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| Does the average nurse earn £34,000 a year? | Does the average nurse earn £34,000 a year? |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have held more strike action over pay. | Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have held more strike action over pay. |
| The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) - which represents two-thirds of UK nurses - says its members have been getting a "raw deal" on pay for years. | The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) - which represents two-thirds of UK nurses - says its members have been getting a "raw deal" on pay for years. |
| But Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told Sky News on 9 November: "I think the average when I last looked was £34,000 before these increases, so it's more than the average salary across the country." | But Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told Sky News on 9 November: "I think the average when I last looked was £34,000 before these increases, so it's more than the average salary across the country." |
| Nurses to strike for two days before Christmas | Nurses to strike for two days before Christmas |
| Nurses' strike: What is the dispute about? | Nurses' strike: What is the dispute about? |
| Why are so many workers going on strike? | Why are so many workers going on strike? |
| What is average pay for nurses? | What is average pay for nurses? |
| The £34,000 figure is used in the report from the NHS Pay Review Body, which recommends what should happen to NHS pay in England. | The £34,000 figure is used in the report from the NHS Pay Review Body, which recommends what should happen to NHS pay in England. |
| In the category "nurses and health visitors", the average basic pay per full-time employee was given as £34,275, but that is a figure for March 2021. | In the category "nurses and health visitors", the average basic pay per full-time employee was given as £34,275, but that is a figure for March 2021. |
| The government says that figure increased to £35,600 by March 2022, and that nurses were then given a £1,400 increase, which should take the average up to £37,000. | The government says that figure increased to £35,600 by March 2022, and that nurses were then given a £1,400 increase, which should take the average up to £37,000. |
| Is that above the average salary? | Is that above the average salary? |
| That depends on which average you're talking about. | That depends on which average you're talking about. |
| The mean UK full-time salary, which is what you get if you add up the amount all full-time employees are paid and divide by the number of full-time employees, is £39,966, according to the figures for April 2022 from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). | The mean UK full-time salary, which is what you get if you add up the amount all full-time employees are paid and divide by the number of full-time employees, is £39,966, according to the figures for April 2022 from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). |
| But from the same report, the median, which is the amount that half of full time employees will be earning more than, and half will be earning less than, is £33,000. | But from the same report, the median, which is the amount that half of full time employees will be earning more than, and half will be earning less than, is £33,000. |
| So the average figure for nurses is higher than the median salary but lower than the mean. | So the average figure for nurses is higher than the median salary but lower than the mean. |
| How does it vary between grades? | How does it vary between grades? |
| The most common grade for NHS nurses is Band 5, which accounts for about 42% of nurses in England. | The most common grade for NHS nurses is Band 5, which accounts for about 42% of nurses in England. |
| That's the pay grade for newly qualified nurses as well as some more experienced ones. Their salaries range between £27,055 and £32,934. | That's the pay grade for newly qualified nurses as well as some more experienced ones. Their salaries range between £27,055 and £32,934. |
| Band 6 is more senior nurses and specialists and their basic pay is between £33,706 and £40,588. | Band 6 is more senior nurses and specialists and their basic pay is between £33,706 and £40,588. |
| Band 7 includes advanced nurse practitioners, earning between £41,659 and £47,672. | Band 7 includes advanced nurse practitioners, earning between £41,659 and £47,672. |
| Band 8 is divided into four sections, including modern matrons and heads of nursing teams, who can earn between £48,526 and £91,787. | Band 8 is divided into four sections, including modern matrons and heads of nursing teams, who can earn between £48,526 and £91,787. |
| There are also 306 nurses in Band 9, who are consultant level nurses and can earn between £95,135 and £109,475. | There are also 306 nurses in Band 9, who are consultant level nurses and can earn between £95,135 and £109,475. |
| How does it vary across the UK? | How does it vary across the UK? |
| The RCN told us: | The RCN told us: |
| The starting salary of a nurse in NHS Scotland is £26,104. An experienced nurse at the top of Band 5 earns about £33,000. | The starting salary of a nurse in NHS Scotland is £26,104. An experienced nurse at the top of Band 5 earns about £33,000. |
| In Wales, a band 5 nurse earns between £27,055 and £32,934. | In Wales, a band 5 nurse earns between £27,055 and £32,934. |
