48.21 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Senior midwife roles — registered nurse levels 2 and 3
Clause 15.1, general stream. Schedule A.5.2 says level 2 may be known as a Clinical nurse; A.5.3 says level 3 may be known as a Clinical nurse consultant, Nurse manager or Nurse educator.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse level 2 — Pay point 1 | $39.59 | $1,504.40 | $78,229 | $49.49 |
| Registered nurse level 2 — Pay point 2 | $40.22 | $1,528.30 | $79,472 | $50.28 |
| Registered nurse level 2 — Pay point 3 | $40.92 | $1,554.80 | $80,850 | $51.15 |
| Registered nurse level 2 — Pay point 4 and thereafter | $41.59 | $1,580.30 | $82,176 | $51.99 |
| Registered nurse level 3 — Pay point 1 | $42.93 | $1,631.20 | $84,822 | $53.66 |
| Registered nurse level 3 — Pay point 2 | $43.71 | $1,661.10 | $86,377 | $54.64 |
| Registered nurse level 3 — Pay point 3 | $44.47 | $1,689.80 | $87,870 | $55.59 |
| Registered nurse level 3 — Pay point 4 and thereafter | $45.27 | $1,720.10 | $89,445 | $56.59 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Registered nurse/midwife in aged care — Nurses Award aged care stream
Clause 15.3, from the first full pay period on or after 1 August 2026 (PR812118). Applies only to aged care employees, and shown for completeness: a midwife working as a registered nurse in aged care is paid on this stream.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aged care RN level 1 — First year at this level | $41.36 | $1,571.60 | $81,723 | $51.70 |
| Aged care RN level 1 — Over 1 and up to 4 years at this level | $43.53 | $1,654.30 | $86,024 | $54.41 |
| Aged care RN level 1 — Over 4 years at this level | $47.40 | $1,801.10 | $93,657 | $59.25 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Midwife penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon shift, Monday–Friday | 112.5% | 137.5% |
| Night shift, Monday–Friday | 115% | 140% |
| Saturday | 150% | 187.5% |
| Sunday | 175% | 218.75% |
| Public holiday | 200% | 250% |
Percentages of the minimum hourly rate, from Schedule B.1.3 of the Nurses Award. A casual's weekend and public holiday rates are 150%, 175% and 200% of the casual hourly rate, which is why they sit higher than a simple +25%. State public hospital midwives have their own shift and weekend rates under their state agreement.
Overtime
- Full-time and part-time: 150% for the first 2 hours Monday to Saturday, then 200%; Sunday 200%; public holiday 250% (Schedule B.1.3(b)).
- On-call and recall rules for midwives in public hospitals are set by each state's agreement, not this award.
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Midwife pay after tax
On the Registered nurse level 1 — Pay point 1 rate of $1,219.50 a week, a full-time midwife earns $63,414 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $63,414 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$9,495 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,268 |
| Take-home per year | $52,651 |
| Take-home per week | $1,013 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $65,000 (the nearest step to $63,414), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What midwives actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Midwives (ANZSCO 2541) at $2,114 a week ($56 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations.
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) as published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It reflects what employers actually pay, including people on enterprise agreements or above-award salaries, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum.
What this page does not show
- Endorsed midwife, sole midwife and other state-specific midwifery allowances — these come from state agreements (for example Victoria's Appendix 2 Part 2), not the Nurses Award.
- Registered nurse levels 4 and 5 and nurse practitioner rates — see the nurse pay page and the healthcare worker pay hub.
- ACT and NT public sector midwife scales, which we have not yet verified.
Midwife pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
Every minimum rate was read from the Fair Work Commission's consolidated text of the Nurses Award 2020, consolidated to 1 August 2026, on 23 September 2026. Casual rates are the award's own published figures wherever it publishes them. Nothing is estimated.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034] — consolidated to 1 August 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 2
- 3Nursing stream wage rates — wage rates from 1 April 2026— Queensland Health
- 4Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 5Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 6Midwives (ANZSCO 2541) occupation profile — ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025— Jobs and Skills Australia
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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