Specialist Nurse Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 31,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£37,557
gross, per year, all employees
▼ 0.2% change on the previous year
Mean
£37,792
Jobs measured
31,000
What a typical specialist nurse takes home
On the median of £37,557, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,543
Take-home a year
£30,520
Income Tax
£5,038
National Insurance
£1,999
What most specialist nurses actually earn
Half of specialist nurses in Scotland earn between £26,891 and £48,516. Earning above £48,516 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 Scotland.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of specialist nurses earn less than this.
How Scotland ranks for specialist nurse pay
3rd
of 3 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland is the lowest-paying of the 3 regions ONS measures for this role, £15,945 behind London on £53,502.
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 Scotland?
The median is £37,557 a year and the mean is £37,792, 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 Scotland.
What is a good Specialist Nurse salary?
Half of specialist nurses earn between £26,891 and £48,516. Anything above £48,516 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 £11,228 and the lowest quarter under £26,891 — 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 £56,340 a year, and the top quarter more than £48,516. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do specialist nurses in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £37,557 against £40,845 across the UK, 8.1% lower, which places it lowest 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 -0.2% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many specialist nurses are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 31,000 employee jobs in “Specialist nurses” (SOC 2233) 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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