Income & Employment Guides UK — Maximise Your Earnings

How Much Do Doctors Earn in the UK? — 2026 Salary Guide

Complete guide to doctor salaries in the UK for 2026. Foundation year pay, registrar salaries, consultant pay, GP earnings, private practice income, and how NHS doctor pay scales work.

By PocketWise · · 4 min read

Salary and income data is based on ONS and other official UK statistical sources. Figures are averages and may not reflect your individual circumstances.

Medicine is one of the highest-paying professions in the UK, though the path is long. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of what doctors earn at every stage of their career.

NHS Doctor Pay Scales (2025/26)

Junior Doctor Pay

Grade Basic Salary
Foundation Year 1 (FY1) £36,616
Foundation Year 2 (FY2) £42,008
Specialty Trainee Year 1-2 (ST1-2) £43,923
Specialty Trainee Year 3 (ST3) £49,339
Specialty Trainee Year 4-5 (ST4-5) £53,432
Specialty Trainee Year 6-7 (ST6-7) £58,398
Specialty Trainee Year 8+ (ST8) £63,152

Basic salary before any enhancements for unsocial hours

Pay Enhancements for Junior Doctors

Enhancement Details
Weekend frequency supplement 3-12% of basic pay based on rota
Night shift allowance Enhanced rates for nights
On-call availability Additional supplement based on frequency
Flexible pay premium 2-8% for flexible rostering patterns
Typical total with enhancements +15-40% above basic salary

Actual Take-Home for Junior Doctors (with enhancements)

Grade Basic Typical Total (with enhancements)
FY1 £36,616 £40,000-£50,000
FY2 £42,008 £48,000-£58,000
ST1-2 £43,923 £50,000-£62,000
ST3-5 £49,339-£53,432 £56,000-£72,000
ST6-8 £58,398-£63,152 £66,000-£85,000

Consultant Pay Scale

NHS consultants are on a separate pay scale with longer progression.

Basic Pay Scale

Pay Threshold Salary
Threshold 1 (new consultant) £105,504
Threshold 2 £109,804
Threshold 3 £114,003
Threshold 4 £118,203
Threshold 5 £126,281
Maximum £139,882

Clinical Excellence Awards (CEAs)

Top-performing consultants can receive additional awards.

Level Annual Value
Local CEA Level 1 £3,497
Local CEA Level 2 £6,997
Local CEA Level 3 £10,497
Local CEA Level 4 £13,997
National CEA Bronze £36,192
National CEA Silver £47,582
National CEA Gold £58,972
National CEA Platinum £77,299

National awards are highly competitive and awarded to a small number of consultants

Total Consultant Earnings

Component Range
Basic salary £105,504-£139,882
Clinical excellence awards £0-£77,299
On-call payments £5,000-£20,000
Waiting list initiatives (extra sessions) £5,000-£30,000+
Private practice £0-£200,000+
Typical total £120,000-£250,000+

GP Earnings

GPs can work as salaried doctors or as partners who share in practice profits.

Salaried GP

Level Salary
Newly qualified salaried GP £70,000-£85,000
Experienced salaried GP £80,000-£100,000
Part-time salaried GP (4 sessions) £36,000-£50,000

GP Partner

Factor Details
Average partner income £100,000-£150,000
Range £80,000-£200,000+
Business costs deducted Premises, staff, equipment
NHS pension Based on earnings
Risk Bear financial responsibility for practice

Locum GP

Duration Rate
Per session (half day) £350-£600
Per day £600-£1,000+
Annual (full-time equivalent) £120,000-£200,000+

Locum rates have risen sharply due to GP shortages

Salary by Speciality (Consultant Level)

Some specialities offer higher earnings through private practice opportunities.

