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PhD Nursing (4 years) / Programme details

Year of entry: 2024

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Programme description

Our PhD 4-year Nursing programme enables you to undertake a research project that will improve understanding of Nursing.

This postgraduate research programme in nursing gives you the opportunity to work with internationally renowned scholars engaged in innovative research that will make a difference in people's lives and in health and social care.

We particularly welcome students from all health and social care disciplines who have an interest in exploring related subject areas.

4-year PhD (full time and full time distance learning only)

This is a four year PhD programme for students who:

• have not previously studied research methods
• have studied research methods but not in the UK
• have limited English language skills
• have not completed a master's degree.

In this programme, the first year is a foundation year designed to prepare you for the following three years of the PhD programme.

This will include completing taught research methods units from our MClin Res in Clinical Research , developing a research proposal with your supervision team and English language tuition (if English is not your first language).

We also offer a standard three year PhD programme (as well as MPhil ) for students who do not need to do the foundation year.

Special features

Training and development

All of our postgraduate researchers attend the Doctoral Academy Training Programme delivered by the Researcher Development team . The programme provides key transferable skills and equips our postgraduate researchers with the tools to progress beyond their research degree into influential positions within academia, industry and consultancy. The emphasis is on enhancing skills critical to developing early-stage researchers and professionals, whether they relate to effective communication, disseminating research findings and project management skills.

Coursework and assessment

Students must submit work at specific stages, review their progress, identify their learning and development needs, and meet with their supervisors throughout their course. Some meetings and evaluations are informal, while others are formal and documented.

4-year PhD  

In order to complete the foundation year and progress to year 2 all students must pass 4 MRes units with a mark of 50% or higher. Students will also write a proposal of about 2,000-2,500 words that will provide a platform for an end of year 1 meeting with supervisors and advisor; this is not formally assessed. Students will also be expected to complete English language tuition as required.

You will submit a continuation report at the end of 23 months. This will summarise your knowledge and skills in your topic of study and your ability to apply this to produce a robust research plan to complete your study. It is examined by two external examiners by a viva examination, and must be passed to progress to Year 3.

At the end of Year 3, you will submit a progress report via eProg for assessment by the supervisors and postgraduate research tutor. At the end of Year 4, the PhD thesis will be examined by an internal and external examiner.

Scholarships and bursaries

Funded programmes and projects are promoted throughout the year. Funding is available through UK Research Councils, charities and industry. We also have other internal awards and scholarships for the most outstanding applicants from within the UK and overseas.

What our students say

The wider facilities of the University are of an excellent standard, with one of the best library collections and resources in Europe.

Disability support

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Course type

Qualification, university name, phd degrees in nursing.

57 degrees at 31 universities in the UK.

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About Postgraduate Nursing

Nursing is one of the most important health professions in the UK healthcare system anda PhD in nursing represents one of the highest formal qualifications available. This three-to-six-year course caters to registered nurse practitioners, aiming to become leaders in healthcare policy, academia andscientific research.

More than 50 PhD opportunities in nursing are available across various universities in the UK. These programmes seek candidates with a master’s degree in nursing or a related health field, bolstered by a significant professional background in clinical practice, education or research.

The programme adheres to the standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the UK, ensuring that graduates uphold the highest professional and ethical standards in nursing.

What to Expect

A nursing PhD programme is primarily research-focused, allowing candidates to explore in-depth a specific area of interest, including advanced clinical practice, nursing theory, public health or innovations in healthcare policy and technology. Candidates work closely with experienced faculty advisors to develop impactful research projects, which contribute new knowledge and insights to the field of nursing. Assessment is primarily based on the successful completion and defence of a doctoral thesis, applying advanced research methodologies to solve complex healthcare problems and challenges.

Upon completion, PhD graduates in nursing are highly sought after and valued across various sectors, including healthcare providers, academic institutions and research bodies. They play pivotal roles in advancing nursing practices, formulating healthcare policies and shaping the future landscape of healthcare and the next generation of nurses.

Related subjects:

• PhD Nursing
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• PhD Diabetes Nursing
• PhD Mental Health and Addiction Nursing
• PhD Midwifery
• PhD Nursing Specialisms
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• PhD Nursing: Specific Conditions
• PhD Practice Nursing

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PhD Applied Health Studies

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Understanding the value of a PhD for post‐doctoral registered UK nurses: A survey

Susan hampshaw.

1 School of Health Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield UK

2 Division of Nursing and Midwifery, Health Sciences School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield UK

Steve Robertson

Rachel king, associated data.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

This study investigated, ‘What is the perceived value of a PhD to doctoral and postdoctoral nurses in the UK?’

Little is known about what happens to the careers of nurses who undertake a doctorate and whether they use these skills in the next career steps.

Nurses ( n  = 47) with doctorates were recruited via professional networks and twitter (@NMAHP_DoctorateStudy). Qualitative responses from the nurses were analysed using thematic analysis.

Three themes emerged from qualitative analysis: impact on career, utilization and value, and impact on self.

Conclusions

This study provides one of the few insights into how doctoral trained nurses understand and experience the value and utility of their studies to themselves and others.

Implications for nurse management

Nurse managers can play a crucial role in generating a research‐led culture within their clinical setting. This would include promoting an understanding of research as something directly related to patient benefit rather than an abstract, intellectual activity.

1. INTRODUCTION

Undertaking doctoral studies alongside clinical practice in nursing has been advocated for many years and has gained momentum over time being supported by academic infrastructure and policy levers (Moule et al.,  2017 ). Advocates, such as Kitson ( 1999 ), have argued for doctorate level education to be developed in order to build a stronger culture of inquiry in clinical nursing practice. There has been an increase in the number of nurses undertaking doctorate level research in many countries including the Australia, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (Carrick‐Sen et al.,  2019 ; Henshall et al.,  2021 ; Wilkes et al.,  2015 ). In the UK, the ‘Shape of Caring’ review reiterated these earlier messages and highlighted that nurses who are educated to doctoral level should form an integral part of the clinical workforce in order to generate a research culture in practice and provide the foundation architecture to make the necessary change (Health Education England,  2015 ). This resulted in an approach to developing research alongside clinical practice through a designated Clinical Academic Pathway Framework, which was established in England for the nursing, midwifery and Allied Health Professional (NMAHP) workforce and delivered through the National Institute of Health Services Research (NIHR). However, the number of professionals developed through this route is small. Further opportunities such as access to the pre‐doctoral and doctoral fellowships have been made available for these professionals through other parts of the NIHR infrastructure tasked with delivering research capacity (Cooke et al.,  2016 ). Some argue that we are at the tipping point to sustained progress in clinical academic pathways for these professional groups (Carrick‐Sen et al.,  2019 ).

Despite these developments, there is some evidence that this increase in training opportunities has not been matched by parallel developments of infrastructure in the clinical and practice context. For instance, NMAHP progress compared to that of medics has been slow with fewer clinical academic career opportunities where research is routinely expected and undertaken as part of practice (Henshall et al.,  2021 ). A bottle neck reflecting poor post‐doctoral progress in career pathways has also been noted, particularly in nursing (Dickinson,  2017 ). Carrick‐Sen et al. ( 2019 ) acknowledge these limitations and gaps to progress, noting particular concerns around nursing and clinical leadership to support clinical academic careers. Cooke et al.'s ( 2016 ) mapping of research capacity activities supporting non‐medical professionals found that NMAHP managers have little experience of supporting clinical academic pathways. It further found that NHS career structures for clinical academic posts are inconsistent at best and non‐existent as the norm. Similarly, a small study based in Holland (van Oostveen et al.,  2017 ) highlighted that there is an absence of supporting structures for nurses who combine clinical and academic work. They describe a culture of ‘misfit’ between academic and direct patient care in nursing practice and highlight a lack of leadership in the profession to support the ambition of clinical academic careers. They also found that nursing managers did not strategically plan for clinical academic roles in services. Similar issues have been identified in Sweden where managers did not understand the competencies of nurses who have a doctorate (Orton et al.,  2019 ). Conversely, a systematic review of interventions and strategies for supporting clinical academic pathways for nurses highlighted the importance of robust clinical and academic leadership with a clear strategic vision for success, shared partnership models between academic and service provider organisations and the need for role models and well‐defined strategic goals and outcomes (Henshall et al.,  2021 ). Despite this, most doctoral graduates continue to work in the academy rather than clinical practice (Wilkes et al.,  2015 ), a situation which was not the ambition of the Shape of Caring review.

2. BACKGROUND

The study reported here set out to examine the experiences, outcomes and motivations to study in nurses who have completed doctorates. The research was developed in partnership with a community of practice (CoP) of senior research managers and lead professionals (including nurses) in the NHS. The project aimed to inform research‐practice career pathways ‘close to practice’ in the NHS. Unlike medical colleagues, such pathways were poorly established in NMAHPs. The CoP had developed a cohort of NMAHP clinical academic fellowships who were at the start of a 4‐ to 5‐year programme of work. The CoP wanted to collect information about how to support such individuals after their doctoral training. Consulting with NMAHPs with prior doctoral experience was therefore proposed as a helpful step in exploring what the support needs were and how they might be met and to help map destinations for such career pathways. A PhD is considered to be the gold standard and mark of an independent researcher (Powell & Green,  2007 ), and conversations within the CoP suggest that it could and should be the ‘gateway’ to an integrated clinical and research career.

