Dental Nurse Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 6,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£25,670
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 9.9% change on the previous year
Mean
£24,904
Jobs measured
6,000
What a typical dental nurse takes home
On the median of £25,670, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,837
Take-home a year
£22,042
Income Tax
£2,580
National Insurance
£1,048
What most dental nurses actually earn
Half of dental nurses in Scotland earn between £16,548 and £33,366. Earning above £33,366 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Caring Personal Services” group in Scotland.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of dental nurses earn less than this.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Dental nurses
- SOC 2020 code
- 6133
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Dental Nurse salary FAQs
What is the average Dental Nurse salary in Scotland?
The median is £25,670 a year and the mean is £24,904, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a dental nurse earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £14.70 excluding overtime, or £14.61 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Dental Nurse salary?
Half of dental nurses earn between £16,548 and £33,366. Anything above £33,366 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a dental nurse?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of dental nurses earn under £7,882 and the lowest quarter under £16,548 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid dental nurses earn?
The top 10% of dental nurses earn more than £41,415 a year, and the top quarter more than £33,366. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do dental nurses in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £25,670 against £23,729 across the UK, 8.2% higher.
Has dental nurse pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +9.9% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many dental nurses are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 6,000 employee jobs in “Dental nurses” (SOC 6133) in Scotland. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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