| In Northern Ireland, it's last year's pay scales as the award this year hasn't been implemented due to the political situation. The top of band 5 earns around £31,534. | In Northern Ireland, it's last year's pay scales as the award this year hasn't been implemented due to the political situation. The top of band 5 earns around £31,534. |
| Nurses in Scotland were made a fresh pay offer averaging 7.5%, which was accepted by Unite and Unison but rejected by the RCN, GMB and the Royal College of Midwives. | Nurses in Scotland were made a fresh pay offer averaging 7.5%, which was accepted by Unite and Unison but rejected by the RCN, GMB and the Royal College of Midwives. |
| Health Secretary Steve Barclay was talking about the deal offered by the Scottish government on BBC News on 21 December and said: "That wasn't just for an uplift of 7.5%, it was actually an uplift much closer to around 20% when you add in additional measures of reduced hours, changes to overtime, protected learning and other things that were within the package." | Health Secretary Steve Barclay was talking about the deal offered by the Scottish government on BBC News on 21 December and said: "That wasn't just for an uplift of 7.5%, it was actually an uplift much closer to around 20% when you add in additional measures of reduced hours, changes to overtime, protected learning and other things that were within the package." |
| Reality Check asked his department how he had worked out the 20%, but the response did not give any indications of that. | Reality Check asked his department how he had worked out the 20%, but the response did not give any indications of that. |
| We know that the offer included a review into reducing the working week to 36 hours from 37.5, which would be about another 4%. | We know that the offer included a review into reducing the working week to 36 hours from 37.5, which would be about another 4%. |
| There were also undertakings about reviewing job descriptions for band 5 roles and ensuring protected learning time, but it is not clear how that would make the package worth close to 20%. | There were also undertakings about reviewing job descriptions for band 5 roles and ensuring protected learning time, but it is not clear how that would make the package worth close to 20%. |
| Can nurses earn extra on top of that? | Can nurses earn extra on top of that? |
| Staff in pay bands one to seven are eligible for overtime payments, which is 1.5 times the hourly rate or twice the hourly rate for working on bank holidays. | Staff in pay bands one to seven are eligible for overtime payments, which is 1.5 times the hourly rate or twice the hourly rate for working on bank holidays. |
| They can also get allowances for working in London and surrounding counties and for being on call. | They can also get allowances for working in London and surrounding counties and for being on call. |
| NHS staff across the UK have access to pension schemes, which have become less generous in recent years, but are still of a type that has historically been better than what is available in the private sector. | NHS staff across the UK have access to pension schemes, which have become less generous in recent years, but are still of a type that has historically been better than what is available in the private sector. |
| Has nurses' pay kept up with inflation? | Has nurses' pay kept up with inflation? |
| Nurses' pay has not kept up with rising prices since 2010. They have had a real terms pay cut of more than 10%. | Nurses' pay has not kept up with rising prices since 2010. They have had a real terms pay cut of more than 10%. |
| It has also failed to keep up with average earnings, either in the private sector or the public sector, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies has confirmed. | It has also failed to keep up with average earnings, either in the private sector or the public sector, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies has confirmed. |
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| How does pay compare with Europe? | How does pay compare with Europe? |
| The RCN's General Secretary Pat Cullen told the BBC on 11 December: "International evidence brought out by the OECD last week shows, and this is despicable, that UK nurses are paid the lowest in Europe." | The RCN's General Secretary Pat Cullen told the BBC on 11 December: "International evidence brought out by the OECD last week shows, and this is despicable, that UK nurses are paid the lowest in Europe." |
| But that claim is not supported by the OECD's Health at a Glance report, which was published on 5 December (see page 187). | But that claim is not supported by the OECD's Health at a Glance report, which was published on 5 December (see page 187). |
| UK nurses did not come out as the worst paid, with French nurses, for example, coming out lower on both measures used. | UK nurses did not come out as the worst paid, with French nurses, for example, coming out lower on both measures used. |
| Watch this video quiz to test your knowledge of nurses' pay | Watch this video quiz to test your knowledge of nurses' pay |
| Watch this video quiz to test your knowledge of nurses' pay | Watch this video quiz to test your knowledge of nurses' pay |
| Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Gillian Keegan as the health secretary. | Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Gillian Keegan as the health secretary. |
| What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch | What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch |
| Read more from Reality Check | Read more from Reality Check |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Nursing | Nursing |
| Reality Check | Reality Check |
| NHS | NHS |