NSWNMA councillor Kristy Wilson believes without increasing nurses’ wages, recruiting will be very difficult. Left to right: NSWNMA members Kylie Norris, Raj Janday and Olivia Brasington. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
With a nursing shortage looming over Australia, an enrolled nurse in Griffith believes addressing the pay gap is the first step to improving staffing ratios and stopping nurses in NSW from leaving for other states in droves.
Based on data from Seek, registered and enrolled nurses in NSW have the lowest average salary compared to other states. Registered nurses in the ACT earn the most on average, while the same is true for enrolled nurses in Victoria.
The main difference between an enrolled and registered nurse is the qualification and training involved.
NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) councillor Kristy Wilson, who is based in Griffith, said she found it disappointing healthcare in NSW wasn’t valued the way it was in other states.
She also noticed a gender pay gap in NSW, with male healthcare staff being paid on average $106,000 annually, whereas female healthcare staff made around $98,000 annually despite being in a female-dominated industry.
“It’s pretty bad at the moment in NSW, and we’re certainly feeling that in nursing,” Ms Wilson said.
“It’s difficult to attract nurses, and definitely difficult to retain when you live in border communities like Albury-Wodonga and Tweed Heads [near Queensland].”
An enrolled nurse in Queensland can make $71,234 in their first year (compared to $62,914 in NSW).
Ms Wilson has been an enrolled nurse since 1997. In the 28 years she’s served her community, responsibilities for nurses have continued to increase with advancements in technology.
“Unfortunately, the wage hasn’t really increased with that, and we’re now expected to be all things to all people all the time,” she said.
“Everything’s made a shift towards electronic these days, which has benefits, but on the flip side, it’s challenging.
“It’s no longer just about giving your patients the best care, but constantly having to upskill yourself with technology.”
Aside from an additional $8320, Ms Wilson highlighted the better staffing ratios in Queensland and Victoria, something NSWNMA has been fighting for “for a long time”.
The State Government has been rolling out safe staffing ratios across emergency departments in NSW in 2025, but Ms Wilson would like to see staffing ratios in other departments addressed as well.
“The emergency departments are a small component of the entire hospital. So we need to see much more substantial staffing improvements throughout the hospital,” she said.
“And obviously a comparative wage to other states is going to make that a whole lot easier.”
Ms Wilson was also unhappy with salary packaging arrangements.
“They take the money out [by taxing you], put it back, but the employer gets half of the savings,” she said.
“We can salary package, but our employer gets 50 per cent of the cost savings.”
In NSW, the Health Services Union has just won the fight for a range of professionals including allied health roles, hospital cleaners, patient transport officers and more to keep all of their cost savings.
“Nurses find it incredibly frustrating, because we’re working incredibly long hours. The conditions are not the greatest, and then, for that hard work, you see half of your savings given to the employer,” Ms Wilson said.
The NSWNMA councillor is urging for state governments to prioritise nurses more and provide them with comparable wages, which will help attract and retain nurses, thereby improving staffing ratios.
“Certainly things like increasing the salary packaging percentage, refining the nurses responsibilities and adequate staffing,” she said.
“I think without a substantial increase to salaries, we’re going to really struggle to recruit. Without recruitment, retention is very challenging.”
