Generalist medical practitioners: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time generalist medical practitioners in the UK earned a median £55,494 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 42% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 36th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £43,727 and £68,946.
Median full-time pay: women £52,800 a year, men £58,600 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 64% of the roughly 130,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 9.0%, from £50,901, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 197,900 people in this line of work, 18% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £28,457 | £715.60 | £18.64 | £23,781* | £517.60 | £19.96 |
| 20th percentile | £38,573* | £821.50 | £20.53 | £32,390 | £766.50 | £23.06 |
| 25th percentile | £43,727 | £874.70 | £22.07 | £36,586 | £815.30 | £24.74 |
| 30th percentile | £48,206 | £913.70 | £23.21 | £41,329 | £857.00 | £26.83 |
| 40th percentile | £52,069 | £1,002.80 | £25.41 | £46,981 | £932.10 | £29.76 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £55,494 | £1,116.50 | £28.54 | £51,756 | £1,040.80 | £33.78 |
| 60th percentile | £61,018 | £1,178.20 | £30.02 | £57,269 | £1,160.70 | £36.66 |
| 70th percentile | £66,021 | £1,300.00 | £32.99 | £63,000 | £1,248.20 | £45.37 |
| 75th percentile | £68,946 | £1,361.10 | £34.77 | £66,037 | £1,318.60 | £50.13 |
| 80th percentile | £71,467* | £1,395.30 | £34.94 | £69,299 | £1,386.10 | £52.70 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £1,495.50* | £58.45 |
| Mean | £58,674 | £1,138.10 | £28.86 | £53,163 | £1,056.20 | £33.36 |
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 | £50,901 | £907.60 | £22.96 | £48,959 | £893.90 | 107 |
| 2022 revised | £43,509 | £871.00 | £21.72 | £41,159 | £866.80 | 98 |
| 2023 revised | £41,383 | £857.60 | £21.48 | £41,202* | £849.20 | 93 |
| 2024 revised | £48,855 | £959.60 | £24.25 | £45,377 | £935.40 | 110 |
| 2025 provisional | £55,494 | £1,116.50 | £28.54 | £51,756 | £1,040.80 | 130 |
Generalist medical practitioners by region
UK: 197,900 (± 17,300), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 35,900* | ± 9,800 |
| North West | 35,500* | ± 7,200 |
| West Midlands | 21,900* | ± 6,100 |
| South East | 19,500* | ± 5,500 |
| Scotland | 16,800* | ± 4,700 |
| East of England | 15,100* | ± 5,300 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14,000* | ± 4,400 |
| East Midlands | 12,600* | ± 4,700 |
| South West | 9,100* | ± 3,400 |
| Wales | 7,600* | ± 2,500 |
| North East | 6,600* | ± 2,500 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What generalist medical practitioners do
Generalist medical practitioners diagnose mental and physical injuries, disorders and diseases, prescribe and give treatment, recommend preventative action, and conduct medical education and research activities. They work in hospitals or in general practice and, where necessary, refer the patient to a specialist. (ONS SOC 2020, 2211)
Also covers: doctor, general practitioner, house officer (hospital service), medical practitioner, physician, doctor (junior/resident), GP registrar, hospital doctor, house officer, junior doctor, lecturer (medicine), medical doctor, medical examiner, medical superintendent, reader (medicine), referee (medical), resident doctor and clinical assistant (qualified) (23 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Examines patient, arranges for any necessary x-rays or other tests and interprets results
- Diagnoses condition and prescribes and/or administers appropriate treatment
- Administers medical tests and inoculations against communicable diseases
- Supervises patient’s progress and advises on diet, exercise and other preventative action
- Refers patient to specialist where necessary and liaises with specialist
- Prepares and delivers lectures, undertakes research, and conducts and participates in clinical trials
Entrants require a university degree from a medical school recognised by the General Medical Council followed by two years of pre-registration training as a house officer. Some medical schools operate graduate entry schemes. Once the pre-registration period as house officer is completed, further postgraduate training in a general practice training programme is completed
Related
Medical practitioners (median £78,796) · Specialist medical practitioners and consultants · Physiotherapists · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026