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Average Registered Nurse Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A registered nurse in United Kingdom earns about 58,700 GBP a year. That's 16% 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 25,800 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 95,500 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 registered nurse make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
58,700 GBP
4,891 GBP per month
Lowest reported
25,800 GBP
2,150 GBP per month
Highest reported
95,500 GBP
7,958 GBP per month

A typical registered nurse working in United Kingdom brings home around 4,891 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 25,800 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 95,500 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 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 registered nurse salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How 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 registered nurses in United Kingdom earn less than 64,600 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 42,400 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 87,700 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of 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 25,800 GBP. The highest stretch to 95,500 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.

25,800
Low
64,600
Median
95,500
High
42,400
25th
87,700
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Registered nurse pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    29,600 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +44% from previous
    42,500 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +49% from previous
    63,200 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +17% from previous
    73,800 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    80,500 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    87,900 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 49%. That is the point at which a 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.

Registered nurse pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    36,400 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +88% from previous
    68,300 GBP

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 registered nurses in United Kingdom earn an average of 58,200 GBP a year, while female registered nurses earn around 62,100 GBP. That works out to a 6% 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.

Registered Nurse gender pay gap

6%

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

Women 62,100 GBP
Men 58,200 GBP

Pay raises for a 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

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.

36%

36% of registered nurses in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a registered nurse 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 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

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

Registered nurse salary by city and region in United Kingdom

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
  • Glasgow
  • Bradford
  • Sheffield
  • Nottingham
  • Birmingham
  • London
  • Edinburgh
  • Brighton
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion116,400 GBP125,400 GBP51,300-183,900 GBP
ScotlandRegion75,800 GBP73,500 GBP41,100-117,100 GBP
GlasgowCity67,800 GBP68,200 GBP34,000-107,300 GBP
BradfordCity66,900 GBP61,500 GBP33,000-97,900 GBP
SheffieldCity66,900 GBP69,800 GBP30,100-105,800 GBP
NottinghamCity66,900 GBP61,500 GBP33,000-101,100 GBP
BirminghamCity66,100 GBP73,300 GBP30,200-109,000 GBP
LondonCity65,900 GBP70,600 GBP29,100-107,300 GBP
EdinburghCity65,900 GBP63,500 GBP35,300-99,700 GBP
BrightonCity65,500 GBP67,000 GBP30,200-101,100 GBP
ManchesterCity65,100 GBP63,500 GBP35,300-99,700 GBP
NewcastleCity64,900 GBP63,700 GBP29,400-97,600 GBP
LiverpoolCity63,500 GBP67,800 GBP32,200-100,700 GBP
SomersetCity63,500 GBP66,900 GBP31,400-100,700 GBP
BristolCity63,000 GBP67,900 GBP29,900-97,300 GBP
LeedsCity62,600 GBP64,900 GBP32,900-97,300 GBP
BelfastCity61,700 GBP65,800 GBP29,600-97,600 GBP
LeicesterCity61,700 GBP66,400 GBP29,600-97,300 GBP
SouthamptonCity61,700 GBP58,800 GBP32,600-94,200 GBP
CoventryCity61,700 GBP60,200 GBP34,100-97,200 GBP
DerbyCity61,600 GBP63,900 GBP29,100-97,200 GBP
NorwichCity59,800 GBP64,100 GBP27,300-92,900 GBP
PortsmouthCity59,500 GBP65,500 GBP26,200-93,900 GBP
SwanseaCity59,500 GBP62,100 GBP27,400-92,100 GBP
PlymouthCity59,500 GBP58,600 GBP29,100-90,900 GBP
CardiffCity58,800 GBP60,600 GBP29,200-95,100 GBP
AberdeenCity58,700 GBP59,800 GBP30,100-91,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity58,700 GBP64,600 GBP25,800-96,000 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity58,600 GBP57,200 GBP30,300-91,200 GBP
WalesRegion58,600 GBP58,500 GBP26,500-90,000 GBP
GloucesterCity58,500 GBP59,500 GBP27,200-90,900 GBP
DundeeCity58,200 GBP64,900 GBP27,300-92,900 GBP
YorkCity58,200 GBP57,000 GBP30,100-91,000 GBP
PeterboroughCity58,100 GBP59,900 GBP27,800-89,400 GBP
PooleCity57,800 GBP56,400 GBP26,100-86,100 GBP
LincolnCity57,800 GBP52,300 GBP30,100-87,700 GBP
ArmaghCity57,400 GBP60,900 GBP27,200-88,700 GBP
ExeterCity57,400 GBP54,600 GBP29,100-90,600 GBP
NewryCity57,100 GBP61,700 GBP27,300-92,400 GBP
HartlepoolCity57,100 GBP61,700 GBP27,300-90,600 GBP
DerryCity57,000 GBP52,300 GBP30,800-87,500 GBP
InvernessCity56,100 GBP59,200 GBP23,700-88,300 GBP
DurhamCity55,700 GBP60,400 GBP23,600-84,800 GBP
SalisburyCity55,200 GBP54,100 GBP27,300-84,800 GBP
OxfordCity54,900 GBP58,100 GBP28,800-86,100 GBP
NewportCity54,600 GBP60,200 GBP27,400-90,000 GBP
LisburnCity54,100 GBP55,200 GBP26,500-83,900 GBP
AbingdonCity53,600 GBP49,800 GBP26,900-78,700 GBP
BangorCity52,800 GBP52,000 GBP29,600-81,400 GBP
TruroCity52,800 GBP54,100 GBP27,300-83,000 GBP
CambridgeCity52,300 GBP50,100 GBP29,000-84,200 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion52,300 GBP53,300 GBP26,400-79,600 GBP
ChesterCity51,900 GBP58,700 GBP24,800-83,700 GBP
RiponCity51,400 GBP49,200 GBP27,100-79,600 GBP
StirlingCity51,100 GBP52,300 GBP27,400-83,800 GBP
WinchesterCity50,100 GBP51,800 GBP25,700-81,000 GBP
WakefieldCity50,100 GBP54,200 GBP25,300-83,300 GBP
KirkwallCity50,000 GBP47,500 GBP23,700-72,300 GBP
CanterburyCity49,700 GBP53,600 GBP23,600-78,700 GBP
WellsCity49,400 GBP47,800 GBP24,400-75,500 GBP
StromnessCity48,500 GBP51,100 GBP24,400-76,800 GBP
St DavidsCity48,500 GBP47,800 GBP24,400-76,000 GBP
StrontianCity48,500 GBP46,200 GBP25,700-73,300 GBP

Registered Nurse in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A registered nurse in United Kingdom earns about 4,891 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 58,700 GBP.

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

    Entry-level registered nurses in United Kingdom start near 25,800 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 95,500 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 42,400 and 87,700 GBP.

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

    The median is 64,600 GBP, higher than the average of 58,700 GBP. Half of registered nurses in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a registered nurse in United Kingdom earn around 6% less than women on average (58,200 vs 62,100 GBP a year).

  • Do registered nurses in United Kingdom get bonuses?

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

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

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a 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 registered nurses in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

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