A nurse in South Africa’s public service earns between R15 102.50 and R114 463.50 a month in 2026, depending on category and grade. A newly registered professional nurse starts at R28 113.25 a month. A nursing assistant starts at R15 102.50. These are not estimates. They are the exact notches published by the DPSA in Annexure B to Circular 15 of 2026, effective 1 April 2026.
Almost every salary page you will find for South African nurses is guessing. Indeed, Glassdoor, PayScale and the survey aggregators build their numbers from voluntary submissions, and their figures contradict each other by a factor of ten. The public service employs most of South Africa’s nurses, and it publishes exactly what it pays. This page uses those figures.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing framework | Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) for Professional Nurses, Staff Nurses and Nursing Assistants |
| Source document | DPSA Circular No. 15 of 2026, Annexure B (PERSAL Tables 298 and 299) |
| Effective date | 1 April 2026 |
| 2026 adjustment | 4.0% across all notches |
| Entry, nursing assistant | R15 102.50 a month (R181 230 a year) |
| Entry, staff nurse | R19 120.00 a month (R229 440 a year) |
| Entry, professional nurse | R28 113.25 a month (R337 359 a year) |
| Community service professional nurse | R23 343.25 a month (R280 119 a year) |
| Top of the ladder | R114 463.50 a month, Manager Nursing at a level 3 hospital |
| Grade 1 | Less than 10 years of experience after SANC registration |
| Grade 2 | At least 10 but less than 20 years |
| Grade 3 | 20 years or more |
Why the 2026 increase was 4% and not 3.4%
This is worth understanding, because it explains your payslip.
PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2025, concluded on 28 January 2025, set a three year wage framework: 5.5% for 2025/26, then projected CPI for 2026/27 and 2027/28. National Treasury confirmed projected CPI for 2026/27 at 3.4%.
But the resolution contains a collar. If projected CPI comes in below 4%, it is deemed to be 4%. If it comes in above 6%, it is deemed to be 6%. Anything between 4% and 6% stands as measured.
CPI landed at 3.4%, below the floor. So the floor caught it, and the Minister for the Public Service and Administration determined a 4% adjustment across all salary levels with effect from 1 April 2026. Public sector nurses were paid an increase 0.6 percentage points above inflation because of a clause in a collective agreement, not because of the economy.
The three grades, and how you move between them
Every nursing category in the OSD uses the same grade logic, and it is based on time, not performance.
Grade 1. Less than 10 years of appropriate experience after registering with the South African Nursing Council in that category.
Grade 2. At least 10 years, but less than 20 years.
Grade 3. 20 years or more.
Within each grade you also move up notches, roughly one notch per year of satisfactory service. So a professional nurse with 6 years of experience is Grade 1, sitting several notches above the entry point. A professional nurse with 12 years is Grade 2, and the jump from the top of Grade 1 (R33 116.00 a month) to the bottom of Grade 2 (R34 331.50 a month) happens automatically on experience, not on a promotion.
Specialty grading works differently. A specialty Grade 1 post requires a post-basic qualification plus at least 4 years of experience after registration as a professional nurse. Specialty Grade 2 requires a post-basic qualification plus at least 14 years, of which 10 must be in the specialty after obtaining the post-basic qualification.
Nursing assistant salary (enrolled nursing auxiliary)
| Grade | Monthly (2026) | Annual (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing Assistant Grade 1 | R15 102.50 to R17 268.75 | R181 230 to R207 225 |
| Nursing Assistant Grade 2 | R17 616.75 to R19 993.50 | R211 401 to R239 922 |
| Nursing Assistant Grade 3 | R20 761.75 to R25 907.50 | R249 141 to R310 890 |
Staff nurse salary (enrolled nurse)
The OSD calls this post a staff nurse. In everyday use, and on SANC’s register, the same person is an enrolled nurse.
| Grade | Monthly (2026) | Annual (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Grade 1 | R19 120.00 to R21 710.00 | R229 440 to R260 520 |
| Staff Nurse Grade 2 | R22 731.50 to R25 907.50 | R272 778 to R310 890 |
| Staff Nurse Grade 3 | R26 589.25 to R33 116.00 | R319 071 to R397 392 |
A staff nurse at the top of Grade 3 earns R33 116.00 a month, which is exactly the same as a professional nurse at the top of Grade 1. The scales are designed to overlap.
