Ward clerk salary: how award rates compare to the national minimum wage

What is a ward clerk?

A ward clerk is the administrative backbone of a hospital ward. They record and process information for admitting and discharging patients, answer telephone enquiries, and maintain patient records. The Australian Bureau of Statistics places ward clerks in unit group 5522, skill level 4 – meaning the job typically requires a Certificate II or III, or at least one year of relevant experience. It is an entry-level to mid-level clerical role in the health care industry.

Which award applies to ward clerks?

Most private-sector ward clerks are covered by the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020 (MA000002). The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes a pay guide that sets out minimum rates, allowances, and penalty rates. The guide updated on 24 June 2026 includes the 4.75% increase from the Annual Wage Review, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Public hospital ward clerks may fall under state awards or enterprise agreements, but the Clerks Award is the most common reference for ward clerk salary discussions.

Ward clerk salary under the Clerks Award

The award has five classification levels. A ward clerk with little experience typically starts at Level 1 year 1. The minimum weekly rate for a full-time adult employee at that level is $1,024.70, which works out to $26.97 per hour. After three years at Level 1, the rate rises to $1,106.20 per week ($29.11/hr). Level 2 adds more responsibility and pays $1,119.10 per week ($29.45/hr) in the first year. At Level 5, the top clerical grade before specialist call centre roles, the minimum is $1,291.80 per week ($33.99/hr).

These are minimum rates. Many ward clerks in private hospitals receive above-award pay through enterprise bargaining. The Fair Work Commission maintains the Modern Awards Pay Database, which confirms the same minimum rates and includes penalty rates for shiftwork, weekends, and public holidays. Ward clerks often work afternoon or night shifts, which attract loadings of 15% to 30%.

How ward clerk salary compares to the national minimum wage

The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a full-time adult. That annualises to $52,255, giving a salary index of 48.2 (where 100 equals full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $108,352). A ward clerk at Level 1 year 1 earns $26.97 per hour – just 53 cents more than the national minimum. The index for that level is 49.2. At Level 5, the index climbs to 62.0. So even the top clerical grade sits well below the national average earnings benchmark, but it is a clear step above the legal floor.

To put it in perspective: a ward clerk on Level 1 year 1 takes home roughly $42,600 after tax and the 2% Medicare levy (assuming no HELP debt or other adjustments). That is about $3,500 more than the take-home pay on the national minimum wage. The difference grows at higher classifications.

Ward clerk salary index by state

Because the Clerks Award is a national instrument, the minimum rates are the same across Australia. However, the salary index varies by state because the national earnings benchmark is adjusted for state-level average earnings. For example, the same $53,284 ward clerk salary has an index of 49.2 nationally, but in New South Wales (state index 101.2) it would be 48.6, and in Western Australia (state index 106.9) it would be 46.0. That does not mean the ward clerk earns less – it means the local average earnings are higher, so the role sits lower relative to the state line. For more on state comparisons, see our states page.

Industry context: health care and social assistance

The health care and social assistance industry has a salary index of 97.8, slightly below the national average. Ward clerks are part of this industry, but their clerical classification pulls the index down compared to nurses or allied health professionals. The industries page shows how different sectors compare.

Super and tax considerations

From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% on ordinary time earnings. For a ward clerk on $53,284, that adds $6,394 in compulsory super contributions. The maximum contribution base is $270,830, so no cap issues here. Income tax for 2026–27 uses the resident rates: nil up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above that. A ward clerk on $53,284 pays about $7,450 in tax plus $1,066 Medicare levy, leaving a take-home of about $44,768 before any salary sacrifice arrangements.

Casual and part-time ward clerk salary

Casual ward clerks get a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate. For Level 1 year 1, that means $33.71 per hour. Part-time employees are paid pro-rata on the weekly rate, with the same penalty rates as full-timers. The award also includes allowances such as first aid ($16.79 per week) and meal allowances for overtime.

How the ward clerk salary index is calculated

The Salary Index uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings (May 2026) as its benchmark: full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 per week, annualised to $108,352. To find the index for a ward clerk, divide the annual gross ordinary-time salary by $108,352 and multiply by 100. For Level 1 year 1: $53,284 ÷ $108,352 × 100 = 49.2. For Level 5: $67,174 ÷ $108,352 × 100 = 62.0. These are benchmarks, not job offers.

Where to find current ward clerk salary information

The best sources for ward clerk salary data are the pay guides from the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Modern Awards Pay Database from the Fair Work Commission. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides occupational classifications but not specific pay rates. For enterprise agreement rates, check the Fair Work Commission's agreement database. If you are negotiating a ward clerk salary, remember that the award minimum is the floor – many employers pay above it.