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Average Nurse Midwife Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A nurse midwife in United Kingdom earns about 66,200 GBP a year. That's 5% roughly in line with 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 32,900 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 105,800 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 nurse midwife make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
66,200 GBP
5,516 GBP per month
Lowest reported
32,900 GBP
2,741 GBP per month
Highest reported
105,800 GBP
8,816 GBP per month

A typical nurse midwife working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,516 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 32,900 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 105,800 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 nurse midwife 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 nurse midwife salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How nurse midwife 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 nurse midwifes in United Kingdom earn less than 69,100 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 45,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 87,900 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of nurse midwifes sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 32,900 GBP. The highest stretch to 105,800 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.

32,900
Low
69,100
Median
105,800
High
45,600
25th
87,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Nurse midwife pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    39,600 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +24% from previous
    49,100 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +40% from previous
    68,800 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +27% from previous
    87,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +7% from previous
    93,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    99,600 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 40%. That is the point at which a nurse midwife 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.

Nurse midwife pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    48,500 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +65% from previous
    79,800 GBP

Nurse midwife 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 nurse midwifes in United Kingdom earn an average of 64,400 GBP a year, while female nurse midwifes earn around 69,400 GBP. That works out to a 7% 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.

Nurse Midwife gender pay gap

7%

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

Women 69,400 GBP
Men 64,400 GBP

Pay raises for a nurse midwife 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

Nurse midwife 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.

33%

33% of nurse midwifes in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a nurse midwife 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 67% of nurse midwifes 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

Nurse midwife: 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

Nurse midwife salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Nurse midwife 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
  • Manchester
  • Birmingham
  • Somerset
  • Glasgow
  • Bradford
  • Coventry
  • Leeds
  • Wolverhampton
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion125,400 GBP127,700 GBP58,800-191,100 GBP
ScotlandRegion95,900 GBP102,700 GBP45,400-152,700 GBP
ManchesterCity78,500 GBP72,000 GBP40,200-117,100 GBP
BirminghamCity77,300 GBP79,600 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
SomersetCity77,000 GBP79,800 GBP35,600-117,100 GBP
GlasgowCity77,000 GBP70,800 GBP42,000-114,900 GBP
BradfordCity76,800 GBP73,700 GBP39,500-114,300 GBP
CoventryCity76,600 GBP76,600 GBP36,900-117,100 GBP
LeedsCity75,900 GBP69,600 GBP42,400-114,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity75,000 GBP80,900 GBP35,300-117,100 GBP
EdinburghCity74,200 GBP80,800 GBP35,500-119,700 GBP
LiverpoolCity74,200 GBP77,000 GBP34,800-118,900 GBP
LondonCity74,100 GBP79,600 GBP34,000-117,100 GBP
BelfastCity73,800 GBP75,900 GBP37,300-115,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity73,800 GBP80,800 GBP34,300-118,900 GBP
BrightonCity73,700 GBP68,500 GBP36,800-111,700 GBP
NottinghamCity73,700 GBP78,700 GBP34,700-117,100 GBP
BristolCity73,500 GBP77,300 GBP36,400-116,400 GBP
SouthamptonCity72,800 GBP74,200 GBP35,500-114,600 GBP
PlymouthCity72,700 GBP72,700 GBP35,600-112,700 GBP
NewportCity70,900 GBP77,300 GBP30,300-111,700 GBP
LeicesterCity70,700 GBP68,100 GBP36,800-109,700 GBP
SheffieldCity70,600 GBP71,700 GBP34,300-112,700 GBP
CardiffCity70,600 GBP76,000 GBP33,600-114,600 GBP
DerbyCity69,800 GBP73,800 GBP34,000-112,700 GBP
NewcastleCity69,800 GBP71,700 GBP35,000-108,200 GBP
ExeterCity69,700 GBP66,000 GBP35,600-105,200 GBP
DundeeCity69,700 GBP70,600 GBP33,600-108,200 GBP
LincolnCity69,100 GBP69,100 GBP34,000-107,300 GBP
YorkCity68,200 GBP65,100 GBP35,400-107,300 GBP
AberdeenCity67,800 GBP66,400 GBP33,000-105,800 GBP
NewryCity67,500 GBP63,700 GBP34,400-102,700 GBP
CambridgeCity67,300 GBP73,100 GBP31,400-107,700 GBP
DerryCity67,000 GBP68,500 GBP31,400-102,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity66,900 GBP69,800 GBP30,100-105,800 GBP
ArmaghCity66,900 GBP66,900 GBP33,000-103,600 GBP
SwanseaCity66,100 GBP66,100 GBP33,000-105,800 GBP
PooleCity65,800 GBP69,100 GBP30,200-105,200 GBP
OxfordCity65,700 GBP61,700 GBP34,800-103,600 GBP
WalesRegion65,200 GBP63,900 GBP32,900-100,200 GBP
GloucesterCity64,800 GBP65,200 GBP32,600-100,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity64,400 GBP64,100 GBP35,300-100,700 GBP
AbingdonCity64,100 GBP64,100 GBP31,800-97,400 GBP
NorwichCity63,900 GBP63,700 GBP32,900-100,300 GBP
InvernessCity63,800 GBP63,200 GBP32,600-99,600 GBP
ChesterCity63,200 GBP58,500 GBP31,400-93,900 GBP
LisburnCity62,600 GBP55,200 GBP32,200-93,200 GBP
WinchesterCity62,600 GBP63,900 GBP30,100-95,500 GBP
WakefieldCity62,100 GBP58,500 GBP30,200-92,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion62,100 GBP57,800 GBP32,900-93,100 GBP
BangorCity62,100 GBP62,100 GBP28,900-93,800 GBP
SalisburyCity62,100 GBP61,400 GBP29,600-95,300 GBP
StromnessCity62,100 GBP66,700 GBP29,000-95,900 GBP
StirlingCity61,700 GBP66,900 GBP30,700-98,700 GBP
CanterburyCity61,600 GBP57,200 GBP35,100-94,300 GBP
KirkwallCity61,400 GBP61,400 GBP30,700-92,500 GBP
TruroCity61,400 GBP54,100 GBP32,600-89,400 GBP
HartlepoolCity60,600 GBP64,300 GBP30,800-97,600 GBP
St DavidsCity60,400 GBP54,700 GBP29,600-88,300 GBP
WellsCity60,100 GBP60,100 GBP28,900-93,800 GBP
RiponCity59,900 GBP57,800 GBP34,100-92,900 GBP
StrontianCity59,800 GBP54,100 GBP29,400-87,800 GBP
DurhamCity58,800 GBP65,400 GBP29,600-97,600 GBP

Nurse Midwife in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a nurse midwife make per month in United Kingdom?

    A nurse midwife in United Kingdom earns about 5,516 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 66,200 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a nurse midwife in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level nurse midwifes in United Kingdom start near 32,900 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 105,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 45,600 and 87,900 GBP.

  • Is the median nurse midwife salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 69,100 GBP, higher than the average of 66,200 GBP. Half of nurse midwifes in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for nurse midwifes in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a nurse midwife in United Kingdom earn around 7% less than women on average (64,400 vs 69,400 GBP a year).

  • Do nurse midwifes in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 33% of nurse midwifes in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do nurse midwifes earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do nurse midwifes in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A nurse midwife in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.