How much does a doctor earn in the UK?
By Gemma Raw
How much a doctor can expect to earn in the UK is highly dependent on experience, length of service, qualification and what your chosen specialism is.
How much are doctors paid in the UK?
To give you an idea, the average salary of a doctor in the UK is £65,692.
If you’re a doctor in specialist training, you’ll start on a basic salary of between £50,373 to £78,759. However, if you’re a general practitioner (GP), you can expect to earn anything from £65,070 to £98,194 following the 4.5% increase for salaried GPs in the 2022 NHS pay deal. Likewise, specialty doctors also earn well with a basic salary of £50,373 to £78,759. Doctors who reach consultant level, however, will earn considerably more, with a basic salary of £88,364 to £119,133 depending on length of service. Consultants also work additional hours within private practice to supplement their salary. Of course, the opportunity to gain additional hours will depend on your area of speciality and the spare time you have in and around your contracted NHS hours.
You may be paid more if you take on additional responsibilities within your role as a doctor, for example, training or management.
How many hours will I be contracted to work?
The basic contract for a doctor in the UK (on which the pay above is based) is 40 hours per week, but most doctors tend to work more hours than this. However, you will be paid for additional duties, extra hours, weekend work and for being on call. Depending on your position, you may receive a 37% enhancement for working nights as well as various other allowances. It all depends on the NHS trust you are working for.
What factors will influence how much I will be paid?
There’s quite a wide pay-scale for each basic salary. Where you fit into that pay scale will depend on several things, including:
The specific role (your job title)
Your experience
The NHS Trust you are applying to
How many hours you will be expected to work (the standard week is 40 hours)
It’s important to remember that NHS trusts can vary quite considerably in how they interpret pay scales. We know because we place international doctors in a wide range of roles in trusts throughout the UK. Although, all NHS Trusts generally tend to follow the same pay scale structures when recruiting. Once you have a good idea of the position you wish to apply for (we have lots of excellent doctor jobs to choose from), salary expectations are relatively straightforward.
One thing we also advise all the doctors we place is to consider the wider picture – the NHS is one of the most, if not the most, progressive healthcare systems in the world. Therefore, the UK is a great place for doctors to continue their training and progress to more senior positions.
For more information about NHS careers, read our collection of blogs.
