Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average Medical Secretary Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A medical secretary in United Kingdom earns about 40,500 GBP a year. That's 42% 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 18,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 61,700 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 medical secretary make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
40,500 GBP
3,375 GBP per month
Lowest reported
18,000 GBP
1,500 GBP per month
Highest reported
61,700 GBP
5,141 GBP per month

A typical medical secretary working in United Kingdom brings home around 3,375 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 18,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 61,700 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 medical secretary 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 medical secretary salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How medical secretary 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 medical secretaries in United Kingdom earn less than 40,600 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 26,500 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 55,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of medical secretaries sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 18,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 61,700 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.

18,000
Low
40,600
Median
61,700
High
26,500
25th
55,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Medical secretary pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    20,900 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +29% from previous
    26,900 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +53% from previous
    41,100 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +18% from previous
    48,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    52,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +12% from previous
    58,700 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 53%. That is the point at which a medical secretary 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.

Medical secretary pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Certificate or Diploma
    23,100 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +90% from previous
    43,800 GBP

Medical secretary 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 medical secretaries in United Kingdom earn an average of 36,900 GBP a year, while female medical secretaries earn around 38,000 GBP. That works out to a 3% 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.

Medical Secretary gender pay gap

3%

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

Women 38,000 GBP
Men 36,900 GBP

Pay raises for a medical secretary 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 12% every 13 months, which works out to roughly 11% 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

Medical secretary 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.

35%

35% of medical secretaries in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a medical secretary 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 65% of medical secretaries 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

Medical secretary: 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

Medical secretary salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Medical secretary 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
  • Glasgow
  • Leeds
  • Manchester
  • Bradford
  • Somerset
  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • Coventry
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion69,200 GBP75,100 GBP32,300-114,600 GBP
ScotlandRegion49,100 GBP51,800 GBP24,800-79,800 GBP
GlasgowCity45,600 GBP44,300 GBP22,800-69,400 GBP
LeedsCity44,900 GBP41,400 GBP23,800-66,100 GBP
ManchesterCity43,500 GBP44,300 GBP21,400-65,900 GBP
BradfordCity43,500 GBP45,100 GBP20,200-67,800 GBP
SomersetCity43,500 GBP38,900 GBP23,200-63,400 GBP
BirminghamCity42,700 GBP45,200 GBP17,800-65,800 GBP
BristolCity42,000 GBP45,200 GBP20,200-64,600 GBP
CoventryCity41,900 GBP40,300 GBP18,600-64,300 GBP
LiverpoolCity41,500 GBP42,000 GBP23,200-64,900 GBP
LondonCity40,700 GBP44,500 GBP19,200-65,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity40,500 GBP40,300 GBP18,000-61,700 GBP
BrightonCity40,300 GBP39,400 GBP19,300-61,300 GBP
NottinghamCity40,300 GBP42,600 GBP20,500-63,500 GBP
SheffieldCity40,200 GBP45,600 GBP19,200-64,800 GBP
CardiffCity40,000 GBP36,200 GBP21,200-60,100 GBP
WolverhamptonCity39,700 GBP43,800 GBP20,300-63,500 GBP
SwanseaCity39,500 GBP40,500 GBP23,000-63,100 GBP
SouthamptonCity39,500 GBP40,700 GBP20,500-64,100 GBP
DerbyCity39,400 GBP35,000 GBP20,500-59,000 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity39,100 GBP38,700 GBP19,200-60,700 GBP
LeicesterCity39,000 GBP44,300 GBP20,300-63,800 GBP
EdinburghCity38,900 GBP41,000 GBP18,200-62,600 GBP
NewryCity38,700 GBP40,300 GBP18,800-58,000 GBP
NewcastleCity38,000 GBP39,500 GBP21,100-61,400 GBP
BelfastCity37,800 GBP41,000 GBP19,400-62,500 GBP
DerryCity37,100 GBP38,700 GBP19,200-55,300 GBP
LincolnCity36,800 GBP40,900 GBP19,200-60,200 GBP
ChesterCity36,800 GBP40,000 GBP15,300-59,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity36,800 GBP40,300 GBP19,400-59,900 GBP
PlymouthCity36,800 GBP40,900 GBP19,200-60,200 GBP
PooleCity36,800 GBP35,400 GBP18,600-58,500 GBP
GloucesterCity36,700 GBP36,400 GBP19,100-56,900 GBP
ArmaghCity36,700 GBP36,400 GBP20,400-56,900 GBP
DurhamCity36,600 GBP39,100 GBP16,800-57,100 GBP
DundeeCity36,500 GBP42,600 GBP18,600-61,300 GBP
NewportCity36,500 GBP42,600 GBP18,600-61,300 GBP
NorwichCity36,500 GBP42,600 GBP18,600-61,300 GBP
YorkCity36,500 GBP40,500 GBP20,200-58,600 GBP
StirlingCity36,400 GBP35,300 GBP19,200-54,100 GBP
OxfordCity36,400 GBP35,300 GBP19,200-54,100 GBP
WellsCity35,500 GBP34,000 GBP16,100-50,600 GBP
HartlepoolCity35,500 GBP37,800 GBP17,500-57,100 GBP
AberdeenCity35,400 GBP36,600 GBP18,900-57,200 GBP
CambridgeCity35,400 GBP36,700 GBP16,300-56,900 GBP
WalesRegion35,400 GBP36,600 GBP18,900-57,200 GBP
LisburnCity35,300 GBP32,300 GBP19,400-53,600 GBP
ExeterCity35,300 GBP37,100 GBP18,600-55,200 GBP
InvernessCity35,300 GBP37,300 GBP17,000-55,400 GBP
SalisburyCity34,700 GBP33,500 GBP19,000-52,800 GBP
CanterburyCity34,000 GBP33,200 GBP15,700-49,300 GBP
WakefieldCity34,000 GBP35,000 GBP14,200-52,800 GBP
TruroCity33,500 GBP32,600 GBP19,100-52,000 GBP
WinchesterCity33,500 GBP30,700 GBP19,100-51,400 GBP
RiponCity33,200 GBP32,900 GBP17,000-49,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion33,000 GBP34,000 GBP16,300-54,600 GBP
BangorCity32,600 GBP35,400 GBP16,800-51,400 GBP
AbingdonCity32,600 GBP32,900 GBP15,100-49,200 GBP
KirkwallCity31,800 GBP30,300 GBP14,200-50,800 GBP
StrontianCity31,700 GBP35,300 GBP17,500-53,600 GBP
StromnessCity31,400 GBP35,100 GBP14,300-52,300 GBP
St DavidsCity31,400 GBP34,100 GBP17,100-48,300 GBP

Medical Secretary in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a medical secretary make per month in United Kingdom?

    A medical secretary in United Kingdom earns about 3,375 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 40,500 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a medical secretary in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level medical secretaries in United Kingdom start near 18,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 61,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 26,500 and 55,200 GBP.

  • Is the median medical secretary salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 40,600 GBP, higher than the average of 40,500 GBP. Half of medical secretaries in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for medical secretaries in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a medical secretary in United Kingdom earn around 3% less than women on average (36,900 vs 38,000 GBP a year).

  • Do medical secretaries in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 35% of medical secretaries in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do medical secretaries earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do medical secretaries in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A medical secretary in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 13 months, equivalent to roughly 11% a year.