Nursing in Birmingham: studying, working, and living guide
Find out about nursing in Birmingham - where nurses can find jobs, the hospitals they might work in, colleges & universities to study in, plus living information.

Birmingham is a city located in the West Midlands, England and is the second largest city in the UK.
It was once known for being the first manufacturing town in the world due to its advances in science, technology, and economic development in the Industrial Revolution.
Birmingham is also known for its vibrant cultural institutions and was the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Birmingham could be a wonderful place to live, work, and study for nurses.
From cost of living and travel through to culture and nightlife, here is an end-to-end guide for Nurses wanting to study or work in Birmingham.
Where do Nurses work in Birmingham?
There are many healthcare-related places in Birmingham, which are the major employers of Nurses in the city.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham

Birmingham City Hospital

Birmingham Heartlands Hospital

Birmingham Children’s Hospital
All over the city, there are multiple community centres and care homes that support elderly people, adults, children, and babies. They are frequently on the lookout for Registered Nurses as well as carers.
There are thousands of live vacancies for Nurses throughout Birmingham with endless options for work for those wishing to relocate.

Where do aspiring Nurses study in Birmingham?
Anyone wishing to train to become a Nurse in Birmingham can study at the University of Birmingham or Birmingham City University.
The University of Birmingham offers multiple nursing programmes and has start dates available in October depending on your chosen course. It has been ranked in the top 100 for Nursing in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2023.
Birmingham City University offers a range of courses including Adult Nursing, Mental Health, Child Nursing, Learning and Disability Nursing, Midwifery and many more. It also offers Dual Award courses for nursing which allow you to practise and study in two different fields of nursing. Start dates are available in September depending on your chosen course.
Plenty of choice for anyone wanting to gain their nursing degree in Birmingham.
Find our nursing university guide here.
The average monthly rental in Birmingham is around £950 per month which is considered very reasonable for living in the city.
Where do Nurses live in Birmingham?
Nurses in Birmingham live all over the city and surrounding areas.
The most popular locations to live are:
Birmingham City Centre.
Popular with nurses due to its closeness to all amenities.
Edgbaston.
A brilliant area for nurses with a love of green spaces and sport with both Birmingham Botanical Garden and Edgbaston cricket ground inside its boundary. It also offers all the local amenities you could ever need.
Erdington.
Located five miles north-east of the city centre and while recognised for its historical bent it also offers great amenities including the huge Fort Shopping Park as well as excellent transport links.
Harborne.
Situated 3 miles south-west of the city centre but with something of a village feel this would be an ideal place for nurses and their families to live in with its excellent schools and parks and a popular market while also offering numerous local amenities
There are many places where nurses can live in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

What are the living costs for Nurses in Birmingham?
Birmingham is a reasonably priced place to live.
Here is a general guide to some of the different costs of living in Birmingham.
The average price for a home in Birmingham is currently £271,800 which is slightly lower than the national average of £293,000.
The average rental price for a property in Birmingham is £950 per month. But if you are looking to rent a room in a shared house, the average cost is just over £500.
Council tax costs vary across the city. But many people reside in a Band B property or similar, which means paying £1620.70 a year, which works out to just under £135 per a month.
Other bills like shopping and utilities are priced the same as the rest of the UK. Eating out and entertainment may be a little more expensive than average but again is dependent on where you visit.
Is travel easy in Birmingham?
Birmingham has excellent road links across the city allowing easy access to motorways and major routes to the UK.
No matter where you are in the United Kingdom, Birmingham is well connected by road. The M5, M6, M40, M42, M1, M6, motorways link the city with other major conurbations across the United Kingdom. Manchester to Birmingham is just under 2 hours by road or 1 ½ hours by train while London can be reached within 3 hours by road or just 90 minutes on the train.
There are three city centre rail stations offering good connections to local and national destinations. Birmingham New Street Station has frequent fast trains to London Euston and other destinations across the United Kingdom. Birmingham Moor Street station provides a direct service to London Marylebone while Birmingham Snow Hill caters for local rail services to Solihull and Worcester and Metro Trams towards Wolverhampton.
Birmingham International station provides direct links to Birmingham City Centre as well as to Birmingham Airport, which is only ten minutes from the city centre and offers flights to UK, European and worldwide destinations.
Birmingham is well connected for all your transport needs no matter where you are located.

