How much does a nurse earn in the UK?
By Paul Hayward
How much a nurse can expect to earn in the UK is highly dependent on experience, length of service and qualifications. Few jobs carry such a broad range of salary ‘banding’. There are requirements you must meet before you can relocate to become nurse in the UK.
Nurse banding
Nursing bands are determined by qualifications and experience. Newly qualified nurses start at the bottom at band 5, regardless of what they specialise in. There are plenty of opportunities to progress through the bands.
The bands are:
Band 5 – Newly qualified nurse
Band 6 – Nursing specialist or senior nurse
Band 7 – Advanced nurse or nurse practitioner
Band 8 – Modern matron or chief nurse
Band 9 – Consultant
To see nursing salaries broken down by band, take a look at the NHS Pay Table. Or find out more about the full-time working hours.
Agenda for change
This is the national pay system for all NHS staff except for doctors, dentists and senior managers. It was introduced in 2004 to support the banding structure and provides a more structured way to ensure that NHS staff are being paid fairly and equally for the work that they do. Find out more about the benefits you get working for the NHS.
New Pay Deal
From August 2022, the New Pay Deal, agreed by NHS employers and unions, found that most NHS staff employed in hospital and community roles - including nurses - have receieved a flat rate pay rise of £1,400 backdated to April 2022.
The average basic pay for nurses has increased to around £37,000 and the basic pay for NQNs has increased by 5.5% from last year to £27,055.
For more information about NHS careers, read our collection of blogs.