Our study sits in the broader context of a UK national focus on increasing and improving doctoral level study (Great Britain Department for Education,  2017 ; The Royal Society,  2010 ). This is underpinned by economic theory on the role of doctoral‐level study in developing knowledge economies and the benefits of this to both society and the individual (Diamond et al.,  2014 ; Neumann & Tan,  2011 ). Specifically, this paper addresses the question, ‘What is the perceived value of a PhD to doctoral and postdoctoral nurses in the UK?’

Following ethics approval (reference number 023667), nurses and allied health professionals with doctorates from across the UK were recruited to the study via professional networks with support from the Collaboration and Leadership for Allied Health and Care Research for Yorkshire and Humber (CLAHRC‐TH). A twitter account @NMAHP_DoctorateStudy was set up for the purpose of the study, and a link to an online survey was disseminated via this twitter feed. Within twitter, accounts that were run as representative bodies or Communities of Practice (such as @PICSNurses) were targeted and these ‘organisations’ actively retweeted. The online survey was active for just over a month (5 February 2019 to 15 March 2019). Twitter users were asked to retweet and share the questionnaire link within their twitter networks. The sample is therefore a convenience sample with diversity being achieved through the snowball technique that retweeting facilitated.

The survey questions were bespoke to the aims of the study and included closed questions about professional background, motivation for undertaking a doctorate and the risks and benefits of the degree drawing on issues raised within the literature (Bryan & Guccione,  2018 ; Diamond et al.,  2014 ; Wilkes et al.,  2015 ). These questions were sense checked and amended in consultation with CoP members. The survey also included a number of open questions for respondents to provide more detail about their experiences and views (Table  1 ).

Open questions

Given the research question reported in this paper, data from nurses were separated from the clinical scientists and AHPs and analysed descriptively. Qualitative responses from the nurses were analysed using thematic analysis, and this was supported by Quirkos© software. Initial coding was undertaken independently by SR and sections of this checked by AT and RK. Further coding, categorizing and initial theme development was completed collaboratively by these three co‐authors, and then, final themes were refined in discussion with the whole research team.

4. FINDINGS

There were 214 respondents from across the UK of which there were 47 nurses (including 33 adult nurses, 4 mental health nurses, 6 children's nurses, 2 health visitors and 2 midwives).

4.1. Quantitative data

Nurses were motivated to undertake PhD study by several factors, including professional development 34 (72%) n  = 47, intellectual curiosity 32 (68%) n  = 47, seeking a career in academia 12 (26%) n  = 47 and other reasons 13 (28%) n  = 47. Other reasons included already working in academia and the PhD being expected/needed, answering a clinical problem, serendipity and personal development.

Five nurses worked in academia prior to starting the PhD, and 12 were seeking a career there (17/47 or 36%). However, 24/47 (52%) are currently working in academic posts with another 10/47 (22%) being clinical academics.

4.2. Qualitative data

Three themes emerged from analysis of the open questions: impact on career, utilization and value of the doctorate and impact on self.

4.2.1. Impact on career

When describing the route to PhD, many outlined a gradual progression to doctoral level study rather than it being part of an established career plan. It was also often linked with a move into the academic setting:

I started my career as a [specialism] nurse and completed courses to support that role, including a [specialist] nursing course and Masters degree. I developed a [specialist] nurse educators post before moving to Practice Education. I completed a NMC recognised teaching qualification during this time before moving to academia. The opportunity to complete doctoral studies was one of the factors which encouraged me to move to the university. RN14

For many working, or wanting to work, in Higher Education Institutes (HEI), the PhD was not only seen as a requirement but was recognized as an important part of career change or progression:

I undertook a PhD largely to facilitate a career change and it did this. I did a PhD then secured funding for a post‐doc and I'm now a Senior Lecturer who undertakes teaching and research. I could not have got into this position without a PhD. RN7

However, this was not the case for all of those who worked in HEIs with others suggesting it was not always linked to progression:

I could have gotten into my current job role without a PhD. I found out that academics in nursing education can operate at Bachelors, Masters and PhD level. That was a huge demotivator, especially given the volume of work that goes into it. RN16

For some in HEIs, completing a PhD represented a backward step (at least initially) in terms of career progression, status and/or salary as they moved away from clinical practice and tried to progress:

The biggest problem for me post‐doctorally was that I was starting again at the bottom of the ladder as a career researcher and it has taken me far too long to be able to get to the point I now am […] I have been offered jobs at lower grades and lower salaries than I left the NHS with. RN12

Such challenges around salary and progression were also noted by those who stayed in clinical practice or who had a clinical academic role:

Three years after graduation I'm still not back to previous salary. I'm also penalised for remaining in clinical practice as I am part time at university and cannot take on senior academic roles therefore do not fit the promotion criteria […] undervalued clinically, paid as a band 6 with no prospects of improvement in NHS, only progression possible is in academia unfortunately. RN13

These narratives around the challenges to career progression, both in HEI and clinical roles, raise questions about how, when and by whom the doctorate is utilized and valued.

4.2.2. Utilization and value of doctorate

In response to the question on the extent to which the PhD benefits their current role, the majority of participants were positive with responses such as fully utilize , completely significantly , and use them every day . This utility was noted in terms of enhanced confidence, the benefits of critical thinking skills, in supporting clinical work and in fulfilling educational roles:

Informs my critical decision making on a daily basis. RN6

Enhanced confidence, has removed some of the ‘imposter syndrome’ I frequently experienced. RN31

At its most positive, it was described as transformational:

I use all of these on a daily basis. I could not have anticipated how much of a personal and professional impact that gaining my Doctorate would have been. Although I have only had it for a short period of time, it has been transformational. RN15

For a few, however, particularly those in teaching only or clinical roles, there seemed less opportunity to utilize and further develop skills gained through the doctoral journey:

So far there has been little opportunity to use the benefits in my current role. RN14 [Nurse lecturer]

It is not required for my current role. RN17 [Specialist nurse practitioner]

This lack of opportunity to utilize skills developed was frequently linked to a lack of recognition and valuing of the doctorate by others, which limited or stifled opportunities. This seemed particularly marked in the clinical setting leading some to end up working in academic roles even when this was not the intended career trajectory:

The personal benefits from undertaking a PhD result in a great deal of frustration in the workplace because the environment, your colleagues, the context within which you work and the way you are regarded do not change. You are equipped with greater insight, a more curious mind and a better ability to problem solve and critically analyse but the culture of the NHS is not ready for it. RN10

Having a doctorate has made me into a researcher, which was not my intention. My intention was to be a consultant nurse specialist […] I had planned to return to the NHS with my PhD but my skills were not valued in that setting and I have never been able to find a job in clinical practice that valued what I could bring as a doctorally prepared nurse. RN12

There was a strong implication here that such lack of recognition was particularly prevalent among nurses own colleagues and profession. This was seen as part of a cultural denial of the importance of academic skills and a dissociation of this from clinical care:

In the past, being interested in academic study was a bit of slur in the clinical area and I seemed to be regarded as someone not committed to the clinical area or not having strong practical skills. RN2

This contrasted with how medical colleagues valued what doctoral study could bring to the clinical setting:

Significantly undervalued by the senior nursing executive, and interestingly highly valued and regarded by medical colleagues. RN24

It is interesting, of everyone I worked with I think my consultant colleagues were actually the most respectful of my doctoral qualification. They definitely spoke to me and communicated differently when they knew I was doing a doctorate and once I graduated and they really made me feel it was recognised. RM1

While the PhD was seen as beneficial and well utilized by participants themselves, recognition of its value by others, especially by peers in clinical contexts, was clearly variable.

4.2.3. Impact on self

Outside of the impact of the PhD on career, there was a range of impacts from doctoral and post‐doctoral experiences on participants themselves. Many experienced disappointment and stress during their doctoral studies often related to a lack of support and the challenges of completing doctoral study while working:

Isolated as a PhD student whilst working full time, felt unsupported at times, acute anxiety in final year pre/post VIVA. RSCN1

I was apprehensive about starting a PhD given the amount of studying I knew it would require. Therefore I moved my family 200 miles to another HEI where I was aware the support and funding was more robust. (RM2)

Employer probably does not understand how challenging it is to undertake a PhD and run a Trust‐wide clinical service. RN25

Notably, for some, similar feelings persisted in the post‐doctoral phase being linked to the lack of recognition and value attached to the doctorate as well as to work pressure and expectations:

In HEI, in nursing in particular, the university wants you to teach, supervise, mark, manage modules, generate income, publish world leading outputs, supervise doctoral students etc. Do I feel valued? No. I just feel the demands are unrealistic. They want the penny and the bun. It's actually depressing for me and I'm increasingly disillusioned. RN7

However, despite these challenges, there was clearly a huge sense of pride and achievement attached to completing the PhD even when it did not seem to advance career or to be valued and recognized by others:

This has given me great kudos and respect outside my clinical team—and I am still able to undertake outcomes research in my field of expertise both individually and collaboratively on an international ‘stage’. It's still the best thing I ever did! RSCN5

The personal impact of the doctoral and post‐doctoral journey clearly varied then not only between participants but for the same participants at different points in the journey.

5. DISCUSSION

Key points emerge from this study. While the majority of participants could and did utilize the learning from their doctoral training, the opportunity to maximize the value of this was seen as more limited for those who remained in clinical settings. Other career opportunities, particularly in clinical settings, were seen as limited at best. These findings reaffirm research from the Netherlands (van Oostveen et al.,  2017 ) where a nursing culture that emphasizes direct patient care is perceived as an academic misfit and where insufficient leadership and supporting structures were seen to stifle clinical academic opportunities. Bullin ( 2018 ) describes this misfit as being (at least partly) a result of differences in epistemic cultures between professional nursing communities (based around discipline specific knowledge for clinical practice) and educational settings (based on critical thinking and transformational learning).