Professional nurse salary (registered nurse)
| Post | Monthly (2026) | Annual (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Nurse (Community Service) | R23 343.25 | R280 119 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 1 (General) | R28 113.25 to R33 116.00 | R337 359 to R397 392 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 2 (General) | R34 331.50 to R40 440.75 | R411 978 to R485 289 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 3 (General) | R41 285.25 to R52 924.00 | R495 423 to R635 088 |
A note on community service. You will see this described elsewhere as a “stipend” worth R17 000 to R22 000 a month. That is wrong. Community service professional nurses sit on a proper OSD notch of R280 119 a year, which is R23 343.25 a month, and it is a salary with full benefits.
Specialty and primary health care nurses
| Post | Monthly (2026) | Annual (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Nurse Grade 1 (Specialty) | R41 285.25 to R43 171.25 | R495 423 to R518 055 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 2 (Specialty) | R50 612.50 to R52 924.00 | R607 350 to R635 088 |
| Clinical Nurse Practitioner Grade 1 (PHC) | R43 818.75 to R48 494.25 | R525 825 to R581 931 |
| Clinical Nurse Practitioner Grade 2 (PHC) | R53 717.75 to R62 742.75 | R644 613 to R752 913 |
This is where the money is, and the gap is stark. A specialty professional nurse enters at R41 285.25 a month. A general professional nurse at the same 4 years of experience is still in Grade 1, earning somewhere around R30 000 a month. The post-basic qualification is worth roughly R11 000 a month, immediately.
ICU, theatre, advanced midwifery, oncology and trauma all fall under this specialty stream, provided you hold the recognised post-basic qualification and are placed in that unit.
Nursing management salaries
| Post | Monthly (2026) | Annual (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Operational Manager Nursing Grade 1 (General Unit) | R47 596.75 to R51 371.50 | R571 161 to R616 458 |
| Operational Manager Nursing Grade 2 (General Unit) | R55 131.00 to R59 392.00 | R661 572 to R712 704 |
| Operational Manager Nursing (Specialty Unit) | R60 068.25 to R62 742.75 | R720 819 to R752 913 |
| Operational Manager Nursing (Primary Health Care) | R63 683.50 to R68 454.50 | R764 202 to R821 454 |
| Assistant Manager Nursing (Area) | R60 068.25 to R62 742.75 | R720 819 to R752 913 |
| Assistant Manager Nursing (Head of Nursing Services) | R63 683.50 to R70 523.50 | R764 202 to R846 282 |
| Assistant Manager Nursing (Primary Health Care) | R69 481.25 to R74 851.25 | R833 775 to R898 215 |
| Deputy Manager Nursing (Level 1 and 2 Hospitals) | R89 101.25 to R101 610.25 | R1 069 215 to R1 219 323 |
| Manager Nursing (Level 3 and Specialised Hospitals) | R100 108.50 to R114 463.50 | R1 201 302 to R1 373 562 |
Note the jump from Assistant Manager to Deputy Manager. It is not a notch, it is a cliff: from around R70 000 a month to R89 000 a month. Deputy Manager and above are paid on total cost to employer packages rather than basic salary plus benefits, which is why the number looks so different.
Nursing education posts
| Post | Monthly (2026) | Annual (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Lecturer Grade 1 | R41 285.25 to R48 494.25 | R495 423 to R581 931 |
| Lecturer Grade 2 | R50 612.50 to R66 446.00 | R607 350 to R797 352 |
| Head of Department (Nursing College) | R61 815.25 to R66 446.00 | R741 783 to R797 352 |
| Head of Nursing School (Hospital Nursing School) | R67 442.75 to R72 655.00 | R809 313 to R871 860 |
| Principal of Nursing College (Single College) | R100 108.50 to R107 845.75 | R1 201 302 to R1 294 149 |
Sessional and agency rates
If you work sessional or contract shifts in the public sector, you are paid an hourly rate rather than a notch. These rates are derived from the minimum notch of the equivalent full-time post, with 37% added in lieu of benefits.
| Category | Under 10 years | 10 to 20 years | 20 years or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sessional Professional Nurse | R223 an hour | R272 an hour | R327 an hour |
| Sessional Staff Nurse | R152 an hour | R180 an hour | R211 an hour |
| Sessional Nursing Assistant | R120 an hour | R140 an hour | R165 an hour |
| Sessional Professional Nurse (Specialty) | R327 an hour | R401 an hour | |
| Sessional Clinical Nurse Practitioner (PHC) | R327 an hour | R401 an hour |
These are useful benchmarks even if you work private agency shifts, because they tell you what the state considers the fair hourly value of your registration category, benefits included.
