Nurse salary in Malaysia
- New government nurse: RM1,974 basic a month at grade U5, with a recognised nursing diploma.
- With fixed allowances: RM2,934 a month, before shift pay and overtime.
- Pay scale: grade U5 runs from RM1,650 to RM6,620, rising RM145 a year.
- Private hospitals: no official figure exists. DOSM does not publish pay for nurses.
What a new government nurse earns
A newly appointed nurse earns RM1,974 basic plus RM960 in fixed allowances: RM2,934 a month.
Grade U5 nurse with a recognised nursing diploma, as advertised by public hospitals in 2026.
| Pay item | What it is | RM a month |
|---|---|---|
| Starting basic salary | Gaji permulaan at grade U5 | 1,974 |
| Housing allowance | Imbuhan Tetap Perumahan (ITP) | 300 |
| Cost-of-living allowance | Bayaran Imbuhan Sara Hidup (BISH) | 350 |
| Public service allowance | Imbuhan Tetap Khidmat Awam (ITKA) | 160 |
| Critical service incentive | Bayaran Insentif Perkhidmatan Kritikal (BIPK) | 150 |
| Total fixed pay at the start | Basic plus fixed allowances | 2,934 |
Source: Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (UKM), vacancy notice Bil 1/2026, Jururawat U5; starting pay confirmed in Hospital Al-Sultan Abdullah UiTM notice Bil 3/2026. Totals computed by Foundific.
- Allowances: RM960 on top of a RM1,974 basic.
- A year at the start: RM2,934 × 12 = RM35,208, before shift pay, overtime and any special payments.
- Starting point: every new U5 nurse with a diploma starts at the same point.
How pay grows on the government scale
Grade U5 pay rises RM145 a year, from RM1,974 at the start up to RM6,620. Promotion to a higher grade moves a nurse onto a higher range.
Minimum and maximum monthly basic salary for each SSPA grade, 2026.
| Grade | Who | Minimum | Maximum | Yearly increment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Nurse U5, entry with a diploma | 1,650 | 6,620 | 145 |
| 6 | Implementer grade | 3,080 | 8,560 | 155 |
| 7 | Implementer grade | 3,810 | 9,290 | 180 |
| 8 | Implementer grade | 5,390 | 10,590 | 225 |
| 9 | Management and professional, entry with a degree | 2,250 | 11,110 | 225 |
Source: Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 establishment list, Lampiran A: SSPA salary codes and minimum-maximum salaries (page A-1). Basic salary only.
- Increments only: at RM145 a year, a U5 nurse would need about 32 yearly increments to reach RM6,620.
- Promotion: Each higher grade starts higher and has a larger yearly increment.
- Degree holders can enter the management and professional group at grade 9. We could not find a 2026 notice stating the starting point for nurses at that grade.
- Not every grade applies to nursing. The table shows the general SSPA grades. Which nursing posts sit at grades 6 to 8 is set in each service scheme.
Compared with Malaysian pay overall
A new government nurse's fixed pay, RM2,934, is about the national median of RM2,940.
| Figure | Source | RM a month |
|---|---|---|
| New government nurse, basic plus fixed allowances | Public hospital notices, 2026 | 2,934 |
| Median salary, all Malaysian citizens | DOSM, 2025 | 2,940 |
| Median salary, employed diploma holders of all ages | DOSM, 2024 | 3,390 |
| Mean salary, skilled workers | DOSM, 2025 | 5,799 |
| Top of grade U5, basic only | Budget 2026 | 6,620 |
- Measures differ: DOSM figures cover all paid employees and all ages. The nurse figure is one fixed pay point. Use them for scale, not as a direct comparison.
Private hospitals
There is no official figure for nurse pay in private hospitals.
- DOSM publishes salaries by state, sector and skill level, but not by job title.
- The pay scale above applies to government posts only. Private hospitals set their own pay.
- Private surveys and job ads use different measures and samples, so their figures are not mixed into the tables here.
Data sources and coverage
Government pay scales and hospital vacancy notices give exact figures for nurses in public posts. No official source covers nurses in private hospitals.
| Source | What it gives | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Budget 2026, SSPA pay scale | Exact minimum, maximum and yearly increment for every government grade | Strong: official and current |
| Public hospital vacancy notices, 2026 | Starting pay and fixed allowances for the nurse post | Strong for government posts |
| DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey 2025 | National, state, sector and skill-level pay | Weak for nurses: no job-title figure |
| Private hospital pay | Nothing official | None |
- Compared with Singapore: Singapore's MOM publishes median pay by job title, age and industry. Malaysia publishes exact government pay scales but no market-wide figure by job.
- What a payslip shows is basic plus allowances plus shift pay and overtime, so it will be higher than the fixed figures here.
Is nursing affected by AI?
The International Labour Organization rates nursing Not exposed to generative AI. Its scores cover the job worldwide, so they apply in Malaysia too.
- Hands-on care scores near zero. Record keeping is the main task AI could help with.
- The full breakdown is on our Singapore nurse guide.
What the pay figures include
Every figure is monthly basic pay or fixed allowances, before deductions.
| Measure | Includes | Excludes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic salary | Gaji pokok on the SSPA scale | Allowances, shift pay, overtime, special payments |
| Fixed allowances | ITP, BISH, ITKA and BIPK as advertised for the post | Shift, on-call and overtime pay |
| DOSM salary | Monthly salaries and wages of paid employees | Self-employed and unpaid family workers |
Related guides
Sources
Ministry of Finance Budget 2026, public hospital vacancy notices 2026, DOSM
- Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 establishment list, Lampiran A. SSPA salary codes and minimum-maximum salaries, page A-1.
- Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (UKM), vacancy notice Bil 1/2026. Jururawat U5: pay scale, starting pay, allowances and qualifications.
- Hospital Al-Sultan Abdullah UiTM, vacancy notice Bil 3/2026. Jururawat U5 starting pay.
- DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025 and Graduates Statistics 2024.