This cultural rift has been recognized in other empirical work. For example, a study from Australia (Borbasi & Emden,  2001 ) conducted interviews with nurses in positions of responsibility for employing nurses. While these employers recognized many of the same skills developed through doctoral study that our participants outlined, results also suggested a discrepancy between these skills and those required in practice and a ‘high degree of scepticism as to the usefulness of the degree for the workplace’ (Borbasi & Emden,  2001 , p. 192). Similarly, research from the US among Chief Nursing Officers found that while those surveyed had mainly positive perceptions of the doctorate, only 19% felt that nurse executives should pursue a doctorate of nursing, and only 9% believed that a doctorate should be the recommended degree option for nurse executives (Swanson & Stanton,  2013 ). There is an on‐going challenge then in helping colleagues and organisations recognize the link between skills developed through doctoral study and benefits for the clinical setting and patient care.

Our findings further highlight the financial and personal sacrifices that nurses often make when pursuing doctoral study. These sacrifices are not only made during the period of the PhD but, importantly, any career benefits that do accrue are frequently preceded by a (sometimes prolonged) post‐doctoral period of reduced salary and diminished status. The personal challenges of completing doctoral study while continuing to work, and the sacrifices made in doing so, have been well documented (e.g., Baldwin,  2013 ; Trusson et al.,  2019 ), but less attention seems to have been paid to the positive personal impact. Both Baldwin ( 2013 ) and Trusson et al. ( 2019 ) do, however, note the sense of personal achievement and increased confidence highlighted by our participants. The extent of the financial and personal sacrifices noted in our current study is likely, in part, to be a result of limited nurse leadership and a still underdeveloped infrastructure to support and develop clinical academic pathways for nurses in ways comparable to their medical colleagues.

Finally, findings here suggest that when such leadership and support are present, when nurses feel their doctoral skills are valued by their organisation and within their clinical setting, then doctoral study is seen as less of a risk (and therefore more attractive). Leadership and support can help bridge the cultural rift noted above. While recognizing how accessing funding and training (such as that provided by NIHR) is beyond the reach of many nurses at the point‐of‐care delivery, Cooper et al. ( 2019 ) highlight a range of practical, applied examples for supporting clinical career development for NMAHPs. These focus on strategic commitment, generating structures to engage, enthuse and empower, and realizing benefits for staff and patient experience—the very areas our participants thrived off when present and experienced as serious challenges when they were not.

6. LIMITATIONS

This study makes important contribution but is not without limitations. The recruitment routes for the study generated a convenience sample that may not be representative of UK doctoral nurses—although there is a reasonable spread across the four nations of the UK and across the fields of nursing practice. Caution should therefore be exercised in regard to the generalizability of these findings.

Finally, all data collected relied on self‐reported information. Such reporting is, by nature, subjective. However, as the aim of the study is to explore the perceived value of a PhD to nurses, it is the very substance of these subjective accounts that constitute the intended focus of the data.

7. CONCLUSIONS

This study provides one of the few insights into how doctoral trained nurses understand and experience the value and utility of their studies to themselves and others. Despite attempts in the UK to develop research alongside clinical practice, findings suggest that there remain barriers for nurses wishing to develop clinical career pathways through doctoral study. In particular, a cultural rift in how the skills and knowledge gained through doctoral study might benefit patients, clinical settings and organisations often leads to an undervaluing of the PhD and a concomitant loss of doctoral nurses from clinical settings to academia even when this is not a personally desired outcome for nurses embarking on such study. However, where organisational infrastructure and leadership recognize, support and value what doctoral skills can bring then the opportunities and benefits known to accrue from research‐led clinical environments are more likely to emerge and clinical‐academic pathways become more embedded.

8. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSE MANAGEMENT

Nurse managers can play a crucial role in generating a research‐led culture within their clinical setting: a culture that helps bridge the current misfit between clinical practice and critical thinking. This would include promoting an understanding of research as something directly related to patient benefit rather than an abstract, distant, intellectual activity.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

There is no conflict of interest.

FUNDING INFORMATION

This study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration and Leadership for Allied Health and Care Research for Yorkshire and Humber (CLAHRC YH). The analysis and reporting for this paper were further funded by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) as part of the Strategic Research Alliance between the RCN and the University of Sheffield.

ETHICS STATEMENT

Ethical approval was gained from the University of Sheffield, School of and Health and Related Research: reference number 023667.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The research was developed in partnership with a community of practice (CoP) of senior research managers and lead professionals (nurses and AHPs) in the NHS. This CoP called ACORN (Addressing Capacity in Organisations to do Research Network) based in the North of England (see https://www.arc-yh.nihr.ac.uk/what-we-do/capacity-building/acorn ).

Hampshaw, S. , Cooke, J. , Robertson, S. , Wood, E. , King, R. , & Tod, A. (2022). Understanding the value of a PhD for post‐doctoral registered UK nurses: A survey . Journal of Nursing Management , 30 ( 4 ), 1011–1017. 10.1111/jonm.13581 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

Funding information Royal College of Nursing; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration and Leadership for Allied Health and Care Research for Yorkshire and Humber

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

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• Bullin, C. (2018). To what extent has doctoral (PhD) education supported academic nurse educators in their teaching roles: An integrative review . BMC Nursing , 17 ( 1 ), e1–e18. 10.1186/s12912-018-0273-3 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
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• Great Britain Department for Education . (2017). Postgraduate doctoral loans: Government consultation response .
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• Henshall, C. , Kozlowska, O. , Walthall, H. , Heinen, A. , Smith, R. , & Carding, P. (2021). Interventions and strategies aimed at clinical academic pathway development for nurses in the United Kingdom: A systematised review of the literature . Journal of Clinical Nursing , 30 ( 11–12 ), 1502–1518. 10.1111/jocn.15657 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
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• Orton, M. L. , Andersson, Å. , Wallin, L. , Forsman, H. , & Eldh, A. C. (2019). Nursing management matters for registered nurses with a PhD working in clinical practice . Journal of Nursing Management , 27 ( 5 ), 955–962. 10.1111/jonm.12750 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
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Nursing Studies PhD

• Full-time: 3 to 4 years
• Part-time: Up to 8 years
• Start date: September 2024
• UK fees: £5,100
• International fees: £21,500

Research overview

Our research has a truly international outlook and wide-ranging impacts on society, the economy, health and welfare, culture, public policy and the environment.

The School of Health Sciences commands a reputation for world-leading research and education, 96% of the School’s research was ranked as internationally excellent or world leading (REF 2021), with Times Higher Education ranking us joint 4th for research quality. The QS World University Rankings (2022) ranked the SoHS 25th in the world for nursing and 4th in the UK.

A PhD in Nursing Studies allows you to extend your body of knowledge about nursing as you become a successful independent researcher within this field of study.

Our research is carried out in collaboration with clinical partners, global research centres and healthcare organisations. We have a dedicated Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare that works with our research groups and healthcare partners to provide methodological input, evidence synthesis and training.

We welcome all applications that strengthen the work of our research groups. Prior to submitting an application, please identify and contact a relevant supervisor. Full details of our PGR supervisors can be found here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/healthsciences/postgraduate/research-supervisors.aspx

Applications are welcomed from enthusiastic, talented and highly motivated individuals with a passion for research and for using research to make a difference.

Subject variations:

• A PhD in Physiotherapy allows you to extend your body of knowledge about an area of physiotherapy and rehabilitation sciences as you become a successful independent researcher within this field of study.
• A PhD in Midwifery allows you to extend your body of knowledge about the subject as you become a successful independent researcher within this field of study.
• A PhD in Health Sciences allows you to extend your body of knowledge about an area of healthcare as you become a successful independent researcher within this field of study.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Claire Diver, Director of Postgraduate Research.

Course content

We welcome all applications that align with the research interests of our staff and research groups.

For informal enquiries please contact the Director of Postgraduate Research, Dr Fiona Moffatt.

All modules are optional and bespoke to you. Modules will be chosen based on your discussions with academics.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Meeting our English language requirements

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional English course. Presessional courses teach you academic skills in addition to English language. Our  Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

For on-campus presessional English courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations. For online presessional courses, see our CELE webpages for guidance.

Visa restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

We recognise that applicants have a variety of experiences and follow different pathways to postgraduate study.

We treat all applicants with alternative qualifications on an individual basis. We may also consider relevant work experience.

If you are unsure whether your qualifications or work experience are relevant, contact us .

We only accept applications for PhD that are aligned with our research groups . We strongly recommend consulting with a supervisory academic from the appropriate research group to ensure your proposal is relevant for their programme of work, and that they have supervisory capacity. For informal enquiries please contact Dr Claire Diver, Director of Postgraduate Research

Our step-by-step guide contains everything you need to know about applying for postgraduate research.

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice .

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your personal budget, including any running costs for your project such as printing or equipment, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses. You should be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies or more specific titles.

The school contributes to some costs relating to conference/course attendance and some research consumables. The full cost of your course will vary depending on the nature of your research project, for example there may be additional costs for projects which require specific equipment or travel and you’ll need to have sourced funds for this. 

For UK students, there are numerous funding opportunities from:

• National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)
• Government research councils (such as the Economic and Social Research Council or Medical Research Council )
• Healthcare charities or foundations

Many of our international students seek funding support from governmental agencies or academic institutions. Find out more about our international scholarships .

There are many ways to fund your research degree, from scholarships to government loans.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

The School of Health Sciences offers an extensive research seminar programme open to staff and students. In addition, we run regular doctoral events that are accessible to part-time students or those studying or working off campus.

