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Average Health Care Assistant Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A health care assistant in United Kingdom earns about 51,400 GBP a year. That's 26% 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 22,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 83,700 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 a health care assistant make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
51,400 GBP
4,283 GBP per month
Lowest reported
22,000 GBP
1,833 GBP per month
Highest reported
83,700 GBP
6,975 GBP per month

A typical health care assistant working in United Kingdom brings home around 4,283 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 22,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 83,700 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 health care assistant 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 health care assistant salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How health care assistant 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 health care assistants in United Kingdom earn less than 54,600 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 36,000 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 73,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of health care assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 22,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 83,700 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.

22,000
Low
54,600
Median
83,700
High
36,000
25th
73,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Health care assistant pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a health care assistant 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 health care assistant salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    27,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    35,000 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +56% from previous
    54,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +16% from previous
    63,400 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    69,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    76,000 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 56%. That is the point at which a health care assistant 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.

Health care assistant pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving health care assistant 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 health care assistant salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    30,200 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +99% from previous
    60,100 GBP

Health care assistant 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 health care assistants in United Kingdom earn an average of 49,100 GBP a year, while female health care assistants earn around 51,800 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.

Health Care Assistant gender pay gap

5%

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

Women 51,800 GBP
Men 49,100 GBP

Pay raises for a health care assistant 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

Health care assistant 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.

36%

36% of health care assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a health care assistant 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 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 64% of health care assistants 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

Health care assistant: 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

Health care assistant salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Health care assistant 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
  • Birmingham
  • London
  • Leeds
  • Bristol
  • Liverpool
  • Edinburgh
  • Wolverhampton
  • Bradford
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion93,100 GBP103,600 GBP44,900-151,800 GBP
ScotlandRegion67,900 GBP68,100 GBP32,200-105,800 GBP
BirminghamCity59,500 GBP64,500 GBP26,200-95,000 GBP
LondonCity58,200 GBP59,800 GBP27,400-91,000 GBP
LeedsCity58,200 GBP55,500 GBP30,800-89,900 GBP
BristolCity57,800 GBP61,800 GBP25,800-92,100 GBP
LiverpoolCity56,400 GBP54,200 GBP31,200-86,100 GBP
EdinburghCity55,700 GBP54,200 GBP27,300-84,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity55,600 GBP59,800 GBP23,600-87,700 GBP
BradfordCity55,400 GBP54,200 GBP25,800-83,800 GBP
CardiffCity55,200 GBP53,500 GBP30,800-83,900 GBP
NewcastleCity55,200 GBP50,100 GBP26,300-83,800 GBP
PlymouthCity55,200 GBP54,100 GBP27,300-83,800 GBP
CoventryCity54,600 GBP52,800 GBP27,800-81,300 GBP
NottinghamCity54,200 GBP57,900 GBP25,500-88,600 GBP
BelfastCity53,600 GBP56,900 GBP24,800-83,300 GBP
SomersetCity53,600 GBP52,600 GBP26,500-83,700 GBP
SheffieldCity53,300 GBP56,400 GBP24,200-85,100 GBP
GlasgowCity52,800 GBP52,000 GBP26,400-83,800 GBP
LeicesterCity52,800 GBP58,400 GBP23,600-87,000 GBP
BrightonCity52,300 GBP46,900 GBP27,300-78,200 GBP
SwanseaCity51,900 GBP51,600 GBP25,500-79,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity51,900 GBP52,800 GBP24,200-81,400 GBP
OxfordCity51,600 GBP50,000 GBP25,800-76,900 GBP
GloucesterCity51,500 GBP47,400 GBP26,600-76,000 GBP
ArmaghCity51,500 GBP50,700 GBP26,200-80,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity51,300 GBP51,100 GBP25,700-81,300 GBP
ManchesterCity51,100 GBP55,200 GBP27,400-83,800 GBP
YorkCity50,000 GBP50,100 GBP23,600-78,400 GBP
AberdeenCity49,800 GBP48,600 GBP27,600-75,400 GBP
DundeeCity49,700 GBP54,700 GBP23,400-82,300 GBP
LisburnCity49,400 GBP46,400 GBP26,400-74,000 GBP
WalesRegion49,400 GBP47,800 GBP24,400-75,500 GBP
PortsmouthCity49,300 GBP54,600 GBP23,700-79,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity49,300 GBP53,300 GBP23,800-77,300 GBP
NewportCity49,300 GBP53,300 GBP23,800-77,300 GBP
ChesterCity49,000 GBP52,600 GBP20,700-77,400 GBP
NorwichCity49,000 GBP52,600 GBP20,700-75,400 GBP
NewryCity49,000 GBP52,600 GBP20,700-75,400 GBP
DurhamCity48,600 GBP49,200 GBP23,200-72,300 GBP
DerbyCity48,300 GBP49,400 GBP27,400-74,900 GBP
LincolnCity47,600 GBP48,600 GBP22,800-73,300 GBP
PooleCity47,400 GBP47,600 GBP24,400-73,800 GBP
CambridgeCity46,700 GBP46,900 GBP23,500-73,800 GBP
AbingdonCity46,400 GBP46,400 GBP23,200-71,700 GBP
SalisburyCity46,300 GBP44,900 GBP23,400-69,200 GBP
DerryCity46,100 GBP45,300 GBP23,700-71,400 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion45,900 GBP45,600 GBP25,300-71,600 GBP
HartlepoolCity45,800 GBP49,300 GBP20,100-74,600 GBP
ExeterCity45,600 GBP47,200 GBP22,200-73,500 GBP
StromnessCity45,200 GBP45,800 GBP22,000-71,200 GBP
CanterburyCity45,000 GBP42,400 GBP22,100-65,800 GBP
InvernessCity45,000 GBP49,700 GBP20,000-73,300 GBP
WinchesterCity45,000 GBP43,500 GBP22,200-67,800 GBP
TruroCity45,000 GBP42,700 GBP21,300-67,900 GBP
KirkwallCity45,000 GBP45,300 GBP23,000-67,500 GBP
BangorCity44,300 GBP44,500 GBP21,700-66,900 GBP
RiponCity44,200 GBP46,100 GBP23,400-69,400 GBP
WakefieldCity43,800 GBP46,700 GBP20,900-70,000 GBP
WellsCity43,800 GBP46,200 GBP20,000-69,800 GBP
StirlingCity43,100 GBP45,000 GBP22,200-68,100 GBP
StrontianCity41,400 GBP44,300 GBP21,200-67,000 GBP
St DavidsCity40,700 GBP40,300 GBP22,000-63,200 GBP

Health Care Assistant in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a health care assistant make per month in United Kingdom?

    A health care assistant in United Kingdom earns about 4,283 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 51,400 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a health care assistant in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level health care assistants in United Kingdom start near 22,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 83,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 36,000 and 73,800 GBP.

  • Is the median health care assistant salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 54,600 GBP, higher than the average of 51,400 GBP. Half of health care assistants in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for health care assistants in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a health care assistant in United Kingdom earn around 5% less than women on average (49,100 vs 51,800 GBP a year).

  • Do health care assistants in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 36% of health care assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do health care assistants earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do health care assistants in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A health care assistant in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.