Registered nurse salary QLD per hour
If you are looking for a registered nurse salary in Queensland expressed as an hourly rate, the short answer is that no official source publishes a Queensland-specific figure. The best available national data shows that registered nurses earn a median hourly rate of $57 per hour and a median weekly earnings of $2,192 per week (full-time, non-managerial, adult rate). This is based on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, as reported by Jobs and Skills Australia.
How this compares to the national full-time average
The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70 per week (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That works out to about $108,352 per year on a 38-hour week. The registered nurse median weekly earnings of $2,192 are $108.30 per week above the national average, or about 5.2% higher.
For hourly comparison, the national full-time average hourly rate (based on 38 hours) is approximately $54.83 per hour. The registered nurse median hourly rate of $57 is $2.17 per hour higher.
Queensland context
The average full-time weekly earnings in Queensland across all occupations is $2,039.70 per week (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That is about $106,064 per year. While we do not have a Queensland-specific registered nurse hourly rate, the national RN median of $2,192 per week is $152.30 per week above the Queensland all-occupations average.
Registered nurses in Queensland are likely to earn above the state average, but the exact margin depends on factors such as experience, sector (public vs private), and award coverage. The Queensland public sector typically pays above the national median for nurses, but no precise hourly figure is published by the ABS or Fair Work.
Minimum wage and award rates
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week (Fair Work). Award minimums for nurses rose by 4.75% from that date. The registered nurse median hourly rate of $57 is more than double the minimum wage, reflecting the skilled nature of the profession.
Where to find more detail
- Place a salary on the line to see how any wage compares to the national full-time average.
- States and territories to view average earnings by state, including Queensland.
- Job medians for median earnings of other occupations.
- Industry medians for industry-level comparisons.
Important distinctions
This page uses three distinct benchmarks:
- National full-time average: $2,083.70 per week (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). This is the line on the site.
- National median earnings: $1,436 per week for all employees, $1,674 for men, $1,250 for women (ABS Employee earnings, August 2025). The registered nurse median of $2,192 is well above the all-employees median.
- National minimum wage: $26.44 per hour (Fair Work, from 1 July 2026).
Tax considerations
For the 2026–27 income year, resident tax rates are: nil up to $18,200; 15% from $18,201 to $45,000; 30% from $45,001 to $135,000; 37% from $135,001 to $190,000; 45% above $190,000. A 2% Medicare levy applies before reductions. A registered nurse earning the national median of $2,192 per week ($113,984 per year) would fall into the 30% tax bracket plus Medicare levy.
Summary
While a Queensland-specific hourly rate for registered nurses is not published, the national data shows that registered nurses earn well above the national full-time average and significantly above the minimum wage. For the most accurate picture of your own pay, use the line tool to compare your salary against the national average.