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Average Elderly Care Giver Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An elderly care giver in United Kingdom earns about 24,800 GBP a year. That's 64% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 13,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 36,400 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an elderly care giver make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
24,800 GBP
2,066 GBP per month
Lowest reported
13,000 GBP
1,083 GBP per month
Highest reported
36,400 GBP
3,033 GBP per month

A typical elderly care giver working in United Kingdom brings home around 2,066 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 13,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 36,400 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior elderly care giver working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the elderly care giver salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How elderly care giver pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all elderly care givers in United Kingdom earn less than 23,100 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 17,500 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 30,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of elderly care givers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 13,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 36,400 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

13,000
Low
23,100
Median
36,400
High
17,500
25th
30,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Elderly care giver pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an elderly care giver in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical elderly care giver salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    15,500 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +25% from previous
    19,400 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +37% from previous
    26,500 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +10% from previous
    29,100 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    31,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    34,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 37%. That is the point at which a elderly care giver typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Elderly care giver pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving elderly care giver pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average elderly care giver salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    16,000 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +43% from previous
    22,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +55% from previous
    35,300 GBP

Elderly care giver gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male elderly care givers in United Kingdom earn an average of 22,400 GBP a year, while female elderly care givers earn around 23,600 GBP. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of women, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Elderly Care Giver gender pay gap

5%

Men earn this much less than women on average in United Kingdom.

Women 23,600 GBP
Men 22,400 GBP

Pay raises for an elderly care giver in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 11% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 9% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Elderly care giver bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

29%

29% of elderly care givers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an elderly care giver a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3% of base salary. The remaining 71% of elderly care givers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Elderly care giver: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Elderly care giver salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Elderly care giver pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • London
  • Manchester
  • Lincoln
  • Aberdeen
  • Southampton
  • Poole
  • Dundee
  • Swansea
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion48,600 GBP45,000 GBP23,600-71,900 GBP
ScotlandRegion32,900 GBP33,000 GBP16,300-51,300 GBP
LondonCity29,900 GBP30,300 GBP13,600-44,200 GBP
ManchesterCity29,300 GBP29,000 GBP14,000-45,000 GBP
LincolnCity27,400 GBP23,400 GBP12,000-38,000 GBP
AberdeenCity27,400 GBP26,900 GBP12,200-40,300 GBP
SouthamptonCity27,400 GBP27,300 GBP12,600-41,700 GBP
PooleCity27,400 GBP27,400 GBP13,000-38,700 GBP
DundeeCity27,400 GBP24,800 GBP13,500-39,600 GBP
SwanseaCity27,300 GBP29,600 GBP13,700-42,800 GBP
BelfastCity27,300 GBP24,400 GBP12,000-38,900 GBP
BrightonCity27,300 GBP29,600 GBP13,700-43,500 GBP
SomersetCity27,200 GBP27,200 GBP15,300-45,300 GBP
BradfordCity27,100 GBP25,800 GBP14,900-40,700 GBP
SheffieldCity27,000 GBP27,400 GBP12,400-39,700 GBP
BristolCity27,000 GBP27,400 GBP12,400-41,900 GBP
WolverhamptonCity26,900 GBP30,100 GBP11,800-45,000 GBP
CardiffCity26,600 GBP26,600 GBP13,400-41,700 GBP
LeedsCity26,500 GBP27,800 GBP14,300-42,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity26,400 GBP27,100 GBP10,000-40,000 GBP
PeterboroughCity26,400 GBP26,500 GBP12,800-37,900 GBP
GlasgowCity26,300 GBP27,300 GBP13,300-44,300 GBP
LiverpoolCity26,200 GBP26,200 GBP13,900-42,700 GBP
NewportCity26,200 GBP25,800 GBP12,100-37,900 GBP
ChesterCity26,200 GBP26,400 GBP12,500-36,200 GBP
ArmaghCity26,200 GBP24,200 GBP10,000-36,800 GBP
LeicesterCity26,100 GBP29,000 GBP15,100-45,000 GBP
PlymouthCity25,800 GBP25,300 GBP15,300-39,300 GBP
EdinburghCity25,800 GBP25,800 GBP12,800-40,300 GBP
DerbyCity25,800 GBP25,800 GBP13,900-41,900 GBP
CoventryCity25,800 GBP25,300 GBP15,300-40,300 GBP
NottinghamCity25,500 GBP29,600 GBP13,600-43,400 GBP
BirminghamCity25,500 GBP31,300 GBP13,700-44,300 GBP
OxfordCity25,300 GBP22,100 GBP13,700-35,600 GBP
DurhamCity25,300 GBP27,600 GBP10,300-36,700 GBP
DerryCity24,800 GBP24,400 GBP10,200-38,000 GBP
YorkCity24,800 GBP22,400 GBP11,800-36,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity24,400 GBP25,800 GBP12,800-41,300 GBP
NewcastleCity24,400 GBP26,500 GBP12,200-39,000 GBP
BangorCity24,400 GBP22,600 GBP12,800-35,300 GBP
WalesRegion23,500 GBP26,400 GBP10,800-35,200 GBP
ExeterCity23,500 GBP21,500 GBP12,500-35,000 GBP
StrontianCity23,400 GBP20,100 GBP13,200-35,300 GBP
LisburnCity23,400 GBP20,200 GBP10,200-33,500 GBP
SalisburyCity23,400 GBP23,600 GBP13,000-36,700 GBP
WakefieldCity23,400 GBP23,800 GBP10,300-33,600 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion23,400 GBP20,200 GBP12,800-33,500 GBP
GloucesterCity23,300 GBP26,500 GBP12,100-39,500 GBP
CambridgeCity23,100 GBP24,800 GBP13,200-36,800 GBP
NewryCity23,100 GBP22,400 GBP11,900-37,300 GBP
InvernessCity22,800 GBP23,400 GBP13,200-35,000 GBP
StirlingCity22,800 GBP22,800 GBP11,900-36,500 GBP
WinchesterCity22,800 GBP22,800 GBP12,200-36,500 GBP
HartlepoolCity22,400 GBP22,800 GBP11,800-37,300 GBP
NorwichCity22,400 GBP22,800 GBP11,800-35,200 GBP
AbingdonCity22,100 GBP19,300 GBP13,900-34,000 GBP
TruroCity21,300 GBP21,100 GBP13,900-33,000 GBP
CanterburyCity21,300 GBP23,200 GBP13,900-33,000 GBP
WellsCity21,100 GBP20,400 GBP11,900-32,600 GBP
RiponCity20,400 GBP22,300 GBP13,200-35,400 GBP
KirkwallCity20,200 GBP20,900 GBP12,100-32,200 GBP
StromnessCity20,100 GBP23,100 GBP8,100-33,000 GBP
St DavidsCity20,100 GBP21,100 GBP13,000-35,500 GBP

Elderly Care Giver in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an elderly care giver make per month in United Kingdom?

    An elderly care giver in United Kingdom earns about 2,066 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 24,800 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an elderly care giver in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level elderly care givers in United Kingdom start near 13,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 36,400 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 17,500 and 30,800 GBP.

  • Is the median elderly care giver salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 23,100 GBP, lower than the average of 24,800 GBP. Half of elderly care givers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for elderly care givers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an elderly care giver in United Kingdom earn around 5% less than women on average (22,400 vs 23,600 GBP a year).

  • Do elderly care givers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 29% of elderly care givers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3% of base salary.

  • Do elderly care givers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an elderly care giver about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do elderly care givers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An elderly care giver in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.