Registered community nurses: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time registered community nurses in the UK earned a median £40,897 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £1,858 above the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That ranks 126th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £35,643 and £46,932.
Median full-time pay: women £40,701 a year, men £43,554 a year.
About 53% of the roughly 95,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 21.7%, from £33,603, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 70,400 people in this line of work, 16% of them in North West.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £30,444 | £611.30 | £16.53 | £16,528 | £352.10 | £17.36 |
| 20th percentile | £33,744 | £699.20 | £18.66 | – | £452.90 | £19.03 |
| 25th percentile | £35,643 | £715.60 | £19.12 | £25,434 | £517.00 | £19.29 |
| 30th percentile | £37,338 | £725.90 | £19.62 | £27,498 | £547.40 | £19.96 |
| 40th percentile | £39,053 | £761.60 | £20.81 | £30,953 | £606.40 | £21.16 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £40,897 | £832.50 | £22.67 | £33,764 | £684.80 | £22.88 |
| 60th percentile | £43,780 | £862.60 | £23.02 | £37,696 | £725.80 | £23.05 |
| 70th percentile | £45,573 | £906.60 | £24.25 | £40,036 | £793.40 | £23.92 |
| 75th percentile | £46,932 | £965.70 | £25.46 | £42,691 | £858.10 | £24.80 |
| 80th percentile | £49,952 | £1,007.10 | £26.51 | £44,962 | £868.40 | £25.76 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £1,012.10 | £27.96 |
| Mean | £41,923 | £842.50 | £22.68 | £33,757 | £675.30 | £22.60 |
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 | £33,603 | £655.90 | £17.72 | £26,953 | £543.70 | 95 |
| 2022 revised | £35,645 | £702.70 | £19.22 | £28,374 | £572.10 | 93 |
| 2023 revised | £37,973 | £777.90 | £20.75 | £30,317 | £631.20 | 86 |
| 2024 revised | £39,699 | £788.20 | £21.54 | £32,290 | £642.70 | 89 |
| 2025 provisional | £40,897 | £832.50 | £22.67 | £33,764 | £684.80 | 95 |
Registered community nurses by region
UK: 70,400 (± 10,300), April 2025 to March 2026. 10 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 11,400* | ± 4,100 |
| Wales | 7,300* | ± 2,400 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What registered community nurses do
Registered community nurses provide general nursing care for the sick, injured and others in need of care, and assist medical doctors with their tasks in settings outside of acute hospitals, such as clinics, health centres or visits to patients’ homes. (ONS SOC 2020, 2232)
Also covers: community care nurse, district nurse, health visitor, practice nurse, community matron, community sister, district visitor, community charge nurse, community liaison nurse, community macmillan nurse, community nursing sister, community staff nurse, district nurse manager, district nursing sister, superintendent health visitor, community learning disability nurse, community nurse (learning disability) and district nurse team leader (19 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Plans, manages, provides and evaluates nursing care services within a community care setting
- Provides basic care and monitors patients' general health such as blood pressure or body temperature
- Administers drugs and medicines, applies surgical dressings and gives other forms of treatment
- Assists medical doctors in conducting examinations and other medical procedures
- Manages own case load
- Plays an educational role for patients and families, helping to develop rehabilitation routines and advising on how to care for their condition in everyday life, disease prevention and nutrition
Qualification as a nurse is via a diploma or degree course, both of which are provided by universities, or through an apprenticeship. Courses comprise both theoretical and practical work, including placements in hospital and community settings. Full time diploma courses last three years; degree courses last three or four years. Accelerated programmes are available to graduates with a health-related degree. Post-registration training is available to become a specialist practitioner in community nursing.
Related
Nursing professionals (median £43,078) · Midwifery nurses · Registered specialist nurses · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026