How Much Does A Theatre Nurse Earn In The UK?

“On average, a relatively experienced Theatre Nurse could expect to earn somewhere between £35,000 and £40,000 a year.”

Interested in career as a Theatre Nurse? This helpful guide looks at the starting, average, and highest salaries you can earn as a Theatre Nurse.

Theatre Nurses work within hospital operating theatres and recovery units. They support patients and colleagues before, during and after surgery.

It’s a varied role which means working closely with surgeons, anaesthetists, operating department practitioners and support staff.

The majority of Theatre Nurses work on rotation, meaning they move from one specific phase of theatre nursing to another. But others may just focus on one area, such as anaesthetics or post-surgery care.

But how much can a Theatre Nurse expect to earn? And how does it compare to other nursing roles?

This short guide examines theatre nursing pay in the UK, and the key questions surrounding it.

What Is The Starting Salary For A Theatre Nurse?

The starting salary for a Theatre Nurse is currently £29,969. That’s a Band 5 salary, and your salary goes up with every year of experience.

Some Theatre Nurse roles might require a little more experience or specialist skill, and therefore start at a higher banding.

What Is The Average Salary For A Theatre Nurse?

On average, a relatively experienced Theatre Nurse could expect to earn somewhere between £37,000 and £42,000 a year.

This salary range reflects someone at Band 6 who has plenty of experience in the role.

What Is The Highest Salary You Can Earn As A Theatre Nurse?

At consultant level, you can earn a Band 7 or even Band 8 salary, which can mean salaries well in advance of £50,000 or even £60,000 a year.

At this level you’d need to be both highly experienced and highly specialised. You would also have to undertake further study at certain points in your career, and potentially acquire new qualifications.

On average, a relatively experienced Theatre Nurse could expect to earn somewhere between £37,000 and £42,000 a year.

How Can You Develop Your Career & Earning Potential As A Theatre Nurse?

As is the case in many fields of nursing, the classic routes for progression are either into management, into education or into research.

Many Theatre Nurses are also choosing to train to become surgical care practitioners – a role that comes with increased responsibility as well as increased pay.

Working privately could also be an option that leads to higher salaries, although that isn’t guaranteed.

While other Theatre Nurses sometimes decide to work through agencies, which can provide higher rates of pay for each shift. However, this comes with a different set of challenges as you’ll often pay your own tax, and be able to constantly find shift work, perhaps at different locations.

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