The University and school also provide a wide range of funding opportunities for research networking activities, conference attendance and internships.

Researcher training and development

The Researcher Academy is the network for researchers, and staff who support them. We work together to promote a healthy research culture, to cultivate researcher excellence, and develop creative partnerships that enable researchers to flourish.

Postgraduate researchers at Nottingham have access to our online Members’ area, which includes a wealth of resources, access to training courses and award-winning postgraduate placements.

Graduate centres

Our graduate centres are dedicated community spaces on campus for postgraduates.

Each space has areas for:

• socialising
• computer work
• kitchen facilities

Student support

You will have access to a range of support services , including:

• academic and disability support
• childcare services
• counselling service
• faith support
• financial support
• mental health and wellbeing support
• visa and immigration advice
• welfare support

Students' Union

Our Students' Union represents all students. You can join the Postgraduate Students’ Network or contact the dedicated Postgraduate Officer .

There are also a range of support networks, including groups for:

• international students
• black and minority ethnic students
• students who identify as women
• students with disabilities
• LGBT+ students

SU Advice provides free, independent and confidential advice on issues such as accommodation, financial and academic difficulties.

Where you will learn

Medical school – queen's medical centre.

Our Medical School is based in Queen’s Medical Centre, one of the UK’s largest hospitals.

There are dedicated clinical skills facilities including a dissection suite and teaching laboratories for medicine and healthcare students.

The hospital is located opposite  University Park Campus  and connected by a footbridge for easy access. Nottingham city centre is 15 minutes away by public bus or tram.

University Park Campus

University Park Campus  covers 300 acres, with green spaces, wildlife, period buildings and modern facilities. It is one of the UK's most beautiful and sustainable campuses, winning a national Green Flag award every year since 2003.

Most schools and departments are based here. You will have access to libraries, shops, cafes, the Students’ Union, sports village and a health centre.

You can walk or cycle around campus. Free hopper buses connect you to our other campuses. Nottingham city centre is 15 minutes away by public bus or tram.

Whether you are considering a career in academia, industry or haven't yet decided, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Expert staff will work with you to explore PhD career options and apply for vacancies, develop your interview skills and meet employers. You can book a one-to-one appointment, take an online course or attend a workshop.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route . Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for:

• NHS trusts (such as clinical specialists, advanced practitioners, modern matrons)
• Universities (such as lecturers and senior academics, lecturer practitioners, clinical academics and researchers)
• Private practices

100% of postgraduates from the School of Health Sciences secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation.*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology.

Related courses

Physiotherapy phd, midwifery phd, health studies phd, research excellence framework.

The University of Nottingham is ranked 7th in the UK for research power, according to analysis by Times Higher Education. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national assessment of the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

• 90%* of our research is classed as 'world-leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*)
• 100%* of our research is recognised internationally
• 51% of our research is assessed as 'world-leading' (4*) for its impact**

*According to analysis by Times Higher Education ** According to our own analysis.

This content was last updated on 01 August 2023 . Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.

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PhD Nursing Studies

• Ask a question
• Get a prospectus

Entry requirements

Fees and funding.

• What's next?

Our PhD in Nursing Studies offers you a unique opportunity to undertake research into the principles and practice of nursing. You will be offered opportunities to access our Masters level research methods modules to provide a sound foundation of specific research knowledge and skills. In addition, you will have access to the University's Proficio research training scheme which allows you to choose training programmes that meet the requirements of your own research topics and methodologies.

This PhD is offered on a 3 year full-time or 6 year part-time basis, plus up to a maximum of one year of completion.

• Our School of Health and Social Care offers a multidisciplinary environment with an excellent reputation for research and teaching.
• Our staff are multi-professional, and include clinically-qualified lecturers, sociologists and social policy and management specialists.
• Our staff work with local NHS Trusts and other local agencies, which enhances our grasp of the contemporary links between academic research, the major issues of the day and practice.

Our expert staff

Within the School of Health and Social Care, we have registered Nurses who are also PhD supervisors; these supervisors will support you with an understanding of nursing alongside the scientific rigour necessary to undertake such a PhD.

Where possible we offer two supervisors to ensure all your supervision requirements are met. Your supervisor(s) will guide you in developing your research plans and support you in your self-directed learning. You will also have two supervisory panels a year (one for part-time students) which will allow your progress to be monitored in a more formal manner. .

Specialist facilities

Your future.

Our Graduates have gone on to take up posts in both clinical and management positions in Trusts, hospitals and care organisations as well as in local and county councils.

UK entry requirements

International & eu entry requirements.

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please select your country page where you'll find this information.

English language requirements

Course structure.

A research degree doesn't have a taught structure, giving you the chance to investigate your chosen topic in real depth and reach a profound understanding. In communicating that understanding, through a thesis or other means, you have a rare opportunity to generate knowledge. A research degree allows you to develop new high-level skills, enhance your professional development and build new networks. It can open doors to many careers.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

You undertake a dissertation of 40,000 words on a subject relevant to your specialist area of practice.Dissertation workshops are held throughout the academic year which will help you to select a topic for your dissertation and provide guidance on writing up your research.

View Health and Social Care - Research on our Module Directory

Home/UK fee

£4,786 per year

International fee

£18,750 per year

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

• tour our campus and accommodation
• find out answers to your questions about our courses, graduate employability, student support and more
• talk to our Fees and Funding team about scholarship opportunities
• meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing [email protected] and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

2024 Open Days (Colchester Campus)

• Saturday 15 June 2024 - June Open Day
• Saturday 21 September 2024 - September Open Day
• Saturday 26 October 2024 - October Open Day

You can apply for this postgraduate course online . Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.

We will also need you to provide evidence of:

We encourage you to make a preliminary enquiry directly to a potential supervisor or the Graduate Administrator within your chosen Department or School. We encourage the consideration of a brief research proposal prior to the submission of a full application.

We aim to respond to applications within four weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.

For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘ how to apply ' information.

Visit Colchester Campus

Set within 200 acres of  award-winning  parkland - Wivenhoe Park  and located two miles from the  historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.

Virtual tours

If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tour allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications . The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

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Health & Medical PhDs

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Welcome to jobs.ac.uk’s Health and Medical academic jobs section. Here you can find the latest graduate jobs in nursing, medicine and dentistry and job opportunities in anatomy, physiology & pathology.

We regularly advertise new health and medical vacancies in UK and International Universities, the public sector, and commercial organisations worldwide. Find your next lecturer post in Sport Rehabilitation, research opportunity in physiotherapy, or tutor role in oncology.