Highest-Earning Specialities

Speciality NHS Basic Typical Total (with private)
Orthopaedic Surgery £105,504-£139,882 £200,000-£400,000+
Plastic Surgery £105,504-£139,882 £180,000-£350,000+
Cardiology £105,504-£139,882 £180,000-£350,000+
Dermatology £105,504-£139,882 £160,000-£300,000+
Ophthalmology £105,504-£139,882 £160,000-£300,000+
Radiology £105,504-£139,882 £150,000-£280,000+
Gastroenterology £105,504-£139,882 £150,000-£250,000+

Mid-Range Specialities

Speciality NHS Basic Typical Total
General Surgery £105,504-£139,882 £140,000-£220,000
Anaesthetics £105,504-£139,882 £130,000-£200,000
Obstetrics & Gynaecology £105,504-£139,882 £130,000-£200,000
Paediatrics £105,504-£139,882 £120,000-£180,000
Psychiatry £105,504-£139,882 £120,000-£180,000

Lower Private Practice Potential

Speciality NHS Basic Typical Total
Emergency Medicine £105,504-£139,882 £120,000-£170,000
Geriatrics £105,504-£139,882 £110,000-£160,000
Palliative Medicine £105,504-£139,882 £110,000-£150,000
Public Health £105,504-£139,882 £110,000-£150,000

NHS basic pay is the same regardless of speciality — differences come from private practice

Academic Doctors

Doctors combining clinical work with university positions.

Role Salary
Clinical Lecturer £43,000-£63,000 (+ clinical pay)
Senior Clinical Lecturer £63,000-£93,000 (+ clinical pay)
Clinical Professor £85,000-£130,000 (+ clinical pay)

Often earn less overall than purely clinical counterparts

Regional Differences

Region Impact on Pay
London (Inner) +20% supplement on basic pay
London (Outer) +15% supplement
Fringe areas +5% supplement
Scotland Separate pay scale — broadly similar
Wales NHS Wales — broadly similar
Northern Ireland Broadly similar
Rural / hard to recruit Recruitment premiums sometimes offered

Private Practice Earnings

Many consultants supplement NHS income with private work.

Setting Typical Earnings
Private hospitals (Nuffield, Spire, HCA) £50,000-£250,000+
Medicolegal reports £500-£3,000 per report
Private clinics £200-£500 per hour
Telemedicine £100-£300 per hour

How Private Practice Works

Factor Details
Eligibility Consultants can do private work outside NHS hours
Typical split 2-3 NHS sessions reduced, replaced with private
Insurance companies Need to be on insurer panels (BUPA, AXA, etc.)
Self-pay Growing market for direct patient payments
Tax Self-employed income — separate tax return

Career Timeline and Earnings

Stage Duration Age (typical) Earnings
Medical school 5-6 years 18-23/24 Student (debt)
Foundation training 2 years 23-25 £36,616-£42,008
Core/Specialty training 3-8 years 25-33 £43,923-£63,152
GP (from ST3) From year 10 28+ £70,000-£150,000+
Consultant From year 12-16 30-37 £105,504-£250,000+

NHS Pension for Doctors

Feature Details
Type Defined benefit (guaranteed pension)
Employer contribution ~23%
Employee contribution 5.2%-12.5% (based on salary)
Accrual rate 1/54th of pensionable salary per year
Tax issues Annual and lifetime allowance can affect high earners
Flexibilities Can reduce pension growth to reduce tax charge

Annual Allowance Tax Trap

Factor Details
Annual allowance £60,000 (2025/26)
Tapered for high earners Reduces to £10,000 for income over £260,000
Impact Senior doctors can face unexpected tax bills
Scheme pays Can ask NHS to pay the charge from future pension
Retirement flexibility Options to reduce contributions or opt for 50/50 section

Summary

Level Typical Earnings
Foundation Year 1 £36,616 (+enhancements)
Foundation Year 2 £42,008 (+enhancements)
Specialty Registrar £43,923-£63,152 (+enhancements)
GP (salaried) £70,000-£100,000
GP (partner) £100,000-£150,000+
Consultant (NHS only) £105,504-£139,882
Consultant (with private) £150,000-£300,000+

Sources

  1. ONS — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings