Some 60,000 aged care nurses across Australia will see a wage increase with the federal government investing a further $2.6 billion to deliver another pay rise.

The funding will support aged care providers to meet the Fair Work Commission’s Aged Care Work Value Case decision to increase award wages for registered and enrolled nurses caring for older people in Australia. It brings the government’s total investment in support of award wage increases for aged care workers to $17.7 billion.

Registered and enrolled nurses will see their award wage increase by an average of around 12%. These increases will be provided across three largely equal instalments on 1 March 2025, 1 October 2025 and 1 August 2026.

Since 2022, a registered nurse who was on level 2, pay point 3 will have seen their award-wage rate increase by around $430 per week, an increase of more than $22,000 a year.

An enrolled nurse who was on pay point 2 will have seen their award wage increase by around $370 per week, an increase of more than $19,000 a year.

The wage increase was already having a positive impact on retention and recruitment in the sector and relieving cost of living pressures for these workers, said Federal Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells

“Under the Albanese Labor Government, registered nurses working in aged care on the award wage are $430 a week better off, and enrolled nurses are $370 a week better off.”

“Increasing the award wages for aged care nurses is part of the government’s mandate to rebuild our aged care workforce and close the gender pay gap."

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