108 PhDs Found

Agriculture, Food & Veterinary 19

Agriculture 15

Food Science 4

Veterinary Science 3

Architecture, Building & Planning 11

Architecture & Building 7

Urban & Rural Planning 9

Biological Sciences 117

Biochemistry 47

Genetics 22

Microbiology 28

Molecular Biology & Biophysics 48

Other Biological Sciences 66

Business & Management Studies 29

Accountancy & Finance 10

Business Studies 21

Hospitality & Leisure 3

Human Resources Management 3

Management 15

Marketing 5

Other Business & Management Studies 13

Real Estate Management 1

Computer Sciences 185

Artificial Intelligence 94

Computer Science 158

Cyber Security 14

Information Systems 59

Software Engineering 61

Creative Arts & Design 11

Other Creative Arts 5

Performing Arts 2

Economics 17

Education Studies (inc. TEFL) 2

Education Studies 0

Research Methods 1

Teacher Training 0

TEFL/TESOL 0

Engineering & Technology 387

Aerospace Engineering 63

Biotechnology 45

Chemical Engineering 78

Civil Engineering 57

Electrical & Electronic Engineering 167

Maritime Technology 28

Mechanical Engineering 130

Metallurgy & Minerals Technology 28

Other Engineering 171

Production Engineering & Manufacturing 61

Health & Medical 108

Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology 43

Medical Technology 40

Medicine & Dentistry 57

Nutrition 10

Pharmacology, Toxicology & Pharmacy 26

Historical & Philosophical Studies 19

Archaeology 2

History of Art 5

Philosophy 4

Theology & Religious Studies 1

Information Management & Librarianship 12

Curatorial Studies 5

Information Science 6

Librarianship 1

Other Information Management & Librarianship 2

Languages, Literature & Culture 19

Cultural Studies 9

Languages 4

Linguistics 7

Literature 6

Mathematics & Statistics 96

Mathematics 84

Statistics 41

Media & Communications 8

Communication Studies 5

Journalism 3

Media Studies 6

Publishing 1

Physical & Environmental Sciences 417

Chemistry 138

Environmental Sciences 60

Geography 15

Materials Science 205

Ocean Sciences 7

Other Physical Sciences 142

Physics & Astronomy 273

Politics & Government 16

Psychology 31

Social Sciences & Social Care 49

Anthropology 6

Human & Social Geography 12

Other Social Sciences 21

Social Policy 21

Social Work 6

Sociology 29

Sport & Leisure 15

Sports & Leisure Management 2

Sports Coaching 2

Sports Science 15

Administrative 0

Estates & Facilities Management 0

Finance & Procurement 0

Fundraising & Alumni 0

Health & Wellbeing 0

Hospitality, Retail, Conferences & Events 0

Human Resources 0

International Activities 0

IT Services 0

Laboratory, Clinical & Technician 0

Legal, Compliance & Policy 0

Library Services, Data & Information Management 0

PR, Marketing, Sales & Communication 0

Project Management & Consulting 0

Senior Management 0

Sports & Leisure 0

Student Services 0

Sustainability 0

Web Design & Development 0

Integrated Masters / Doctorate 0

International Doctorate 0

Professional Doctorate 0

EU Students 64

International Students 61

Self-funded Students 4

UK Students 104

Baden-Württemberg 1

Karlsruhe 1

Heidelberg 1

Switzerland 1

Canton of Bern 1

Bern-Mittelland District 1

United Kingdom 104

Berkshire 2

Brighton and Hove 1

Bristol City 2

Cambridgeshire 1

Cambridge 1

County Durham 1

Greater London 13

Greenwich 3

Greater Manchester 4

Manchester 4

Hertfordshire 2

Leicestershire 3

Loughborough 3

Merseyside 1

Liverpool 1

Oxfordshire 1

Plymouth 11

South Yorkshire 5

Sheffield 5

Southampton 10

Guildford 3

Tyne and Wear 7

Newcastle upon Tyne 7

West Midlands 9

Birmingham 5

West Yorkshire 4

On Site 102

Up to £9,999 0

£10,000 - £14,999 0

£15,000 - £19,999 35

£20,000 - £24,999 5

£25,000 - £29,999 0

£30,000 - £39,999 0

£40,000 - £49,999 0

£50,000 - £59,999 0

£60,000 - £69,999 0

£70,000 - £79,999 0

£80,000 - £89.999 0

£90,000 - £99,999 0

Over £100,000 0

Full Time 108

Part Time 0

Permanent 0

Fixed-Term/Contract 108

Commercial Organisations 0

European Universities and Colleges 2

North American Universities and Colleges 0

Other Public Sector 2

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Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?

Considering whether to stay in university as a PhD student or to leave and get a job? If so, you may be wondering “How much do PhD student get paid?” and “How does a UK PhD salary compare to a graduate salary?” .

In this post I delve into the details and reveal that the difference in take home pay between a UK PhD stipend and a grad position can actually be much lower than it first appears!

If you’re looking to know how much a PhD could boost your career and salary after finishing your doctoral degree I’d suggest checking out my post: Is a PhD Worth It ?

I also have a complementary post covering my monthly expenses as a PhD student. You may also wish to check out my guide to the application process , PhD FAQs and article on how I got a PhD scholarship .

February 2024 : This post has been updated to include figures for the 2023/24 academic year.

Do PhD students get paid in the UK? If so, how much do PhD students get paid?

Before we delve into the details let’s first cover whether PhD students get paid in the UK. Generally, yes, most PhD students get what is called a PhD stipend to support themselves during their PhD. Importantly, a PhD stipend (in the UK at least) is tax free .

It is worth noting though that not all PhD projects automatically include funding. Funding may also not be applicable for every applicant. For example sometimes it may only be available to home students i.e. those from the UK.

Therefore some students may resort to self funding their PhD. In STEM subjects self funding a PhD is pretty rare and often only happens because of limitations in funding eligibility. I’ve personally worked with a mix of funded and self-funded (often by parents) PhD students, though most are certainly funded by grants and scholarships.

If your project doesn’t already include funding, for most people I strongly advise trying to find funding rather than considering self funding. For more information on this check out my post on PhD Funding in the UK.

2023/24 UK PhD Salary

• PhD salary outside of London: In 2023/24 most new PhD students in the UK will receive a PhD stipend worth at least £18,622 per year .
• PhD salary in London : In 2023/24 most new PhD students in London will receive an increased stipend to account for cost of living , which is typically around £20,622 per year .

Notice that the PhD stipend for outside of London is at least £18,622 per year. I’ve seen several advertised at the London rate. There are also some available at an even higher rate. For example I know of CDTs in Bristol paying more like £24,000 tax-free.

Your PhD stipend will usually provide funding for 3.5 years, although it can occasionally be for 3 or 4 years.

These values are for most PhD studentships including those awarded by all UK research councils following the UKRI guidelines .

Certain scholarship schemes pay upwards of £25,000 per year, such as the £25,150 (2024/25 rate) President’s PhD Scholarships at Imperial. For details on how to get such a scholarship, check out this article where I go over how I got awarded my own PhD scholarship.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN)  runs all across the EU. As well as nice training and exchange opportunities it pays a staggering stipend of approx £40,000 – £45,000 . The grant level is reviewed each year and increases if you have family dependents. I personally wish I’d known about it earlier and highly recommend anyone interested puts a reminder in their diary for when the next call opens!

Is a UK PhD stipend taxable?

Here is what PhD stipends look like compared to some fairly typical starting grad salaries in the UK:

At first glance a PhD stipend doesn’t stack up well against the higher wages of a graduate salary which can sometimes be twice this amount or more. But crucially PhD stipends for students are tax free !

There are a few other financial perks that come with being a student so I was intrigued to find out how the two salaries really compared. The results may surprise you!

Below is a high level overview and I’ll delve into each of the numbers in depth later in the post.

Grad salary vs PhD salary starting numbers

As mentioned earlier, in 2023/24 a typical PhD stipend outside of London is at least £18,622 . Within London this will typically increase slightly to account for cost of living to around £20,622 . These rates rise every year for new students, but do not rise for each year of the PhD. So for new students considering starting in 2024/25 a UK PhD salary will likely be around £19,100 outside of London. 

For the sake of simplifying the comparison I averaged the 2023/24 PhD stipend to £19,622 for all PhD students studying in the UK.

A fairly typical grad salary, for someone qualified enough to be considering a science PhD, is around £30,000 . Of course this is an average salary so needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. As the number can vary dramatically it may be considered too low by some, but I think it’s a good benchmark accounting for different regions of the UK.

I’ve included higher and lower graduate salaries too in the summary charts for this post.

Salary Gap: £10,378

On the face of it the PhD student would be earning £10,378 less per year: around 35% lower! This is enough of a difference to put off a lot of potential PhD candidates who’ve likely spent the last few years building up student loans.

But unlike normal wages, PhD stipends are tax free so maybe things aren’t as bleak for PhD students as it seems? Let’s explore how they really compare.

Income Tax & National Insurance Contributions

The 2023/24 Personal Income Allowance is £12,570. This means that you can earn up to this amount and not pay any income tax. Earnings from £12,571 up to £50,270 fall into the basic rate bracket of 20% tax.

PhD Student Salary: PhD stipends are tax free and incur no income tax or national insurance contributions. Remaining stipend: £19,622

Professional Salary: On £30,000 you’d pay £ 3486 in income tax and NI contributions of £2004 . Remaining wage:  £24,510

Salary Gap: £4888 Income tax and national insurance contributions have immediately almost halved the difference in take-home pay from £10,378 down to £4888!

Student Loan Repayment

PhD Student Salary: Even with a PhD stipend you are officially an unwaged student so you won’t make student loan repayments as a PhD student. Remaining stipend: £19,622 [see footnote 1]

Professional Salary: The amount you may have to pay for student loan repayments depends upon when you started your undergraduate course. If you started your undergraduate course since 2012 you pay student loan repayments on earnings above £27,295. Meaning on a salary of £30,000 you’d pay £243 a year on student loan repayments. If you began your undergraduate course before 2012, repayments start on salaries above £22,015 and would be £541 a year . Most of you likely completed your undergrad degree recently so we’ll go with the more recent, lower, repayments. Remaining wage:  £24,267

Salary Gap: £4645

Council Tax

PhD Student Salary: Another cost that students are exempt from is council tax. Though be careful if you share a house with non-students since council tax must then be paid on the property. [2] Remaining stipend:  £19,622

Professional Salary: Council tax varies greatly between council boroughs, and depends on the property you live in. For example in Cardiff I lived in a one bed flat and the annual council tax was £1050 per year. During my PhD in London council tax for a lovely three bed house  in Clapham it was £1000! Now that I live in Bristol it is over £2000 per year for a three bed house. I’ll go to the liberty of saying on average it would be £1150 per year and would be divided between two people: -£575 each. Total: £23,692

Salary Gap: £4070

Private Pension Contributions

PhD Student Salary: Although universities pay a PhD stipend to students, you are not a member of staff and hence do not make private pension contributions. Remaining stipend:  £19,622

Professional Salary: Legislation has been phasing in making contribution to private pensions mandatory. The upside is that employers match your contribution up to varying percentages: sometimes up to about 10% of your salary. Additionally there are tax benefits to contributing so overall you could see it as boosting your salary looking at the longer term view. [3]

I believe there are troubling times ahead for 20-somethings and personally am not relying on a state pension existing by the time we all reach retirement age. Therefore I wholeheartedly recommend making a decently sized contribution at least up to the same amount that your employer matches. For the purposes of this comparison I won’t deduct anything for private pension since it’s not really being deducted so I’ll call this one a draw.  Total: £23,692

Student Discount

Ah the obvious one! Student discount may have been the first thing you thought of when you saw this article, but I’m not going to include it in this analysis.

A student card does allow a significant amount to be saved, not only on luxuries such as entry to attractions and deals in shops but also travel. For example in London, an 18+ student oystercard gets you 30% off travelcards. For a monthly zones 1-3 ticket this would save about £50 a month: over £600 a year!

The reason I’ve not included it? How much you use student discount depends on your circumstances and lifestyle and I wanted to keep the analysis widely applicable. Also, there are ways around needing to pay for travel at all: I started cycling to university every day in London .

Curveball: the £12,570 Tax-Free Personal Income Allowance

So far the recent grad is still earning an additional £4842 per year: almost a third more than the PhD student. Owing to the fact that PhD students are exempt from income tax, national insurance contributions, council tax and student loan repayments the gap in earnings has shrunk considerably.

