Factory Nurse Jobs in Sri Lanka 2026

Factory nurse salary by level

Pay depends mostly on the size of the plant, the number of shifts you cover and whether you look after one site or several. Figures are gross monthly pay with fixed allowances, before overtime.

The middle of that table matches what we publish for factory and estate sick rooms in our private hospital nurse salary guide. For the wider pay picture inside a garment plant, from machine operators to managers, see our apparel industry salaries page.

What does a garment factory nurse do?

A factory nurse is the first point of care for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of workers. On a normal day the work looks like this:

• First aid: needle and cutter injuries, burns from irons and presses, fainting, and minor illness.
• Records: sick room visits, injury logs and accident reports that safety teams and buyers audit.
• Occupational health: supporting pre-employment and periodic medical checks, often with a visiting doctor.
• First-aid boxes and first aiders: keeping boxes stocked and helping train line first aiders.
• Referrals: arranging transport to hospital and following up on sick leave.
• Health promotion: talks on nutrition, maternal health and hygiene, especially in plants with many women workers.

It is steadier than ward nursing, but you work alone or in a very small team, so you need confidence in your own judgement.

What does the law say about first aid in factories?

We read section 50 of the Factories Ordinance, the main law on factory health and safety. It sets out first-aid rules rather than a duty to hire a nurse:

In practice, large apparel and manufacturing plants meet these duties, and the stricter health and safety standards their foreign buyers audit, by running a staffed sick room. That is where factory nursing jobs come from.

What qualifications do factory nurses need?

For a nurse post, expect to need a nursing diploma or a BSc in Nursing, registration with the Sri Lanka Nursing Council, and usually one to three years of hospital experience. Emergency or accident and emergency (A&E) experience is a real advantage, because you handle injuries without a doctor on site.

Government-trained nurses rarely move to factories early, because state nursing comes with a pension. Most factory nurses we see in adverts trained at private nursing schools or have left hospital work for regular hours. Our guide on how to become a nurse in Sri Lanka covers both training routes.

Sick room assistant posts are open to people with a caregiver or first-aid certificate, at lower pay. Our caregiver jobs page explains the NVQ caregiver certificate that many of these posts ask for.

Factory nurse vs hospital nurse: which pays more?

The government figure is the Grade III starting basic of Rs. 51,457 in 2026 plus the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance. Our nursing officer salary page has the full MT 7-2025 scale and later grades.

How do you find a garment factory nursing vacancy?

• Search job sites and LinkedIn for "factory nurse", "sick room nurse" and "occupational health nurse".
• Check the careers pages of large apparel groups; many advertise nursing posts for several plants at once.
• Look in weekend newspapers for walk-in interviews in Katunayake, Biyagama, Koggala and regional plants.
• Ask the HR team directly. Factory HR departments handle these hires, and our HR assistant page explains who you will deal with.

Before you accept, ask how many workers you cover, whether there is a second nurse for other shifts, and whether transport is provided for early or late shifts.

Our take: a good job for the right stage of a nursing career

We think factory nursing suits two groups best: nurses who want regular hours after a few years on hospital wards, and nurses who need to stay close to a home town where a large plant operates. Pay is broadly the same as a private hospital, and the work is calmer.

The risk is skill fade. If you hope to work abroad later, keep your hospital skills current with short courses or part-time ward shifts where allowed, because overseas employers ask for recent clinical experience. And check the shift roster before you sign: a nurse covering three shifts alone is being asked to do two jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Factories Ordinance (Cap. 128), consolidated text (PDF) - section 50, first aid
2. Public Administration Circular 10/2025 (PDF) - MT 7-2025 nurse scale
3. Sri Lanka Nursing Council
4. Sri Lanka raises private sector minimum wage to Rs. 30,000 - OnLanka
5. Department of Labour