Dental nurses: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time dental nurses in the UK earned a median £25,742 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 34% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (31st from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £23,380 and £28,935.
Median full-time pay: women £13.89 an hour, men £12.42 an hour.
About 59% of the roughly 54,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 38.6% (from £18,579), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 41,400 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £19,189 | £429.30 | £12.20 | £11,906* | £233.50 | £12.24 |
| 20th percentile | £22,219 | £461.50 | £12.57 | £15,580 | £314.80 | £12.79 |
| 25th percentile | £23,380 | £478.50 | £12.86 | £16,957 | £343.90 | £12.98 |
| 30th percentile | £23,867 | £487.90 | £13.00 | £17,908 | £368.20 | £13.05 |
| 40th percentile | – | £507.60 | £13.39 | £19,854 | £424.70 | £13.50 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £25,742 | £523.30 | £13.80 | £22,615 | £464.50 | £14.00 |
| 60th percentile | £26,939 | £544.40 | £14.42 | £24,306 | £500.70 | £14.53 |
| 70th percentile | £28,398 | £570.50 | £15.00 | £25,868 | £533.50 | £15.04 |
| 75th percentile | £28,935* | £594.90 | £15.37 | £26,859 | £545.50 | £15.53 |
| 80th percentile | – | £612.20 | £15.94 | £27,974 | £566.70 | £16.10 |
| Mean | £26,260 | £541.40 | £14.26 | £21,930 | £450.80 | £14.48 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £18,579 | £375.40 | £10.00 | £16,659 | £338.50 | 46 |
| 2022 revised | £19,830* | £412.60 | £11.00 | £17,477* | £372.10 | 45 |
| 2023 revised | £21,791 | £441.40 | £12.00 | £18,668 | £392.50 | 46 |
| 2024 revised | £23,841 | £490.10 | £13.10 | £20,935 | £437.80 | 43 |
| 2025 provisional | £25,742 | £523.30 | £13.80 | £22,615 | £464.50 | 54 |
Dental nurses by region
UK: 41,400 (± 7,900), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What dental nurses do
Dental nurses prepare patients for, and assist with, dental examinations, prepare and sterilise instruments and maintain case records. (ONS SOC 2020, 6133)
Also covers: dental assistant, dental nurse, dental nurse-receptionist, dental surgery assistant, dental attendant, dental auxiliary, dental receptionist-nurse, dental surgeon's assistant, dental surgery nurse and orthodontic chairside assistant.
- Prepares patient for examination
- Prepares and sterilises instruments and follows guidelines to maintain sterile conditions within the surgery
- Hands required equipment and medication to dentist during examination
- Assists with minor treatment, such as preparing materials for fillings
- Removes water and saliva from patient’s mouth during treatment
- Maintains records, processes and mounts x-ray films and undertakes reception duties
Entry is most common with GCSEs/S grades. Training is available both Off and on-the-job. To become a registered dental nurse, entrants need to complete a course recognised by the General Dental Council.
Related
Caring personal services (median £28,513) · Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) · Houseparents and residential wardens · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026