One last calculation I wanted to try was to consider the scenario of a student earning some additional money on the side. It is a common thing to make extra money with teaching assistant, tutoring and consultancy opportunities. In fact I think every PhD student I know does at least a little. There are of course non-academic routes to make additional money too.

I have written a post about some of the ways that I make extra money , many of which are in fact available to non-students. Do be careful to check that this is acceptable at your institution. My favourite way to make extra money is matched betting which is tax-free for everybody. You can find my complete guide to matched betting here .

Tax-free side-hustle

Currently you can earn £12,570 tax free in the UK . Given that the PhD stipend itself is tax free, unlike an equivalent worker you wouldn’t pay any tax on extra earnings up to this threshold. This might sound insignificant but it’s not.

Admittedly, unless you’re very entrepreneurial, it is unlikely that you would make use of the whole tax-free opportunity. But earning several thousand pounds per year on top of the stipend is certainly common.

As pointed out by a reader, John, in the comments below: a consideration should be that that some universities limit how much paid work you can do per month. Even so, there are lots of ways to make money and your time as a student could even be a great time to start your own business .

I’ve been paid more than £25 an hour doing pretty simple work for the university , so these earnings can mount up quickly.

To illustrate the extra earning potential afforded to PhD students, let’s consider the most extreme case where the tax-free earnings are maximised.

Since 2017 there has been a £1000 tax-free trading allowance for workers in the UK , meaning even those in a normal taxable job can earn £1000 on top of their salary from side-hustle jobs. Therefore the grad will pay additional taxes on £11,570 instead of £12,570.

PhD Student Salary: An enterprising student maxing out the tax-free allowance could earn £12,570 a year and pay no national insurance either, leaving additional take-home pay of  £12,570 . With a PhD stipend of £17,062 the student would in total earn £32,192 for the year. They’d keep 100% of those extra earnings.

Again, yes it is unlikely that someone would really earn this much on the side but it is common to make at least several thousand throughout the year.

Professional Salary: As a grad on £30,000 per year in your main job, to have an equivalent side-hustle earning £12,570, in total you’d pay tax on £41,570. Income tax would be £5800: £2314 higher than on their base salary of £30,000. NI contributions would be £3335: £1331 higher. Plus student loan repayments would be £1284: £1041 higher. Student loan repayments really start increasing considerably when you’re earning more. These additional taxes and costs total deductions of £4686,  leaving the professional with extra take-home pay of  £7884 . Including their day-job the total they’d be left with is £31,576 .

For this extra £12,570 of work, the student would pocket 100% of it and the professional would keep £7884 ( 63% ). Looking at the pre-tax difference in their earnings: at face value the student would be earning £32,192 and the grad £41,570: a difference of £9378. Yet once taxes are considered the final result is two people with remarkably similar take-home pays: a difference of £616 in favour of the student!

Check it out:

Under these circumstances the student would in fact take home £616 more per year than the professional! I used the maximum tax-free allowance to highlight the point and yes it’s unlikely that many students will fully utilise it. Yet the point stands that any additional earnings are much better retained by PhD students.

If someone was running a fully-fledged business on the side then the difference becomes even bigger as the grad salary approaches the next tax bracket for earnings of £50,271 and above, at which point the rate of income tax doubles.

There are very few legal ways of making money which are tax-exempt for everyone. One of these rare cases is also my favourite way to make money on the side: matched betting. Intrigued? I’ve written a huge guide to it here . In this rare instance none of the grad’s extra earnings get eroded by tax.

Grad salary vs PhD student salary conclusion

Starting from a difference of £10,378 in salary, taxes and other outgoings have knocked £6308 off the graduate’s wage. This brings the difference in earnings down to £4070. This equates to £339 per month. More than nothing, but not a huge difference. And this doesn’t include any extra earnings on the side which the student can do a much better job of retaining.

Surprised how small the difference is? I certainly was whilst I was writing this.

Here is a chart for comparing a wider range of salaries:

This analysis doesn’t take in to account the extra earning power that gaining a PhD could bring, nor the potential lifestyle benefits of being a student such as autonomy and flexible working hours which it could be argued level the playing field even further. Plus the opportunities afforded to PhD students, which everyone should seize. And yes, student discount if you use it.

Furthermore if you consider the opportunity to make an additional £12k+ per year before incurring tax  any difference in earnings can become close to negligible!

I hope that this post has helped explain that the wage gap between UK PhD stipends and grad salaries is not as dramatic it first seems. Perhaps it’s even encouraged you to consider a PhD. If so I’ve written posts to help with your application and an article on how to improve your chances of securing a PhD scholarship . Also if you’re curious you can read about life as a PhD student along with profiles of PhD students around the world .

If you’d like personalised help with your PhD application I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

What do you think about this comparison between a UK PhD stipend and grad salary? Do you think there are any additional factors that I have overlooked? Please share your thoughts in the comments below and if you’ve enjoyed this post you can subscribe to hear about more content:

[1] Some people might say that by continuing studying you’re simply delaying your student loan repayment.  Considering most people don’t pay it off in the 30 odd years until any outstanding balance is wiped I think it’s fair to say that this doesn’t ring true.

[2] No council tax is paid on a property if all occupants are students. If you live with one professional they can claim the single occupancy discount of 25% but with two or more professionals the full council tax amount must be paid. If you share in a mixed group it is up to you how you divide it within the group. Ironically given the spirit of this post, last year I voluntarily did pay an equal (third) share of council tax given that my partner was moving to London specifically to live with me…

[3] If you go on to work for a university after your PhD you’ll be enrolled in the USS pension scheme where you’ll usually pay in 9% of your salary and your employer pays in 19%: yes, nineteen! For comparison most often the best private companies may match contributions up to 10%. Pension contributions are often removed from your pay packet before taxes. This effectively leaves you with a smaller salary and hence pay less taxes and national insurance contributions. Between this and your employer’s contributions overall your salary could be “boosted” by quite a bit, around 20% in the USS example, if you consider the pension as part of your long-term salary.

All calculations were carried out using the tax calculator on Martin’s Money Saving Expert. A fantastic website for all things personal finance.

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17 Comments on “PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?”

It’s probably worth factoring in that most HEIs limit PhD students to a maximum I’m of 10hours pw of external work. By my rough estimate, the student would have to earn £25 an hour to make the money you’ve described here. The side hustle, should probably be halved to reflect a more typical salary. Still a fair whack though.

Hi John, yes that’s a good point and I’ll update the post to reflect this. In my experience £25/hour is realistic, at least here at Imperial, though I appreciate it would rarely get fully utilised. Thanks again

Hello Jeff! I am a Sustainability Consultant from India, looking at PhD opportunities in UK. It would be great if we can connect and discuss a bit about your experience and journey. Looking forward!

Hey Akhyata! Great, yes let’s have a chat. I’ve emailed you to arrange it. Best wishes, Jeff

Hi Jeff! I love your article, I’m a pharmacist juggling the idea of a PhD. I would love to take up on your offer to connect.

Hey Kai! Great, I’ll email you now to arrange it.

Hi Jeff, I am a law grad very interested in further study and pursuing a PhD.

I would love the chance to chat to you further about this article and your experience!

Thanks in advance

Hey Clara, Yeah no worries. I’ll send you an email now to discuss.

Hi Jeff, I’m putting together a PhD proposal at the moment and would really appreciate your input on a few things about the process when you have some free time. Cheers, Ben

Hi Ben, sure no problem, I’m happy to try and help. Let’s discuss over email.

Hi Jeff, Thank you for taking the time to write the articles you do. On this particular article, you have saved us all quite a lot of time. With such a minimal difference even without an additional income, it makes a lot of sense, especially with an increase when you graduate.

Those from the UK can take a £24k loan from the Gov (as if they didn’t have enough debt already). Still, it could enable a student to focus more on academia, speeding up the process and increasing the quality of work.

Apologies Jeff, the stipend and student loan are not available at the same time.

Thanks very much for your comments Tyrone. I’m pleased you find the website useful!

If you can get funding, I agree that there isn’t much of a reason to not do a PhD.

I must admit I’ve never looked much at postgraduate loans, in part because I encourage everyone doing a PhD (in STEM at least) to pursue funding. We’re doing PhDs which can help wider society and it doesn’t make sense for people to have to sacrifice even more by adding extra debt if they can avoid it. Interesting to hear that you can’t take out a loan if you have a stipend, thanks for letting me know.

Perhaps of interest to you, there is a post going live tomorrow which should put the length of a PhD in context of someone’s whole career. In short it doesn’t sacrifice much of a career but of course but make a very useful addition!

If there are any other topics you want to see covered please do let me know.

Best wishes.

Tax Free is not a perk. If you are not paying tax in the UK you cannot contribute to your pension. This may not seem important now, but it will later. This is especially important for mature students who can really lose out if there is a break in their NI contributions.

Thanks for your comment Marie.

The point is that normal tax-paying jobs don’t actually pay quite as much more than PhD stipends once you consider tax. I agree that over the long term avoiding paying taxes is neither a good idea because of things like pensions, nor is it socially ethical. But I don’t think there is any harm in taking 3-4 years out for a PhD:

You have to pay NI for a minimum of only 10 years to qualify for some level of state pension in the UK. After this the pension received simply increases linearly with the number of years of contributions, up to a max of 35 years. With retirement age edging up to 70 that gives at least 45 years between undergrad and retirement so most people will comfortably qualify (for now) for the full state pension. I’d argue that there is ample time to earn some tax free money as a PhD student without having to worry about making enough NI contributions. You can even voluntarily pay NI to gain additional qualifying years on your record. More generally I’d suggest also to not rely on receiving the state pension, I’m not personally betting on there even being a state pension by my own retirement (nor do I want to retire at 70+) so it’s always a good idea to build up your own private pension and savings too!