What is not in these numbers
The notches above are basic salary. On top of them, public sector nurses receive:
A 13th cheque, equal to one month’s salary, paid in your birthday month.
A housing allowance, for home-owning members below senior management bands.
GEPF pension, a defined benefit fund where you contribute 7.5% and the state contributes 13%.
GEMS medical aid, with the state paying a substantial share of the contribution.
Rural and scarce skills allowances, where applicable, which can add meaningfully in hard-to-staff facilities.
Deductions come off the other side: PAYE, UIF, your GEPF contribution and your medical aid share. Your take-home is materially lower than the notch.
Public sector versus private sector
Private hospital groups set their own pay and are not bound by the OSD. Headline private pay for a general registered nurse tends to sit close to the OSD Grade 1 and Grade 2 range, with the differences appearing elsewhere: private groups pay shift differentials for night and weekend work more generously, and overtime is easier to come by.
Where the public sector wins is the back end. The GEPF is one of the last defined benefit pension funds in the country, and over a full career that is worth a great deal more than a marginally higher monthly figure.
Related tools and reading
- Professional nurse salary: full OSD grade breakdown
- Enrolled nurse and staff nurse salary
- Student nurse stipend
- Government salary levels explained
- Take-home pay calculator
Frequently asked questions
How much does a nurse earn per month in South Africa? In the public service in 2026, between R15 102.50 a month for a nursing assistant at entry and R114 463.50 a month for a Manager Nursing at a level 3 hospital. A newly registered professional nurse earns R28 113.25 a month.
What is the OSD for nursing? The Occupation Specific Dispensation is the public service pay framework for professional nurses, staff nurses and nursing assistants. It sets notch-based salary scales and links progression to years of experience after SANC registration.
How much does a professional nurse earn in South Africa? R28 113.25 a month at entry, rising to R52 924.00 a month at the top of Grade 3. Specialty professional nurses start at R41 285.25 a month.
What does a nursing assistant earn? R15 102.50 a month at entry, rising to R25 907.50 a month at the top of Grade 3.
How do I move from Grade 1 to Grade 2? Time. Grade 1 is less than 10 years of experience after SANC registration, Grade 2 is 10 to 20 years, and Grade 3 is 20 years or more. It is automatic on experience, not a promotion you apply for.
Do ICU nurses earn more? Yes. With a recognised post-basic qualification and placement in the unit, you move to the specialty stream, which starts at R41 285.25 a month rather than the general Grade 1 entry of R28 113.25.
What did nurses get as an increase in 2026? 4.0% with effect from 1 April 2026, under DPSA Circular No. 15 of 2026.
What does a community service nurse earn? R23 343.25 a month. It is a full OSD notch of R280 119 a year, not a stipend.
Methodology and sources
Every rand figure on this page is taken from Annexure B to DPSA Circular No. 15 of 2026, the translation key for PERSAL Tables 298 and 299, covering the OSD for Professional Nurses, Staff Nurses and Nursing Assistants with effect from 1 April 2026. Grade criteria and sessional hourly rates come from Annexure J3 to the same circular.
The circular was signed by the Acting Director-General of the Department of Public Service and Administration on 27 March 2026. The 4.0% adjustment gives effect to PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2025, concluded on 28 January 2025, applying the resolution’s 4% floor after National Treasury confirmed projected CPI for 2026/27 at 3.4%.
Annual figures are the published full-time notches. Monthly figures are the annual notch divided by 12, before deductions. Part-time notches at 6/8ths, 5/8ths and 3/8ths are published in the same annexure and are not reproduced here.
This page was last reviewed on 12 July 2026.
Disclaimer
These are the published public service salary scales. Your actual placement depends on your grade, your notch, your recognised experience, and any allowances that apply to your post. Private sector salaries are set by individual employers and are not governed by the OSD. For your exact notch placement, ask your departmental human resources office, which can confirm your position on PERSAL.
