Nurse Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 110,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£38,540
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 3% change on the previous year
Mean
£37,444
Jobs measured
110,000
What a typical nurse takes home
On the median of £38,540, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,606
Take-home a year
£31,268
Income Tax
£5,194
National Insurance
£2,078
What most nurses actually earn
Half of nurses in South East earn between £27,874 and £46,108. Earning above £46,108 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 South East ranks for nurse pay
2nd
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £44,742 and East sits at the bottom on £26,815. South East is £6,202 short of the top.
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.
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 South East?
The median is £38,540 a year and the mean is £37,444, 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 South East.
What is a good Nurse salary?
Half of nurses earn between £27,874 and £46,108. Anything above £46,108 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 £16,640 and the lowest quarter under £27,874 — 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 £55,551 a year, and the top quarter more than £46,108. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do nurses in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £38,540 against £37,597 across the UK, 2.5% higher, which places it 2nd 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 +3.0% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many nurses are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 110,000 employee jobs in “Nursing Professionals” (SOC 223) in South East. 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.
Similar roles
Official figures show the market. Your salary shows what employers actually pay.
Add your salary anonymously