How much do junior doctors earn? Pay scales for NHS doctors in England - what hours do they work

Junior doctors in England have begun three days of strike action - in only the second time such industrial action has taken place in the 74-year history of the NHS.

The 72-hour continuous strike is taking place on 13, 14, and 15 March. No fewer than 98% of British Medical Association (BMA) members who voted on the question of strike action voted in favour of the strike - the large-scale industrial action will force the NHS to cancel hundreds of thousands of operations and appointments across the country.

Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, met with the BMA but strike action wasn’t averted. The driving factor behind the strike is a pay dispute, with junior doctors arguing that they have seen their real-terms pay erode by 26% since 2009 due to below inflation pay rises.

Junior doctors last went on strike in 2016 over the introduction of a new contract - the industrial action led to pre-planned operations including knee and hip replacements being cancelled. Staff also cite worsening working conditions as a reason behind the strikes, with hospitals overwhelmed with waiting times for patients continuing to rise.

Every hospital in England will be affected, as junior doctors make up more than 40% of the NHS medical workforce.

How much do junior doctors earn in England?

The national average salary for junior doctors is £34,790, however, this varies significantly depending on the stage of training a doctor is in, and whether they are involved in specialist training.

Currently, a junior doctor in foundation year one - the first stage of their training after formal education and foundation training - will earn £29,384 before tax and £24,003 (£2,000 per month) after tax and national insurance in 2023.

However, if the junior doctor is also repaying a student loan and makes pension contributions of the 9.3% set for this pay grade, the take home pay drops to £21,621 annually (£1,801 per month).

Pay rates for junior doctors do vary - for those in foundation year two, the salary rises to £34,012 per year (£2,834 per month) before tax - £27,150 annually and £2,262 per month after tax and national insurance.

Junior doctors in speciality training with years of experience under their belt can expect to earn substantially more, with annual pre-tax pay ranging from just over £40,000 to £58,398.

How many hours do junior doctors work?

On average, doctors in the UK are contracted to work 40 hours a week - this is the work they are actually paid for. This time is generally split between clinical hours - 28 hours and the rest being administrative work.

Junior doctors can opt out from the 40-hour limitation by signing an opt-out clause which would allow them to work longer hours, for which they would be paid. Usually junior doctors work regular shifts, however their contracts can also include weekend and late night work.

When did junior doctors last get a pay rise?

In a deal agreed in 2019, before the pandemic and cost of living crisis, junior doctors were guaranteed a 2% pay rise every year until March 2023 - this means that in the last year the lowest paid junior doctors will have received a pay rise of less than £600 per year, before tax.

With a pay rise of 2% on current earnings, the lowest paid junior doctors would see a pay rise of £33 per month after tax and national insurance contributions.