What to do in Birmingham: Walks, culture, nightlife and eating out
Birmingham has lots of things to do in your free time.
Culture and attractions
One of the most popular places to visit while in Birmingham is Cadbury World located in nearby Bourneville. A delightful day out for chocoholics of all ages it is a self-guided tour where you learn about the history of and manufacturing processes of Cadbury chocolate. For nurses who have a sweet tooth this would make a wonderful day out.
One of the most stunning places to visit in Birmingham is Ashton Hall. Surrounded in Royal history it is popular with all types and ages of people. Walk through the stunning interiors of this stately home and its Grade 1 Listed building. A wonderful day out for Nurses to experience with friends and families.
Birmingham has many green places to visit and explore such as Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses, Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park, and Lickey Hills Country Park.
Birmingham also caters thoroughly for the live music scene and has a particularly thriving arts set-up. A few of the most popular places to visit for those with a passion for music are Utilita Arena Birmingham, O2 Academy Birmingham, Forum Birmingham, Symphony Hall, and Birmingham Town Hall. Something for everyone, regardless of their musical taste.
Lovers of art and history are spoilt for choice with the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Ikon Gallery (contemporary art), and The Barber Institute of Fine Arts while the simply wonderful Black Country Living Museum in Dudley offers a compelling insight into the history of the Black Country.
Birmingham is famous world-wide for its sporting venues and hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games and has twice staged the Athletic Indoor World Championships at the National Indoor Arena. The Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr is the home of UK athletics.
In football, the rivalry between Aston Villa FC and Birmingham FC has been legendary over the years although while Vila are currently highflyers in the Premier League neighbours Birmingham play in the EFL 1st Division. Nearby West Bromwich Albion compete in the EFL Championship.
Warwickshire County Cricket Club play at Edgbaston while for golf fanatics the Belfry in Sutton Coldfield has hosted numerous Ryder Cup tournaments. The Forest of Arden Country Club (near the Airport) also hosts major golf tournaments.
In tennis, the AEGON Classic on the Women’s tour is staged at the Edgbaston Priory Club while greyhound racing takes place at Perry Barr.
Nightlife and eating out
Birmingham has multiple options for nightlife, with lots of bars and clubs. There is something for everyone in Birmingham from days out to restaurants and bars to eat in.
Highlights include:
Upstairs by Chef Tom Shepherd is a new contemporary British fine dining restaurant in Kings Heath.
Simpsons Restaurant, A Michelin starred venue known for its modern French cuisine.
Shababs Balti Restaurant, popular for being one of the finest Indian restaurants in Birmingham.
Brew Bar Lounge and Restaurant Is a perfect place for nurses, families, and friends to visit to enjoy a quick snack or sit-down meal.
Finally, The Loft Brum, known for its specialised spirits, cocktails and beer and fresh homemade food it is a perfect place to visit for lunch or evening drinks.
What are the school options in Birmingham?
If you are also thinking about where you might need to send your children to school, Birmingham offers a range of options.
Birmingham has 339 Primary schools, 168 Secondary schools and 44 private independent schools.
There are many schools to choose from in Birmingham and the performance and quality of schools according to Ofsted rating vary across the city but there are many outstanding schools in Birmingham and the local surrounding areas.
Population and demographics in Birmingham
Here are some of the stand-out population and demographic facts in Birmingham.
Birmingham has a population of 1.4 million.
Its population density is 4,200 per square mile.
Birmingham is the second largest city in Britain.
Birmingham is the most inland major city in the United Kingdom.
12.3% of Birmingham’s population is unemployed – much higher than the UK average.

In summary: is Birmingham a good place to be a Nurse?
Birmingham is a good place to live, study and work for Nurses.
It offers lots of green spaces to walk around as well as endless places to visit.
There are so many things to do in Birmingham you are a student or an experienced nursing professional.
Travel is easy, and there is plenty of work on offer. You can easily reach other towns and cities by bus, car, train or even flight.
Living costs are slightly lower than the national average.
Nurses earn an average of just over £33,000 per year in Birmingham.
So, your salary as a registered Nurse goes much further. Here are a couple of examples:
As a newly qualified Nurse on an NHS Band 5 salary, if you rented a house, you would still have more than £1148 left in your pocket each month for everything else. Your disposable income in the Southeast would barely reach half of this figure, for example.
As a Band 6 Nurse, you would easily be able to borrow enough money to buy a joint mortgage in an average-priced flat in Birmingham. In fact, in many parts, your salary would cover the cost of buying a house.
As a nursing student or Nurse in Birmingham, you will have an excellent quality of life with lots of things to do.