Nursing Jobs in Australia 2026: Specialties in Demand, Salaries and How to Get Registered

Yes, nurses are in demand in Australia, and aged care nursing is the fastest-growing nursing specialty in the country. Australia is projected to face a shortage of up to 80,000 nurses by 2035. Aged care registered nurses nationally average $86,500 to $100,000 per year, with a further pay increase due 1 August 2026 under the Aged Care Work Value Case. To work as a nurse in Australia, you need AHPRA registration, which for overseas nurses requires a skills assessment, English proficiency, and in some cases a bridging programme. This guide covers every nursing specialty in demand, current salaries, how to get registered, and what makes aged care one of the most rewarding and stable nursing pathways available.

Are Nurses in Demand in Australia?

Yes, and the demand is substantial and growing. Australia is projected to face a shortage of up to 80,000 nurses by 2035, driven by an ageing population, growing chronic disease burden, expanded mental health services, and a wave of experienced nurses approaching retirement age. This sustained, structural demand makes nursing one of the most stable and opportunity-rich career pathways available in Australia, for local graduates and overseas nurses alike.

Aged care is the single fastest-growing area of nursing demand. The combination of Australia’s rapidly ageing population, the mandatory 24-hour registered nurse requirement introduced under the Aged Care Act 2024, and the minimum 44 registered nurse minutes per resident per day now required by law has significantly increased the number of RN positions available in residential aged care. These are not temporary vacancies. They are structurally permanent roles created by legislative change, which makes aged care nursing one of the most secure nursing employment pathways in the country.

80,000

Projected nurse shortage

by 2035

$86,500

Average aged care RN

salary nationally

24/7

RN now mandatory in

every aged care facility

1 Aug 2026

Next aged care nurse

pay increase

Is Nursing a Good Career in Australia?

By almost every measure, yes. Nursing in Australia offers a combination of job security, competitive pay, career progression, and genuine personal meaning that very few other professions can match. The minimum starting salary for a registered nurse under the Nurses Award 2020 is $70,235 per year, with most employers paying above this, particularly in the public sector and specialised settings. Experienced and specialist nurses regularly earn between $83,000 and $115,000 per year, with ICU, mental health, and aged care specialists among the highest earners.

Beyond salary, nursing in Australia provides genuine flexibility. Shift-based rostering allows nurses to structure their working week in ways that suit personal and family commitments. Superannuation contributions, professional development funding, and access to salary packaging through not-for-profit and aged care employers can meaningfully increase total compensation beyond the base salary figure. And unlike many healthcare systems globally, Australian nursing offers clear, structured pathways from entry-level registration through to specialist practice, clinical leadership, and management.

Nursing Specialties in Australia: Which Are in Highest Demand

Understanding which nursing specialties are most in demand helps you plan a career that is not only personally meaningful but practically secure. The following specialties are currently seeing the strongest hiring activity across Australia.

Aged Care Nursing

Aged care nursing is the most structurally in-demand nursing specialty in Australia right now, and that demand is being driven not just by demographics but by legislation. The Aged Care Act 2024 requires every residential aged care facility to have a registered nurse on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and to deliver a minimum of 44 RN minutes per resident per day. This has created an immediate, legally mandated need for RNs across every approved aged care provider in the country.

Aged care RNs manage medication administration, clinical assessments, wound care, behaviour support, palliative care, and the overall clinical governance of a facility’s care delivery. They work alongside personal care workers and enrolled nurses as the senior clinical presence. As the only mandated clinical professional on-site outside business hours in many facilities, the role carries genuine responsibility and genuine autonomy.

Salary range: $86,500 to $100,000 average nationally (2026), with further pay increases due 1 August 2026 under the Aged Care Work Value Case. Regional and rural aged care facilities typically offer higher base rates and relocation incentives.

Mental Health Nursing

Mental health nursing is consistently among the hardest nursing specialties to fill in Australia, particularly in community settings. Nurses in this specialty work with people experiencing psychosis, mood disorders, eating disorders, dual diagnosis, and acute psychiatric presentations, across public hospitals, community mental health services, and rehabilitation centres. Post-graduate qualifications in mental health nursing are strongly preferred, and specialist mental health nurses can earn above $100,000 in senior public health positions.

