11 November 2026
Nursing agency work or a permanent job in Australia
How agency nursing and a permanent nursing job differ in Australia, which award questions to ask, and what to confirm before you say yes.
Agency nursing and a permanent job solve different problems. One buys flexibility. The other buys a predictable line, leave and a team you return to. Neither is automatically better paid. The useful question is what the written offer actually contains.
What is the difference in how you are employed?
A permanent nurse is employed by the hospital, aged care provider or clinic. The National Employment Standards set a floor for leave, notice and other conditions. An enterprise agreement at that workplace can set higher rates and different roster rules.
Agency work is different. You may be employed by the agency as a casual, or engaged for a contract, and placed into someone else’s ward. The ward manager directs the shift. The contract that pays you may still sit with the agency. Ask who the employer is before you start. It decides who you call when a shift is cancelled and who pays you.
What should I ask about pay?
Do not compare a casual hourly figure with a permanent annual salary as if they were the same kind of money. A casual rate often includes a loading because paid annual leave is not provided. Penalties for nights and weekends may already be inside an agency quote, or they may be extra. Get this in writing:
- the ordinary rate and the instrument it comes from (the Nurses Award MA000034 or a named enterprise agreement)
- whether penalty rates, overtime and allowances are included or on top
- superannuation, and who pays it
- the cancellation rule, including how close to the shift a booking can be pulled
- breaks, and whether they are paid
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay Calculator is the place to test a figure against an award. This page does not publish sample wages. Rates move, and an agreement at one hospital does not apply at the next.
Where does flexibility actually sit?
Agency work can mean choosing nights, or picking up shifts in more than one town. It can also mean a quiet week when the hospital is fully staffed. A permanent line can mean a known roster and paid leave, and less say about which weekend you work.
If you want both, say so when you register. Tell us the states you will work in, and whether you want permanent work, contract, locum or casual shifts. We recruit across Australia, not in a single state.
What should I check before I accept?
- Who employs me, and who directs the clinical work.
- The award or agreement named in the contract.
- Whether the rate includes penalties and the casual loading, or sits on top of them.
- Cancellation, travel and accommodation.
- That my NMBA registration covers the work, including any conditions.
Practices and hospitals can register a vacancy the same way, for one shift or for a permanent line.
Frequently asked questions
Is agency nursing the same as being a permanent employee?
No. Permanent employment is ongoing, with one employer, and comes with leave and notice under the National Employment Standards and any enterprise agreement. Agency work is usually shift-based or a fixed term, and the employer on the payslip may be the agency.
Which award covers nurses?
Many nurses are covered by the Nurses Award MA000034, or by an enterprise agreement at that workplace. Use the Fair Work pay tools and the agreement named in your contract. A verbal “award rate” is not enough.
Does a casual loading replace annual leave?
Where the Fair Work casual rules apply, the loading is paid instead of certain entitlements such as paid annual leave. It is not extra money on top of those entitlements. Read the offer against the award or agreement.
Can I look for both kinds of work?
Yes. Registration with Jengu lets you say you want permanent work, contract, locum or casual shifts, in any Australian state or territory.