Hi Jeff, I was looking for funded PhD projects in the Marie Curie network and found a few on the EURAXESS website, but they all require a Master’s degree to apply. I was wondering if there is something I am missing or if you know where to find PhD funding opportunities in the Marie Curie network with only a bachelor’s degree. Thank you.

Hi Alex, thanks for your comment. I must admit I’m not an expert on all of the different Marie Curie funding routes available. If you’ve already done an extensive search then it sounds like yes they all may require a Master’s. By the way, when I first wrote this post I believed that all PhDs funded by UK research councils (UKRI) were at the very specific levels as mentioned in the post. However, I now know that there are some exceptions. For example, the Interactive AI CDT here at Bristol pays a stipend of £22,106: quite a bit higher than the standard non-London rate. CDTs such as this one include a foundation year and not everyone has a Master’s, so it may be worth considering schemes such as this. Best wishes, Jeff.

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The UK Nursing Salary and Pay Scale Guide - 2024

UK nursing salary & pay scale guide 2024. Discover how much nurses get paid plus bandings, benefits and more.

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Nhs pay calculator, agenda for change nhs nursing pay scale and bands 2023 to 2024, what is agenda for change, about nursing pay in the uk, what is the average wage for a uk nurse, an analysis of private and public sector nursing pay, what are the wider benefits of being an nhs nurse, what are the pros and cons of bank and agency nursing in terms of pay, how can i earn extra money as a nurse, what was 'the new pay deal', what band do newly qualified nurses start at, what level of responsibility and duties can you expect within each nursing band, the right pay for the right job - browse our jobs, useful sites and further information, nhs new pay deal calculator.

Our Nurse's Pay Calculator is based on Agenda for Change NHS Pay Scales and Bands in England for 2023 to 2024 (April to end of March). Our bandings and calculator have also been updated to reflect the pay rise confirmed in May 2023 – but do not include the one-off payment awarded within that deal.

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You may have heard of the so-called ‘Agenda for Change’ (AfC). Essentially, AfC was a new system introduced in 2004 that underpinned the banding structure that applies to nursing pay today. It was implemented to correct historic problems with nursing pay – namely, to provide a more structured way of ensuring NHS staff get equal pay for work of equal value.

This idea of allocating roles to specific pay bandings was a new one, and broadly speaking, the system has remained largely unaltered since 2004.

Between April 2018 and March 2021 the new pay structure 'New Pay Deal' in NHS England was rolled out. This has since been followed by one-off, annual pay increases between 3% and 5% following negotiations between the government and health unions.

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To say nursing pay is a hot topic is something of an understatement. And while it’s widely understood that nursing is a rewarding career, do the financial rewards match the demands of the job?

Between 2010 and 2015, average NHS nursing salaries increased by just over 2%.

Then between 2015 and 2017, a fixed 1% pay rise was implemented – the well-known ‘pay cap’. From 2018 to end of March 2021 The New Pay Deal was implemented where salaries across the board increased over a 3 year period. In July 2021, a 3% pay rise was announced for NHS nurses, followed by a similar increase in 2022. Most recently, in May 2024, a 5% increase was announced, in addition to a one-off payment. This payment ranged from around £1900 for a Band 5 nurse, to more than £3000 for Band 8 or 9 specialists.

However, these headlines don’t tell the full story of nursing pay. Does the private sector, for example, offer higher wages, as is often assumed? Do bank and agency nurses, often working side-by-side with permanent staff, enjoy vastly superior pay packets? And just how good is the NHS pension and other salary-supplementing benefits?

Few jobs carry such a broad range of salary ‘banding’, and few present such intricate differences in terms of private and public sector pay and benefits.

Nursing offers great career flexibility, and that applies to pay too – bank and agency nurses often have the freedom to increase their earnings as and when they need to. For nursing students and aspiring nurses, understanding these factors is vital when considering your future.

Our comprehensive guide to nursing salaries, bandings and pay tackles this complex and often controversial subject with simple facts and insider tips, offering straightforward guidance on all the key factors affecting what nurses earn.

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A question we’re often asked is: what is the average wage of a UK Nurse?

It’s something everyone from aspiring nurses to qualified nurses in other countries are eager to understand.

Finding an ‘average’ is tricky, for a number of reasons.

UK nurses can work in the NHS or the private sector and pay can vary greatly between the sectors. And within the NHS, pay alters according to experience and professional development.

Various job boards and recruitment sites that track the salaries of jobs they post suggest the average wage of a UK nurse is somewhere around the £35,000 to £38,000 a year mark.

Interestingly, more than 50% of Adult nurses are between the age of 41 and 60. And while some people do become nurses in their 40s and beyond, we also know that the vast majority of newly qualified nurses are under the age of 30.

That suggests the average nurse has at least 5 years’ experience, which corresponds with the £35,000 to £38,000 range.

It doesn’t necessarily reflect private sector pay but given that the vast majority of nurses work in the NHS, this figure seems the most reliable available.

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While NHS pay for nurses is very clearly structured, private sector pay can vary wildly.

For starters, many private sector nurses who might work for private healthcare organisations, schools or charities typically negotiate their salaries. As is the case in most other industries, jobs can be advertised without clearly defined salaries or will be caveated with ‘salary dependent on experience’.

As a result, the private vs NHS pay debate is an impossible one to solve. Put simply, some private sector nurses will earn more than in the NHS, and some less.

It’s best instead to consider the other factors surrounding this debate – and what kind of person you are. The NHS offers stability and reliability. The salary bandings and benefits are clear and unwavering. You know where you are with an NHS job.

But a private nursing job will operate differently altogether. While you might hit a banding ceiling at the NHS, the same constraints won’t necessarily apply privately. Just like the rest of the UK’s private sector workers, if you think you’re worth more, you can walk into your boss’ office and ask. But nothing is guaranteed – so there are no incremental or government rises.

However, to understand the benefits of being an NHS nurse, you really need to consider the benefits package too…

One of the best aspects of being an NHS nurse is the inarguably excellent benefits – which do have a meaningful impact on your overall financial circumstances.

Here are some of the best:

• Enhanced pay for unsociable hours – between 30% and 60% above standard rate for night shifts, weekends and bank holidays
• The NHS Pension Scheme remains one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK (it’s worth noting that employee contributions are typically higher than in the private sector, however)
• 27 days’ holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Free access to occupational health and counselling support
• Six months full pay and six months half pay for sick leave
• Generous maternity and paternity leave (well above the statutory minimum)
• Vast and varied access to training courses and professional development – often with full support and funding from the trust you work with

For many nurses, it’s actually the benefits that seal the deal when deciding to work for the NHS.

Another common misconception surrounds agency work.

Permanent nurses often work alongside agency nurses on particular shifts, and quickly catch on that their hourly rate far exceeds their own. From this, a conclusion is quickly jumped to: I’d earn more as an agency nurse. And this isn’t necessarily the case.

While an agency rate is typically higher, agency nurses don’t get any sick pay or annual leave. Furthermore, there is no guarantee of work, and if you want to work consistently you might be forced to work in locations or disciplines you’d prefer not to. Plus, ‘agency caps’ are being applied to trusts across the country – which is threatening the amount of agency nurses each trust can actually use.

So pay in this instance really is about more than money. For the right person though, being an agency nurse really can pay off. The most successful agency nurses cast their nets widely. They might register for bank work at two neighbouring trusts, and then with a nursing agency too. As a result, they have to be open to a wide variety of opportunities, working in hospitals, medical centres, prisons or schools from one day to the next. But if you’re a nurse looking to build experience and try out other disciplines, this can all work in your favour – all whilst boosting your pay packet.

The bottom line is to understand the kind of person you are, and the kind of nurse you want to be. Both ways of working can be financially rewarding if you approach them in the right way. And you can of course switch whenever necessary – as a qualified nurse, permanent, NHS, private, agency and bank work is all at your disposal.

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In the long term, it’s certainly true that maximising your income from nursing will rely heavily on the experience you gain, the skills you develop and the qualifications you accumulate.

But that doesn’t paint the entire picture. There are various ways of earning extra money and many techniques to boost your pay packet throughout your career.

Here are our top tips:

• Choose evening, weekend and bank holiday shifts where possible as these are paid at enhanced rates
• Take extra shifts by registering with your trust’s in-house bank
• Try to take risks by working in different disciplines, different areas and different trusts – as is the case in any job, there is huge value not only in building up a wide range of experience, but also a wide range of contacts
• If you want to work as an agency nurse, sign up to multiple banks and agencies to keep your options open and get more shifts
• Whether provided through a trust or an agency, always make use of training courses – these skills will be vital in moving up within your banding or negotiating a salary increase
• Be entrepreneurial and open-minded. Are there some less conventional ways of making money? Could you, for example, offer tutoring to nursing students? Your skills and knowledge are valuable – so think of other ways of utilising them
• Don’t forget to check your payslips and timesheets carefully. Mistaken overpayments are not uncommon, and a refund is often demanded immediately. So having clear proof of what you have or haven’t been paid is essential

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From 1st April 2018 a restructuring of NHS Pay was set in place. It was called the New Pay Deal and it started a three year process where nurses' minimum salaries would increase by at least 6.5%.

Pay points were retired during this process, and a new banding system was introduced – the pay bands you can view at the top of this guide.

