There is no doubt you have seen the television shows portraying hospital emergency wards with their nurses and doctors saving lives day in and day out. Some of these shows are set in busy London hospital EDs, and the nurses work closely with the doctors – sometimes without them – to pour their medical expertise into each patient, dealing with family members, and their loved ones, during the most difficult times of their lives.
And sometimes these nurses are not British – their Australian or New Zealand accents give them away. Have you ever wanted to work in the UK as a nurse? Do you wonder what the average nursing salary in the UK is?
Nursing salaries UK vary depending, obviously, on the experience you have and the location you are working in. Salaries are split into different bands that will dictate the type of pay you should expect. The private sector offers nurses’ salaries similar to the public hospital system. Here are the different bands and their pay scales in no particular order:
- The NHS starts their nurses on approximately £21,600 for a band 5, which is an ‘adult nurse’ or midwife.
- A band 6 will range from £26,041 to £34,876, and employees in this category include school nurses and senior paramedics.
- Band 7s, who are higher level midwives, advanced nurses and nurse team managers will see a salary from £31,383.
- Band 8a include ‘modern matrons’ and nurse consultant (paediatrics) and their nursing salaries UK start at £39,632 and wrap up at around £47,559.
- A chief nurse sits at a band 8d and their beginning salary is about £65, 900.
- Heath care assistants, vital to the hospital industry, are classed as band 2 and their wages range from £15,251 to £17,978.
- Band 4s have amongst them dental nurses, with a salary starting at £19,217.
Nurses in the UK are also offered what is endearingly known as “unsocial hours” – which is pay for working overtime, such as overnight and weekends. And if you work in inner London you receive a 20% loading – this drops to 15% if you work in outer London and 5% if you work in on the fringe.
There are minimums and maximums for these loadings, so it pays to speak to the experts who know working as a nurse in the UK inside and out. They’ll also be able to provide you with salary advice should you need it.
HealthStaff Recruitment will work with you every step of the way, helping you locate a nursing position in the UK with a great salary and excellent benefits. If moving to the UK is something you’ve dreamed about, contact us today.