The UK Nursing Salary and Pay Scale Guide - 2025

What Is The Average Wage For A UK Nurse?

A question we’re often asked is: what is the average wage of a UK Nurse?

It’s something everyone from aspiring nurses to qualified nurses in other countries are eager to understand.

Finding an ‘average’ is tricky, for a number of reasons.

UK nurses can work in the NHS or the private sector and pay can vary greatly between the sectors. And within the NHS, pay alters according to experience and professional development.

Various job boards and recruitment sites that track the salaries of jobs they post suggest the average wage of a UK nurse is somewhere around the £37,000 to £42,000 a year mark.

Interestingly, more than 50% of Adult nurses are between the age of 41 and 60. And while some people do become nurses in their 40s and beyond, we also know that the vast majority of newly qualified nurses are under the age of 30.

That suggests the average nurse has at least 5 years’ experience, which corresponds with the range above.

It doesn’t necessarily reflect private sector pay but given that the vast majority of nurses work in the NHS, this figure seems the most reliable available.

An Analysis Of Private And Public Sector Nursing Pay

While NHS pay for nurses is very clearly structured, private sector pay can vary wildly.

For starters, many private sector nurses who might work for private healthcare organisations, schools or charities typically negotiate their salaries. As is the case in most other industries, jobs can be advertised without clearly defined salaries or will be caveated with ‘salary dependent on experience’.

As a result, the private vs NHS pay debate is an impossible one to solve. Put simply, some private sector nurses will earn more than in the NHS, and some less.

It’s best instead to consider the other factors surrounding this debate – and what kind of person you are. The NHS offers stability and reliability. The salary bandings and benefits are clear and unwavering. You know where you are with an NHS job.

But a private nursing job will operate differently altogether. While you might hit a banding ceiling at the NHS, the same constraints won’t necessarily apply privately. Just like the rest of the UK’s private sector workers, if you think you’re worth more, you can walk into your boss’ office and ask. But nothing is guaranteed – so there are no incremental or government rises.

However, to understand the benefits of being an NHS nurse, you really need to consider the benefits package too…

What Are The Wider Benefits Of Being An NHS Nurse?

One of the best aspects of being an NHS nurse is the inarguably excellent benefits – which do have a meaningful impact on your overall financial circumstances.

Here are some of the best:

• Enhanced pay for unsociable hours – between 30% and 60% above standard rate for night shifts, weekends and bank holidays
• The NHS Pension Scheme remains one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK (it’s worth noting that employee contributions are typically higher than in the private sector, however)
• 27 days’ holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Free access to occupational health and counselling support
• Six months full pay and six months half pay for sick leave
• Generous maternity and paternity leave (well above the statutory minimum)
• Vast and varied access to training courses and professional development – often with full support and funding from the trust you work with

For many nurses, it’s actually the benefits that seal the deal when deciding to work for the NHS.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Bank And Agency Nursing In Terms Of Pay?

Another common misconception surrounds agency work.

Permanent nurses often work alongside agency nurses on particular shifts, and quickly catch on that their hourly rate far exceeds their own. From this, a conclusion is quickly jumped to: I’d earn more as an agency nurse. And this isn’t necessarily the case.

While an agency rate is typically higher, agency nurses don’t get any sick pay or annual leave. Furthermore, there is no guarantee of work, and if you want to work consistently you might be forced to work in locations or disciplines you’d prefer not to. Plus, ‘agency caps’ are being applied to trusts across the country – which is threatening the amount of agency nurses each trust can actually use.

So pay in this instance really is about more than money. For the right person though, being an agency nurse really can pay off. The most successful agency nurses cast their nets widely. They might register for bank work at two neighbouring trusts, and then with a nursing agency too. As a result, they have to be open to a wide variety of opportunities, working in hospitals, medical centres, prisons or schools from one day to the next. But if you’re a nurse looking to build experience and try out other disciplines, this can all work in your favour – all whilst boosting your pay packet.

The bottom line is to understand the kind of person you are, and the kind of nurse you want to be. Both ways of working can be financially rewarding if you approach them in the right way. And you can of course switch whenever necessary – as a qualified nurse, permanent, NHS, private, agency and bank work is all at your disposal.

How Can I Earn Extra Money As A Nurse?

In the long term, it’s certainly true that maximising your income from nursing will rely heavily on the experience you gain, the skills you develop and the qualifications you accumulate.

But that doesn’t paint the entire picture. There are various ways of earning extra money and many techniques to boost your pay packet throughout your career.

Here are our top tips:

• Choose evening, weekend and bank holiday shifts where possible as these are paid at enhanced rates
• Take extra shifts by registering with your trust’s in-house bank
• Try to take risks by working in different disciplines, different areas and different trusts – as is the case in any job, there is huge value not only in building up a wide range of experience, but also a wide range of contacts
• If you want to work as an agency nurse, sign up to multiple banks and agencies to keep your options open and get more shifts
• Whether provided through a trust or an agency, always make use of training courses – these skills will be vital in moving up within your banding or negotiating a salary increase
• Be entrepreneurial and open-minded. Are there some less conventional ways of making money? Could you, for example, offer tutoring to nursing students? Your skills and knowledge are valuable – so think of other ways of utilising them
• Don’t forget to check your payslips and timesheets carefully. Mistaken overpayments are not uncommon, and a refund is often demanded immediately. So having clear proof of what you have or haven’t been paid is essential