Critical Care and ICU Nursing

ICU nurses earn between $85,000 and $110,000 per year on average, with experienced senior ICU nurses in major metropolitan hospitals and the Northern Territory regularly exceeding $115,000. These roles require specialist post-graduate training in critical care and ongoing competency maintenance. Demand is sustained across metropolitan hospitals, trauma centres, and private surgical facilities. Locum ICU nursing is particularly well-paid, with experienced locums earning $55 to $75 per hour.

Perioperative Nursing

Perioperative nurses work in surgical theatres across scrub, scout, and anaesthetic nurse roles. Surgical volumes in Australia continue to grow, driven by an ageing population requiring orthopaedic, cardiovascular, and ophthalmic procedures. Perioperative nursing is a particularly valued skill in private hospital networks and day surgery centres, which continue to expand as more procedures shift from public hospitals to private settings.

Rural and Remote Nursing

Rural and remote nursing roles are the most consistently hard-to-fill nursing positions in Australia, and the financial incentives reflect this. Rural and remote employers regularly offer relocation assistance, accommodation, salary loadings, and rural practice allowances on top of base salaries. Roles in remote communities and fly-in/fly-out services often provide a breadth of clinical experience, including emergency care, primary health, and health education, that would take years to accumulate in a metropolitan hospital setting.

Paediatric and Community Health Nursing

Paediatric nursing in children’s hospitals and community health settings remains highly competitive to enter but offers strong long-term career pathways. Community health nursing, covering preventative care, chronic disease management, maternal and child health, and health education, is seeing growing demand as Australia shifts more healthcare delivery out of hospitals and into community settings.

Aged Care Nursing Pay: The Work Value Case Explained

Aged care nursing salaries have increased dramatically in recent years as a result of the Aged Care Work Value Case, and understanding this is essential for anyone considering the specialty.

In 2022, the Fair Work Commission found that aged care nurses had been systematically undervalued for years, largely due to the workforce being predominantly female. The resulting staged pay increases have delivered significant salary uplifts at specific dates. Pay increases for registered and enrolled nurses working in aged care were applied from 1 March 2025 and 1 October 2025, with the third and final tranche due from the first full pay period on or after 1 August 2026. These increases are funded by the Australian Government through supplementary aged care provider payments, meaning providers are required to pass them on in full.

The practical outcome is that aged care nursing is now significantly better paid than it was three years ago, and the salary gap between aged care and acute hospital nursing has narrowed considerably. For nurses who value the clinical autonomy, patient relationship depth, and genuine career progression that aged care offers, the pay case has made this an increasingly compelling career choice.

How to Become a Nurse in Australia: Qualification Pathways

For people considering nursing as a career, understanding the qualification pathway is the essential starting point.

Registered Nurse (RN): Bachelor of Nursing (3 years)

The primary nursing qualification in Australia. Completed at a university and accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). Graduates must then register with AHPRA before they can legally practice. Starting salary is $70,235 under the Nurses Award, with most employers paying above this.

Enrolled Nurse (EN): Diploma of Nursing (18 months to 2 years)

Completed through TAFE or a Registered Training Organisation. Enrolled nurses work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse and perform a defined scope of clinical tasks. The Enrolled Nurse pathway is often used as a stepping stone toward a Bachelor of Nursing and full RN registration. Salary under the Nurses Award starts at $54,230 per year.

Specialist Post-Graduate Study

Graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, and master’s degrees in nursing specialties including aged care, mental health, critical care, and perioperative nursing. Post-graduate qualifications typically increase pay classification under the Nurses Award and are often partially or fully funded by employers for in-demand specialties.

Nursing Jobs in Australia for Overseas Nurses: AHPRA Registration Step by Step

Australia has one of the clearest pathways for internationally trained nurses seeking registration, but it requires careful sequencing and realistic timeframes. The AHPRA registration process for overseas nurses typically takes between six and twelve months from initial application to approval, so starting early is essential.

