Annual Salary
£25,654 to £31,533
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Nurses care for adults who are sick, injured or have physical disabilities.
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
6% more Nurse jobs in 2026.
In your local area
In this role you will:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, at a hospice, at an adult care home, at a client's home or in a prison.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this career through:
You can do a degree in adult nursing approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
Some degree courses let you study another area of nursing alongside adult nursing.
You may be able to get additional student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.
You may be able to join the second year of a nursing degree if you already have a degree in:a health-related subject; psychology; life sciences; social work
Full-time courses usually take 3 years.
You can train for a career as a nurse in the armed forces. You can find more information at:Army; Royal Air Force; Royal Navy
You'll usually need:
You may be able to do a degree apprenticeship in nursing if you work in a healthcare setting like a hospital.
The apprenticeship takes around 4 years and is a mix of academic study and on-the-job training.
You must be supported by your employer to take this route.
You'll usually need:
You'll find it helpful to get some paid or voluntary experience in social care or healthcare work before you apply for nurse training.
You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for further advice.
You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.
You'll need to:
You'll find more advice about how to become a nurse from the Royal College of Nursing and Health Careers.
With experience, you could specialise in a particular field such as intensive care or operating theatre work, or become a nursing sister, ward manager or team leader.
You could train as a midwife, neonatal nurse, health visitor, or district or practice nurse. You could also move into management, as a matron or director of nursing.
With a postgraduate qualification, you could become an advanced nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist, then a nurse consultant. There are opportunities to go into teaching and research.
You could also become self-employed or work overseas.
You can find out more about career progression from the Royal College of Nursing.
You'll need: