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Average Intensive Care Registered Nurse Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An intensive care registered nurse in United Kingdom earns about 64,500 GBP a year. That's 7% 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 30,200 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 97,900 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 intensive care registered nurse make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
64,500 GBP
5,375 GBP per month
Lowest reported
30,200 GBP
2,516 GBP per month
Highest reported
97,900 GBP
8,158 GBP per month

A typical intensive care registered nurse working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,375 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 30,200 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 97,900 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 intensive care registered nurse 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 intensive care registered nurse salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How intensive care registered nurse 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 intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom earn less than 66,900 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 44,500 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 83,300 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of intensive care registered nurses sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 30,200 GBP. The highest stretch to 97,900 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.

30,200
Low
66,900
Median
97,900
High
44,500
25th
83,300
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Intensive care registered nurse pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an intensive care registered nurse 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 intensive care registered nurse salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    36,800 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +27% from previous
    46,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +38% from previous
    64,400 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    79,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    88,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    92,900 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 38%. That is the point at which a intensive care registered nurse 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.

Intensive care registered nurse pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    46,100 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +63% from previous
    75,000 GBP

Intensive care registered nurse 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 intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom earn an average of 63,700 GBP a year, while female intensive care registered nurses earn around 67,000 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.

Intensive Care Registered Nurse gender pay gap

5%

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

Women 67,000 GBP
Men 63,700 GBP

Pay raises for an intensive care registered nurse 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 10% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 7% 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

Intensive care registered nurse 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.

58%

58% of intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an intensive care registered nurse a moderate-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 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 42% of intensive care registered nurses 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

Intensive care registered nurse: 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

Intensive care registered nurse salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Intensive care registered nurse 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
  • Leeds
  • Bradford
  • Manchester
  • Liverpool
  • Bristol
  • Glasgow
  • Birmingham
  • London
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion114,600 GBP114,300 GBP54,900-175,100 GBP
ScotlandRegion87,400 GBP92,200 GBP42,000-137,100 GBP
LeedsCity72,400 GBP65,900 GBP39,600-109,700 GBP
BradfordCity70,100 GBP63,800 GBP35,600-105,200 GBP
ManchesterCity70,000 GBP63,200 GBP36,400-105,200 GBP
LiverpoolCity69,800 GBP73,800 GBP33,000-112,700 GBP
BristolCity69,700 GBP67,800 GBP34,000-107,300 GBP
GlasgowCity68,300 GBP63,200 GBP36,700-107,300 GBP
BirminghamCity68,200 GBP77,000 GBP31,700-111,700 GBP
LondonCity67,800 GBP73,300 GBP30,200-109,000 GBP
BelfastCity67,500 GBP68,100 GBP32,900-105,800 GBP
CardiffCity67,400 GBP68,500 GBP31,400-105,200 GBP
SomersetCity67,000 GBP67,300 GBP30,200-103,600 GBP
SheffieldCity67,000 GBP67,400 GBP31,400-103,600 GBP
CoventryCity66,200 GBP66,200 GBP33,000-105,800 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity66,100 GBP69,700 GBP30,200-105,800 GBP
WolverhamptonCity65,800 GBP72,700 GBP30,000-107,700 GBP
EdinburghCity65,800 GBP70,900 GBP29,400-105,200 GBP
NewcastleCity65,700 GBP67,800 GBP33,000-105,200 GBP
NottinghamCity64,400 GBP71,200 GBP30,300-105,200 GBP
DundeeCity64,300 GBP63,500 GBP29,600-100,100 GBP
LeicesterCity64,200 GBP61,200 GBP35,400-99,700 GBP
NewportCity63,700 GBP66,200 GBP29,300-100,100 GBP
DerbyCity63,200 GBP65,500 GBP29,300-98,100 GBP
PooleCity63,100 GBP64,600 GBP31,200-95,900 GBP
BrightonCity63,100 GBP61,300 GBP31,800-94,400 GBP
OxfordCity62,600 GBP59,700 GBP34,000-97,200 GBP
AberdeenCity62,600 GBP61,800 GBP30,700-98,000 GBP
PlymouthCity62,300 GBP62,300 GBP32,200-97,600 GBP
GloucesterCity61,700 GBP61,300 GBP31,800-95,000 GBP
SwanseaCity61,700 GBP59,900 GBP31,400-97,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity61,700 GBP66,900 GBP30,800-100,300 GBP
ArmaghCity61,600 GBP62,100 GBP32,200-94,500 GBP
CambridgeCity60,700 GBP63,800 GBP27,200-94,000 GBP
NewryCity60,200 GBP58,700 GBP30,200-92,100 GBP
PortsmouthCity60,000 GBP63,500 GBP27,400-95,500 GBP
YorkCity59,800 GBP55,300 GBP32,600-91,600 GBP
LincolnCity59,800 GBP59,800 GBP29,600-94,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity59,100 GBP58,600 GBP32,900-92,100 GBP
ExeterCity58,800 GBP57,900 GBP31,700-92,100 GBP
WalesRegion58,800 GBP58,000 GBP30,300-93,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity58,600 GBP56,900 GBP26,500-86,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion58,500 GBP54,600 GBP29,600-86,600 GBP
LisburnCity58,200 GBP51,300 GBP30,100-84,800 GBP
DerryCity58,200 GBP58,700 GBP25,800-87,900 GBP
InvernessCity57,800 GBP54,700 GBP30,700-89,800 GBP
ChesterCity57,200 GBP52,800 GBP30,800-86,600 GBP
AbingdonCity57,200 GBP57,200 GBP26,900-88,600 GBP
NorwichCity56,900 GBP60,500 GBP26,900-90,300 GBP
WinchesterCity56,800 GBP60,900 GBP28,800-88,300 GBP
StirlingCity56,600 GBP60,100 GBP29,600-92,400 GBP
SalisburyCity56,400 GBP57,000 GBP30,100-86,800 GBP
StromnessCity56,100 GBP59,200 GBP26,500-88,300 GBP
WakefieldCity55,700 GBP51,500 GBP26,900-83,200 GBP
DurhamCity54,600 GBP60,000 GBP27,400-87,900 GBP
CanterburyCity54,300 GBP46,900 GBP29,900-80,700 GBP
TruroCity54,200 GBP52,600 GBP28,900-85,100 GBP
RiponCity53,500 GBP51,600 GBP29,600-81,600 GBP
StrontianCity52,300 GBP46,700 GBP27,300-75,800 GBP
KirkwallCity52,000 GBP52,000 GBP26,600-81,000 GBP
BangorCity51,400 GBP51,400 GBP26,600-80,400 GBP
WellsCity51,300 GBP51,300 GBP27,300-81,600 GBP
St DavidsCity51,300 GBP49,000 GBP27,100-75,800 GBP

Intensive Care Registered Nurse in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an intensive care registered nurse make per month in United Kingdom?

    An intensive care registered nurse in United Kingdom earns about 5,375 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 64,500 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an intensive care registered nurse in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom start near 30,200 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 97,900 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 44,500 and 83,300 GBP.

  • Is the median intensive care registered nurse salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 66,900 GBP, higher than the average of 64,500 GBP. Half of intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an intensive care registered nurse in United Kingdom earn around 5% less than women on average (63,700 vs 67,000 GBP a year).

  • Do intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 58% of intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do intensive care registered nurses earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do intensive care registered nurses in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An intensive care registered nurse in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.