How rail worker pay compares to other public sector wages
As the NSW Government prepares to enter intense negotiations with the rail union, it can be revealed how much a train driver earns compared to a nurse.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There is a a gap of at least $30,000 between the average salaries of a train driver and a registered nurse in NSW, figures show, as the Minns government prepares to enter intense negotiations with the rail union this week.
After plans for a three day, network-wide shutdown by rail staff were paused in a last minute amnesty between the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and the NSW government last week, the union will now forge ahead with demands for more than 14,000 rail staff to score a 32 per cent pay rise over four years.
Transport for NSW data shows the average Sydney Trains driver already earns around $128,196 annually, while the average Sydney Trains guard earns $114,564 annually after penalties and overtime.
The Minns government is also in a wage dispute with the state’s nurses, who are asking for a 15 per cent increase over one year, which officials claim would cost $6 billion to give to NSW’s 50,000 public sector nurses.
According to the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, for a registered nurse, the starting salary is $69,810.
Third-years earn less than $85,000, while some registered nurses earn up to $98,000, which is still $30,196 less than a train driver.
The gap is larger for enrolled nurses, who have a starting salary of $63,131, less than half of a train driver’s salary, while a top-tier enrolled nurse’s earnings start at $68,559.
In contrast, after three-year wage deal struck between the teachers’ union and the Minns government, from October 2026 new teachers will earn $92,882 a year.
But this is still $35,300 less than a train driver’s current average salary.
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Damien Tudehope said it was imperative the Minns government not cave into the rail union’s demands.
“If the Minns Labor Government caves to the bullies from the RTBU while continuing to ignore nurses, by the next election a third year train driver will be earning about $20,000 more per year than a third year registered nurse,” he said.
The move to grant the rail union’s demands would cost the NSW budget more than $2 billion dollars for more than 14,000 rail staff.
The union is also demanding the working week be reduced from 38-hours to 35, without a reduction in pay.
The government has instead made an offer of 9.5 per cent over three years plus superannuation.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen defended train workers asking for such a large increase, saying Sydney was an expensive city to live in.
“All the state’s rail workers have a really important role to do on the frontline, getting a million people to work and school every day,” she said.
“Sydney is one of the most expensive cities on earth, we have a shortage of transport drivers and we rely on their dedication and experience, often in difficult circumstances, to keep our city moving.”
Premier Chris Minns has repeatedly said the government cannot afford the RTBU’s wage demands and said despite scheduled meetings this week, he could not guarantee future shutdowns of the rail network.
“In all honesty, I can’t, I can’t give that guarantee,” he said on Thursday.
Police probe origins of suspected jawbone found on beach
Police are investigating the origins of a jawbone discovered in the sand at a notorious southern Sydney beach, as they look to determine whether it belonged to a human.
How slow will you go? Commuter headache as rail union ramps up fight
The rail union’s fight with the Minns government will escalate again this week with train drivers to reduce speeds by 23 kilometres per hour – and it’s outer Western Sydney and regional residents who’ll be hit hardest. Here’s how slow you’ll go.