If you are considering a career in nursing, you are probably wondering what your salary would be.
Of course, most people decide to become nurses because they want to help others but being able to pay your bills and live comfortably is important.
We take a look at the wages of newly-qualified nurses and we explain the details of the recent NHS rise.
What is the starting wage for nurses in the UK?
A newly-qualified nurse starts in band five and so the current starting salary of a nurse in the UK is £24,907 a year. If you are based in London, you can expect to be getting slightly more.
On average, as a newly registered nurse, you should be getting between £1,600 – £1,800 per month. If you fail to complete all mandatory training each year, your pay increments might be withheld. Your salary as a nurse is also likely to increase the longer you work with the NHS.
‘Most nurses work in band five, with band six and above being management positions, many of which require further qualifications’, observes iNews.
The salary you can expect to be getting after several years of working as a nurse differs at each banding level:
| Band six | £31,365 – £37,890 |
| Band seven | £38,890 – £44,503 |
| Band eight | £45,753 – £87,754 |
| Band nine | £91,004 – £104,927 |
These rates take into consideration the NHS 3% pay rise. In Scotland, nurses can expecto earn a bit more as the pay rise there accounted to 4%.
Over the years, the salary of nurses has been increasing. In 2015, a nurse working in band five was paid only £21,692, which was 18.3% less than what they are receiving now. That gives hope that in the future nurses will be getting regular pay increases and will be getting more and more recognition for the hard work they’re doing.
As a nurse, should I work for NHS, private, or agency sector?
So now that you have decided that a career of a nurse is the right one, you have to decide whether you want to work for NHS, in a private, or agency sector.
You should take a while to think about it as your pay rates depend on where you work. Generally, if you apply to work for an agency, you might be getting paid more than if you decide to work for the NHS. If, however, you want to work for a GP, they have the flexibility to prepare a contract for you. That is why, before you commit, you should make sure that the deal they are offering you gives you good salary, a fair ammount of sick leave, and other benefits such as maternity/paternity leave.
Have a look at the table below to find out more about starting wages in the private sector and in jobs for the agencies.
| What is the starting wage for a nurse in: | |
| the private sector | The private sector is unregulated so it is difficult to give the exact amountTypically, the private sector offers higher salaries than the NHS |
| agencies and trust banks | If you choose this type of employment, you can expect the highest daily rates |
In addition to the salary, to decide which type of employment as a nurse is the best for you, it is important to take other factors into consideration as well. For example, the private sector might be offering higher salaries than the NHS, but benefits in the NHS are abundant. Moreover, NHS is the largest employer in the UK, employing over 620,000 nurses. At the same time, the private sector offers you more flexibility when it comes to the working hours.
Working for agencies or trust banks might come with the highest rates and a lot of flexibility but it does not offer any benefits and security of regular, full-time employment.
No matter which route you decide to follow, the more experience you have, the higher your salary will be. That is why, you should persevere and constantly get more knowledge and professional training.
What is the NHS pay rise?
In July 2021, the UK government announced that the NHS staff, including nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentists and salaried GPs, would receive 3% pay rise. The change to wages was introduced as a recognition for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NHS staff can expect to receive a 3% pay rise backdated to April 2021. As the UK government wrote in a press release announcing the decision, ‘for the average nurse, this will mean an additional £1,000 a year.’
What are the benefits of working for as a nurse for the NHS?
With NHS being the largest provider of jobs for nurses, working for it comes with many benefits. Some of the main ones being:
- Higher pay for unsociable hours – that means that for night shifts, weekends, and bank holidays you can get between 30-60% more than the standard rate
- 27 days of holiday per year, not including bank holidays
- Free access to counselling services
- Six months full pay and additional six months half pay for sick leave
- Maternity and paternity leave that is above the statutory minimum
- Access to a variety of professional training and courses.
These benefits are often the reason why nurses decide to work for the NHS instead of finding employment in the private sector.
How can I earn extra money as a nurse?
If you would like to earn a bit more than the salary you receive, here are some tips:
- Take many extra shifts, especially during unsociable hours
- Get experience in many fields, not only in the one you specialise in
- Sign up to multiple banks and agencies
- Always make use of training courses as having good professional skills can allow you to negotiate your salary
- Offer tutoring to nursing students
- Regularly check your payslips to quickly detect any mistakes.
As with any other job, not getting discouraged in the beginning when your salary is lower than you’d like it to be is crucial. If you keep working hard, getting experience, and putting your heart into what you do, you will soon see your wages increasing.