Nurse: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Other nursing professionals (SOC 2237)
About £35,632 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +5.3% on last year
£3,717 a month About £2,969 a month after tax 469 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 £35,601 in 2021 to £44,601 in 2026 (+25%); 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 | £23,659 | £29,925 | £35,601 | £42,811 | £50,250 |
| 2022 | £23,411 | £29,977 | £36,464 | £44,119 | £51,155 |
| 2023 | £23,680 | £31,619 | £37,918 | £45,894 | £53,549 |
| 2024 | £26,055 | £33,932 | £40,657 | £48,891 | £57,306 |
| 2025 | £29,686 | £36,232 | £42,354 | £49,990 | £57,726 |
| 2026 | £32,211 | £37,956 | £44,601 | £51,934 | £60,048 |
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 £44,601 a year and half earn more. That is 9% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £37,956 and £51,934; the middle 80% between £32,211 and £60,048.
Ranked by median, it is number 114 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,969 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,944 in Scotland.
The median for men is £45,985 and for women £44,049, a gap of 4% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £32,211 | £2,684 |
| 20th | £36,599 | £3,050 |
| 25th (P25) | £37,956 | £3,163 |
| 30th | £39,192 | £3,266 |
| 40th | £41,731 | £3,478 |
| Median (50th) | £44,601 | £3,717 |
| 60th | £47,175 | £3,931 |
| 70th | £50,116 | £4,176 |
| 75th (P75) | £51,934 | £4,328 |
| 80th | £54,710 | £4,559 |
| 90th (P90) | £60,048 | £5,004 |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £45,985 | £48,815 | 93 |
| Women | £44,049 | £44,822 | 376 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £35,632 | £2,969 |
| Scotland | £35,324 | £2,944 |
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 £45,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 63 job titles to SOC 2237 Other nursing professionals. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- A&E nurse
- Adult nurse
- Aesthetic nurse
- Aesthetic nurse practitioner
- Ambulatory care nurse
- Breast care nurse
- Cadet
- Charge nurse
- Chief male nurse
- Clinical educator
- Clinical lead nurse
- Clinical nurse educator
- Clinical research nurse
- Clinical team leader
- Companion-nurse
- Critical care nurse
- ENG
- Enrolled nurse
- General nurse
- Immunisation nurse
- Learning disability nurse
- Macmillan nurse
- Matron
- Modern matron
- Night superintendent
- Nun
- Nurse
- Nurse adviser
- Nurse bank manager
- Nurse educator
- Nurse manager
- Nurse supervisor
- Nurse teacher
- Nurse team leader
- Nurse-companion
- Nurse-teacher
- Nurse-tutor
- Nursing officer
- Nursing sister
- Occupational health nurse
- Palliative care nurse
- Recovery nurse
- Registered general nurse
- Registered nurse
- Research nurse
- Resuscitation officer
- RGN
- School health adviser
- SEN
- Sister
- Sister-tutor
- SRN
- Staff nurse
- State enrolled nurse
- State registered nurse
- Stoma care nurse
- Student nurse
- Substance misuse nurse
- Team leader
- Tutor
Show all 63 titles
- Unit manager
- Ward manager
- Ward sister
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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.