Registered children's nurses: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time registered children's nurses in the UK earned a median £41,963 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £2,924 above the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That ranks 118th of 382 occupations on this measure.
Median full-time pay: women £21.39 an hour, men £18.35 an hour.
About 57% of the roughly 23,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 28.7% (from £32,613), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 42,200 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 | – | – | – | – | £352.90* | £15.03 |
| 20th percentile | £29,518* | £628.10 | £16.65 | £25,116* | £490.20 | £17.22 |
| 25th percentile | £33,833* | £660.60 | £17.82 | £26,831* | £535.00 | £18.32 |
| 30th percentile | £37,958 | £685.30 | £18.49 | £28,015 | £556.50 | £18.65 |
| 40th percentile | £39,977 | £747.80 | £19.15 | £30,648 | £608.80 | £19.63 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £41,963 | £799.30 | £21.00 | £34,173 | £690.90 | £20.84 |
| 60th percentile | £43,036 | £864.30 | £23.05 | £39,345 | £760.20 | £22.99 |
| 70th percentile | £45,638 | £928.70 | £24.75 | £41,893 | £802.90 | £24.80 |
| 75th percentile | – | £941.20* | £25.19* | £43,006* | £859.00 | £25.26 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | £902.60* | £26.31 |
| Mean | £40,779 | £821.20 | £21.89 | £34,806 | £695.70 | £21.90 |
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 | £32,613* | £676.90* | £17.21* | £25,597 | £484.60 | 21* |
| 2022 revised | £36,884* | £748.90 | £19.96 | – | £584.80* | 15* |
| 2023 revised | £33,597* | £762.00 | £20.93 | £29,407* | £624.20 | 18* |
| 2024 revised | £40,741* | £799.60 | £21.37 | £32,112* | £632.40 | 20* |
| 2025 provisional | £41,963 | £799.30 | £21.00 | £34,173 | £690.90 | 23 |
Registered children's nurses by region
UK: 42,200 (± 8,000), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What registered children's nurses do
Registered children's nurses nurses provide general or acute nursing care for children and young people with chronic or acute conditions and assist medical doctors with their tasks. (ONS SOC 2020, 2236)
Also covers: community children's nurse, neonatal nurse, paediatric nurse, school nurse, neonatal sister, nurse (schools), paediatric sister, neonatal staff nurse, paediatric staff nurse, registered children's nurse, school health nurse, staff nurse (children's), staff nurse (paediatrics) and registered sick children's nurse.
- Assists medical doctors and works with other healthcare professionals to deal with emergencies and pre-planned treatment of patients
- Manages own case load
- Monitors children's progress, including the interpretation of the behaviour of young children too young to communicate
- Administers drugs and medicines, applies surgical dressings and gives other forms of treatment
- Works with parents to explain procedures and health conditions and to help them care for children when they return home
- Advises on nursing care, disease prevention, and nutrition
Entrants will need a degree or equivalent qualification in children's nursing and to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. A DBS check is also required.
Related
Nursing professionals (median £43,078) · Registered mental health nurses · Other registered nursing professionals · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026