• Over the three years between March 2018 and April 1st 2021, nurses saw a minimum salary increase of 6.5%
• 3 % in 2018/19
• 1.7% in 2019/20 plus a lump sum worth 1.1% paid in April 2019
• 1.7% in 2020/21
• These rates refer to top-of-band nurses – nurses at the bottom of their bandings saw increases of over 10% over the three years
• In some Band 8 and Band 9 positions, pay increases were structured differently
• Band overlaps were removed to ensure that promotions come with meaningful pay increases
• Importantly, the New Pay Deal was funded by new government money – not by removing funding from patient care
• Unsocial hours payments were not affected

The New Pay Deal has been followed by one-off, yearly increases – all of which have been hotly contested.

All qualified nurses start at Band 5.

Nursing bandings are essentially the different levels of pay on offer to nurses according to their experience and qualifications. Newly qualified nurses automatically start at the bottom of Band 5 – regardless of whether you qualify as an adult, children’s, Mental Health or Learning Disability Nurse.

As you can see, annual incremental pay increases are granted within each banding – provided you keep up with your relevant training.

However, once you hit the top of your banding, you’ll only receive annual government increases. In a sense, this is similar to any other job; you hit the ceiling of earning potential within your role, and so to progress you have to look for a promotion or a new job. As a nurse, you’ll be looking therefore for a role that sits within the band above you, for which you will need suitable qualifications and experience.

Which NHS band are overseas Nurses placed into?

Guidance from the NHS suggests that qualified overseas nurses, once fully registered with the NMC, are placed into Band 5.

Beyond this, NHS advice suggests that overseas nurses can move immediately into higher bandings if they successfully apply for roles attached to those bandings.

However, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that in many cases, even very experienced overseas nurses are placed into Band 5 on arrival.

Band 5 is a newly qualified level, so many deem this to be unfair.

It’s an issue that is regularly debated, but not without complexity. Different international qualifications and training programmes mean that the journey a nurse takes at different points in their career differs greatly from one country to the next.

Band 5 – Newly Qualified Nurse

As a newly qualified nurse, you’ll start at the bottom of Band 5. Typically, you’ll start in a hospital setting and then progress within your ward – gaining experience as you move up within your banding.

Many wards have a fairly clear career progression path in place from the very beginning, which helps you to plan ahead. Training opportunities will be vital not only to moving up within your banding, but to giving yourself the necessary skills to apply for Band 6 positions.

Band 6 – Senior Nurse, Health Visitor and Specialist Nurses

Band 6 roles will often involve similar tasks and responsibilities to Band 5 – but the vital difference is that they will be more specialised. A good example of a Band 6 job would be a health visitor, which would require some further qualifications. Equally, you might want to specialise in intensive care or long-term care, with these roles often coming with a Band 6 salary.

Ultimately, to progress to Band 6, you will need to pursue some further training within a specialist area – but the trust you’re working for will often provide funding or support for this.

Band 7 – Ward Manager, Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Band 7 roles typically require a Master’s level degree or equivalent – but again, trusts are often very keen to support their nursing staff in attaining these qualifications. And importantly, tasks and responsibilities really step up a notch. Common examples include Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs), whose advanced training allows them to conduct detailed assessments, make diagnoses and prescribe medicine. In fact, at this level, a nurse’s role begins to include responsibilities you might normally associate with a doctor.

You can also progress to this level within a more detailed specialism. An operating department practitioner, for example, might prepare a patient for surgery and assist the surgical team. These advanced skills require a lot of extra study and many years’ experience, but it’s a career route that often begins with a standard Band 5 nursing post.

Furthermore, as a general point, some more managerial nursing roles (like a Ward Manager) may well fit into Band 7.

Band 8 – Modern Matron or Chief Nurse

For nurses, this banding reflects heads of nursing teams. You will still carry out many nursing duties, but you’ll also look after a large team of staff. At this level, proven management skills are essential, so it’s about experience and not just qualifications. Salaries can jump hugely in this banding, but that’s because of the extra responsibility and the inevitably long hours.

Band 9 – Consultant

Band 9 is exclusively for consultant level nurses. Here, you need to be an expert in your field – proven through experience and study. Like consultants or advisors in any other industry, you’ll be tasked with helping to shape high-level decision-making. Reaching this level will require a career-long pursuit of specialist skills and qualifications to supplement your vocational experience.

A final note on bandings and roles

While a newly qualified nurse will always be placed into a Band 5 role, from band 6 onwards the question of which roles fit which bandings becomes more complex.

A good example might be an Advanced Nurse Practitoner.

In most cases this is classed as a Band 7 role. However, where it’s slightly more specialised, it is occasionally offered as a Band 8a role (for example, something like an Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner).

So any classifications of bandings and roles have to be seen as a guide only. Wherever you are in your career, the roles you aspire towards and which banding they are on could vary depending on the specialisation, and even the NHS Trust itself.

Ultimately, your route to getting the pay need and deserve typically starts by finding the right kind of job. And when it comes to nursing jobs, we’ve got you covered.

To find your next role, head to

• Adult Nurse
• Mental Health Nurse
• Learning Disability Nurse
• Children's Nurse
• Care Home Manager

Useful sites and further information

Government nhs pay review body, agenda for change pay deal, scottish government - support for student nurses and midwives, agenda for change pay deal (about - wikipedia).

Choose your Pay Band and Pay Point (as it was in March 31st 2018) and it will show the incremental increases made during the transitional period of the New Pay Deal up to end of March 2021.

Your total change in earnings over three years

31 Mar 2018

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• Lecturer and Professor Salaries – Explained
• After a PhD

Based on the 2018/19 HE Single Pay Spine and the typical 2019/20 university grade system, the average possible salary for university staff in the UK is: £40,761 for a Lecturer, £51,590 for a Senior Lecturer, £64,356 for an Associate Professor and £90,891 for a Professor.

Introduction

On this page, we discuss how the UK academic pay scale works, the average salaries of university lecturers and professors, and how they change with academic rank. While we’ve summarised the salaries at the top of this page, we go on to provide a full breakdown for each rank, so continue reading for the full picture.

How Salary Scales Work within UK Universities

In the United Kingdom, there is a single national pay spine that governs the salaries of university staff. The pay spine, formally known as the ‘ HE Single Pay Spine ’, is led by University and College Union ( UCU ) which negotiates salaries, pay structure and employment conditions on behalf of higher education (HE) and further education (FE) institutions.

It’s important to recognise that although the vast majority of UK universities adopt the HE Single Pay Spine, a handful of institutions do not. In such cases, staff salaries are regulated internally and may differ from those stated on this page.

Many considerations go into determining a staff member’s salary, but to summarise, staff members are assigned a grade based on their level of responsibility, experience and position (e.g. Lecturer, Senior Lecturer or Professor) and a corresponding spine value. In turn, the spine value corresponds to a pre-determined salary listed in the ‘HE Single Pay Spine’.

Note: London universities generally offer slightly higher Lecturer and Professor salaries, but this is only to offset the higher cost of living associated with working in the capital. This offset, more commonly referred to as a ‘London Allowance’, is typically in the region of £3,000 per year .

Average Salaries of University Lecturers and Professors in the UK

Based on the 2018/19 HE Single Pay Spine and the average 2019/20 grading levels adopted by three UK universities, we have determined the average salaries of research assistants, lecturers and professors as shown in the table below.

Note: Although the average salaries provide a quick, useful insight, it would be equally advantageous to know the salary range for each position, as academic salaries are relatively dynamic; the reason for this is discussed later.

Table showing average salaries and ranges for Research Assistants, Lecturers and Professors in the UK

The following image shows these salary ranges in the context of the typical progression paths observed for higher education positions within UK universities.

It is worth noting that while salaries can exceed £100,000 per year for positions with significant managerial responsibility, very few individuals will reach these positions. In fact, data from the Office for Students (OfS) shows that in 2017/18, only 1.5% of academic staff were paid over £100,000.

How Salary Increases Works

Salary increases within a grade.

The expectation is that each year, staff members will move up the spine scale and receive a pay increase in line with their new spine level. This will continue until the ceiling of their current grade is reached. At that point, with the exception of inflation-adjusted increases, the staff member will stop receiving wage increases until they move up a grade.

Note: The grade of a staff member reflects the level of responsibility they have, which usually coincides with their job title, i.e. whether they are a Lecturer, an Associate Professor or a Professor.

Increasing Grades

Moving up a grade is only possible when the responsibilities of a staff member increase noticeably or when they are promoted to a higher position, such as from a Senior Lecturer to an Associate Professor.

Non-Monetary Benefits

As with most professions, a university Lecturer or Professor’s job position comes with non-monetary benefits that complement their salary. These will vary between universities, and sometimes even within the same university, but can include:

• Allowances for travel or relocation,
• Discounted or fully waived access to training, university courses and on-site recreational facilities,
• Private healthcare,

UK vs US Lecturer and Professor Salaries

Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States does not have a national academic pay scale. This means that the salaries of Lectures and Professors in the US vary considerably not only between universities but also between states, institution types (public or private) and academic fields.

In addition, because the US does not have a national academic pay scale, it’s common for staff members to negotiate a pay increase when moving to a new institution. This is not generally the case in the UK as it would place staff members outside of the single pay spine.

According to ‘ The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2018-2019 ‘, produced by the American Association of University Professors ( AAUP ), the average university lecturer salary and average university professor salary within the United States is as per the comparison table below.

Table comparing average salaries for Lectures and Professors in the UK and the US

It should be noted that the US salaries stated above have the potential to be skewed. This is because the data provides a total sum only for the number of universities forming the data, and not for the number of staff members holding each position type.

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