Mental health nurse: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Mental health nurses (SOC 2235)
About £35,129 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +2.9% on last year
£3,658 a month About £2,927 a month after tax 19 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £35,937 in 2021 to £43,902 in 2026 (+22%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | x | £31,569 | £35,937 | x | x |
| 2022 | x | £31,999 | £39,890 | x | x |
| 2023 | x | x | £44,370 | x | x |
| 2024 | x | £36,104 | £41,660 | x | x |
| 2025 | x | £36,721 | £42,667 | £47,854 | x |
| 2026 | £32,492 | £37,472 | £43,902 | £50,813 | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £43,902 a year and half earn more. That is 7% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £37,472 and £50,813; one in ten earns less than £32,492.
Ranked by median, it is number 118 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,927 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,915 in Scotland.
The median for men is £46,700 and for women £42,896, a gap of 8% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £32,492 | £2,708 |
| 20th | £35,794 | £2,983 |
| 25th (P25) | £37,472 | £3,123 |
| 30th | £39,262 | £3,272 |
| 40th | £41,115 | £3,426 |
| Median (50th) | £43,902 | £3,658 |
| 60th | £46,352 | £3,863 |
| 70th | £49,237 | £4,103 |
| 75th (P75) | £50,813 | £4,234 |
| 80th | x | x |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £46,700 | £46,778 | x |
| Women | £42,896 | £43,407 | 12 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £35,129 | £2,927 |
| Scotland | £34,975 | £2,915 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £44,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 8 job titles to SOC 2235 Mental health nurses. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Community mental health nurse
- Community psychiatric nurse
- Mental health nurse
- Nurse
- Psychiatric nurse
- Registered nurse
- RMN
- Staff nurse
Similar occupations
All jobs in Professional occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.