1

Skills assessment by ANMAC

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council assesses whether your overseas nursing qualifications and clinical experience are equivalent to Australian standards. This assessment is required before AHPRA will process a registration application from an overseas-qualified nurse.

2

English language proficiency

AHPRA accepts IELTS (minimum overall 7.0, no band below 7.0), OET (minimum grade B in all sections), or PTE Academic (minimum 65 in each component). Nurses from some approved English-speaking countries may be exempt. Check the current AHPRA English requirements before sitting a test as thresholds can change.

3

Bridging programme (if required)

Some overseas nurses are required to complete the Outcome-Based Assessment (OBA) process, which includes a written component (NCLEX-RN equivalent) and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) completed in Australia. The OSCE must be completed at a designated simulation centre in Australia, so planning travel or arrival timing around this is important.

4

AHPRA registration application

Once ANMAC assessment is complete and English requirements are met, you apply directly to AHPRA. Registration is granted under the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). You cannot work as a Registered Nurse in Australia until registration is granted.

5

Visa pathway

Nursing appears on Australia’s skilled occupation list, which opens several visa routes. Common pathways include Subclass 189 (independent skilled migration), Subclass 190 and 491 (state or regional nomination), and employer-sponsored visas including the Subclass 482 (Temporary Skills Shortage). Aged care employers increasingly sponsor overseas nurses directly given the strength of demand. For permanent residency visas (189/190), the standard age limit is under 45.

Once registered, overseas nurses receive the same pay as Australian-trained nurses

AHPRA registration entitles an overseas nurse to the same Nurses Award classification and pay rates as any Australian-trained nurse. Classification and salary depend on years of experience and qualifications, not where training was completed. An overseas RN with equivalent experience can expect the same base salary and career progression opportunities as a locally trained graduate.

Why Aged Care Nursing Is Worth Serious Consideration

Aged care nursing carries a reputation problem that the reality of working in it consistently contradicts. Many nurses begin their career in acute hospital settings with the assumption that aged care is a lower-skill, lower-status pathway. Those who transition into it typically find the opposite: higher clinical autonomy, deeper patient relationships, stronger community within the care team, and an increasing salary advantage driven by the Work Value Case.

The clinical diversity in aged care is genuinely broad. An RN in a residential aged care facility manages complex medication regimes, wound care, dementia-related behaviour, palliative and end-of-life care, fall prevention, infection control, and the clinical governance of a team of personal care workers and enrolled nurses. They are typically the most senior clinical person in the building outside business hours, making independent clinical judgements that in a hospital setting would involve a consultant.

The relationships built in aged care nursing are also different from hospital nursing. Residents stay for months or years, not hours or days. Knowing someone’s history, their family, their preferences, and their goals, and being present with them through the final years and often the final moments of their life, is a form of clinical practice that many nurses find more meaningful than the acute episodic care that hospital nursing predominantly involves.

Nursing Careers at Superior Care Group

At Superior Care Group, our nursing team is at the clinical heart of everything we do. Our two Queensland residences, Wellington Park in Wellington Point, South East Brisbane, and Merrimac Park on the Gold Coast, have been providing aged care since 1979. Registered nurses at both facilities work with a high degree of clinical autonomy, supported by a stable, experienced care team and direct access to facility leadership through our open-door policy.

We offer positions for registered nurses, enrolled nurses, and personal care workers across permanent, part-time, and casual arrangements. All Aged Care Award and Work Value Case entitlements are paid correctly and on time. We provide ongoing professional development, including support for post-graduate study in aged care nursing, and our graduate nurse programme gives newly registered nurses a supported pathway into residential aged care with mentoring and structured clinical development.

We also welcome enquiries from overseas nurses who are working through the AHPRA registration process and want to understand what working in aged care nursing in Queensland looks like before they arrive. Our careers team is happy to answer questions at any stage of the process.

Explore Nursing Careers at Superior Care Group

Registered nurse and enrolled nurse positions available at both our Queensland residences.

Wellington Park | Wellington Point, Brisbane South East | (07) 3822 1876

Merrimac Park | Merrimac, Gold Coast | (07) 5618 1111

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