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UK salary report · 2026

Specialist Nurse Salary in London

Official ONS earnings for London, covering 10,000 jobs.

ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings Where this comes from →

Median salary — London

£53,502

gross, per year, all employees

▲ 5.1% change on the previous year

Mean

£50,803

Jobs measured

10,000

What a typical specialist nurse takes home

On the median of £53,502, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.

Take-home a month

£3,466

Take-home a year

£41,588

Income Tax

£8,833

National Insurance

£3,081

Work out yours — with pension, student loan and bonus → £54,000 after tax, step by step →

What most specialist nurses actually earn

Half of specialist nurses in London earn between £37,906 and £56,276. Earning above £56,276 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 “Nursing Professionals” group in London.

The full pay range

Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of specialist nurses earn less than this.

10th
£20,194
20th
£33,842
25th
£37,906
30th
£40,939
40th
£44,563
50th
£47,221
60th
£51,107
70th
£54,745
75th
£56,276
80th
£58,739
90th
£64,253
Check where your salary sits

How London ranks for specialist nurse pay

1st

of 3 GB regions with a published figure

London pays specialist nurses more than anywhere else ONS measures — £15,945 above Scotland, the lowest of the 3.

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
Specialist nurses
SOC 2020 code
2233
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.

Specialist Nurse salary FAQs

What is the average Specialist Nurse salary in London?

The median is £53,502 a year and the mean is £50,803, 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 specialist nurse earn per hour?

Across the UK the median hourly rate is £24.92 excluding overtime, or £24.61 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for London.

What is a good Specialist Nurse salary?

Half of specialist nurses earn between £37,906 and £56,276. Anything above £56,276 is in the top quarter for the role.

What is the starting salary for a specialist nurse?

ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of specialist nurses earn under £20,194 and the lowest quarter under £37,906 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.

How much do the highest-paid specialist nurses earn?

The top 10% of specialist nurses earn more than £64,253 a year, and the top quarter more than £56,276. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.

Do specialist nurses in London earn more than the UK average?

The median in London is £53,502 against £40,845 across the UK, 31.0% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 3 GB regions with a precise estimate.

Has specialist nurse pay gone up in the last year?

ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +5.1% for this occupation in London. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.

How many specialist nurses are there in London?

ASHE counts around 10,000 employee jobs in “Specialist nurses” (SOC 2233) 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.

NHS pay bands 2026/27Agenda for Change Band 2 to Band 9 in England, every pay step with take-home pay and London supplements. →

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