Salary guide · South Africa
Nurse salary South Africa 2026: nursing assistant, staff nurse and professional nurse per month
In government, from 1 April 2026, a nursing assistant starts at R15,102.50 a month, a staff nurse at R19,120 and a professional nurse at R28,113.25, before tax.
These are the public sector scales for nurses, from Appendix B of DPSA Circular 15 of 2026. They rose by 4% on 1 April 2026. Your grade depends on years of experience after registering with the South African Nursing Council (SANC). Adverts in Circular 39 of 30 October 2026 ask for no experience at Grade 1, 10 years at Grade 2 and 20 years at Grade 3, for general nursing posts. Private hospitals set their own pay, and we hold no official figure for them, so we won't give one.
| Post and grade | Lowest a year | Highest a year | Lowest a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Assistant Grade 1 | R181,230 | R207,225 | R15,102.50 |
| Nursing Assistant Grade 2 | R211,401 | R239,922 | R17,616.75 |
| Nursing Assistant Grade 3 | R249,141 | R310,890 | R20,761.75 |
| Staff Nurse Grade 1 | R229,440 | R260,520 | R19,120.00 |
| Staff Nurse Grade 2 | R272,778 | R310,890 | R22,731.50 |
| Staff Nurse Grade 3 | R319,071 | R397,392 | R26,589.25 |
| Professional Nurse, community service | R280,119 | R280,119 | R23,343.25 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 1, general | R337,359 | R397,392 | R28,113.25 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 2, general | R411,978 | R485,289 | R34,331.50 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 3, general | R495,423 | R635,088 | R41,285.25 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 1, specialty, or Clinical Nurse Practitioner Grade 1, primary health care | R495,423 | R581,931 | R41,285.25 |
| Professional Nurse Grade 2, specialty, or Clinical Nurse Practitioner Grade 2, primary health care | R607,350 | R752,913 | R50,612.50 |
| Operational Manager Grade 1, general unit | R571,161 | R654,285 | R47,596.75 |
| Operational Manager Grade 2, general unit | R661,572 | R752,913 | R55,131.00 |
Source: DPSA Circular 15 of 2026, Appendix B. The specialty, primary health care and operational manager ranges are the ones printed in adverts in Circular 39, and they fit the notches in the appendix. The monthly figure is our sum: the lowest yearly figure divided by 12.
How much does a nurse take home per month?
A professional nurse on the first Grade 1 notch earns R28,113.25 a month. PAYE is R4,190.45, which leaves R23,922.80 before the pension contribution. A staff nurse on R19,120 pays R1,956.60 PAYE and has R17,163.40 left, and a nursing assistant on R15,102.50 pays R1,233.45 and has R13,869.05 left.
In a national or provincial department, no UIF comes off, because SARS lists those employees as not covered. Members pay 7.5% of pensionable salary to the GEPF. We don't print the final figure because the pensionable part of your pay can differ, so type your own figures into our take-home pay calculator.
What is an enrolled nurse paid?
Circular 39 advertises enrolled nurses on the Staff Nurse Grade 1 scale. A KwaZulu-Natal post, reference UMG 09/2026, offers R229,440 to R260,520 a year for an enrolled nurse with no experience required, and an enrolled nursing assistant post in the same circular starts at R181,230. Both ask for Grade 12 and a certificate that allows SANC registration.
What do the benefits add?
Some adverts name a 13th cheque, a housing allowance and optional medical aid, on condition that you meet the prescribed requirements. Read the advert for your post, because the benefits are on top of the scale above.
Watch the figure in the advert. One post in Circular 39 prints R324,384 for Professional Nurse Grade 1, which is lower than the R337,359 in Appendix B. If you see a difference, ask the department's HR office which scale applies.
What are sessional nurses paid?
Sessional posts pay by the hour. On 1 November 2026, the Gauteng Department of Health had adverts in our catalogue at R223 an hour for a Grade 1 general professional nurse, R327 for specialty nursing, and R120 for a Grade 1 enrolled nursing assistant. That's from 12 nursing adverts open that day, all stating pay and all from public employers.
How do I find nursing posts?
Our nursing jobs page lists what's open. For more, check the weekly Public Service Vacancy Circular, your provincial health department and the Gauteng job portal. You'll need current SANC registration for most posts, so have your annual licence ready. Applying is free, and nobody should ask you to pay for a nursing post.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026. Each figure keeps the period and scope of its source.