Nurse Salary in London
Official ONS earnings for London, covering 136,000 jobs.
Median salary — London
£44,742
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 4.1% change on the previous year
Mean
£43,771
Jobs measured
136,000
What a typical nurse takes home
On the median of £44,742, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,978
Take-home a year
£35,734
Income Tax
£6,434
National Insurance
£2,574
What most nurses actually earn
Half of nurses in London earn between £35,822 and £53,791. Earning above £53,791 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of nurses earn less than this.
How London ranks for nurse pay
1st
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
London pays nurses more than anywhere else ONS measures — £17,927 above East, the lowest of the 11.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Nurse jobs hiring now in London
Live adverts. Salaries are shown only where the employer states one.
-
Chemotherapy Nurse£58,000
Leaders In Care Recruitment Ltd · New Malden, South West London
-
Senior Nurse£45,000
Leaders In Care Recruitment Ltd · West Norwood, South East London
-
Head Nurse£42,000
The Pet Vet · London, UK
-
Nurse Assessor£40,000
Black Fox Solutions · London, UK
-
Registered Nurse£44,262–£45,302
Care Concern Group · Harlington, Hayes
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Nursing Professionals
- SOC 2020 code
- 223
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “nurse” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Nursing Professionals”, which includes this role alongside others. 3-digit group: ONS splits nursing into seven unit groups.
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.
Nurse salary FAQs
What is the average Nurse salary in London?
The median is £44,742 a year and the mean is £43,771, 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 nurse earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £22.98 excluding overtime, or £22.76 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for London.
What is a good Nurse salary?
Half of nurses earn between £35,822 and £53,791. Anything above £53,791 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a nurse?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of nurses earn under £18,773 and the lowest quarter under £35,822 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid nurses earn?
The top 10% of nurses earn more than £61,919 a year, and the top quarter more than £53,791. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do nurses in London earn more than the UK average?
The median in London is £44,742 against £37,597 across the UK, 19.0% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 11 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has nurse pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +4.1% for this occupation in London. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many nurses are there in London?
ASHE counts around 136,000 employee jobs in “Nursing Professionals” (SOC 223) in London. 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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