What are the differences between junior doctor pay in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland?
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Executive summary
England’s new junior doctor contract has produced higher headline basic pay points (for example FY1 ~£36,616 quoted for England) while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland mostly remain on the older 2002 resident-doctor contract with different pay progression patterns and additional basic pay points for some FY1/FY2 cases (sources differ on exact figures and reporting) [1] [2] [3]. Non-basic pay — allowances, banding and unsocial-hours enhancements — is a much larger share of total earnings in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland than in England, altering take-home differences beyond basic salary comparisons [2] [4].
1. Contract divergence: England versus the devolved nations
England implemented a reformed junior‑doctor contract starting in 2016; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland largely continue to use the older 2002 resident‑doctor contract framework. That divergence means basic pay scales, the number and spacing of pay points, and the way overtime/unsocial-hours work is rewarded differ across the four countries [5] [3] [4].
2. Basic pay levels and pay‑point structure
Published summaries show England listing FY1 at about £36,616 for 2025/26, and a junior‑doctor basic‑pay range up to about £61,825 in some guides — figures presented as England’s headline scales — while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use multi‑point incremental scales where pay typically increases every year of training rather than by larger, less frequent jumps seen in England [1] [3]. Nuffield Trust notes that Wales and Northern Ireland maintain additional higher basic pay points for FY1 and FY2 in certain circumstances [2].
3. The role of non‑basic pay (banding, allowances, unsocial hours)
Comparing basic pay alone is misleading. The DDRB and analysts note that non‑basic pay — banding and allowances for extra/unsocial hours and on‑call — make up a meaningful share of total resident‑doctor earnings and that share is substantially larger in Scotland (reported up to 84% in one analytical summary), Wales (32–44%) and Northern Ireland (47–62%) than in England (28–33%), according to a Nuffield Trust synthesis of the evidence [2]. The older 2002 contract used in devolved nations embeds banding differently, which increases the relative importance of non‑basic pay in those countries [4] [3].
4. Progression patterns: incremental versus step changes
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland pay rises happen incrementally with each year of training; in England the revised contract produces fewer but larger step increases. That difference changes short‑term and medium‑term earnings trajectories: an English trainee may jump more at certain promotion points, while trainees elsewhere receive steadier annual increases [3].
5. Local variations, London weighting and small nation differences
Published calculators and guides stress that local allowances (for example London weighting in England) and small differences in how devolved governments apply uplifts mean two identical grades can pay differently depending on location. Several resources provide calculators covering all four nations to capture these local effects [6] [7]. Pulse and GP‑training guides caution that small differences (a few hundred pounds) exist between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because annual pay decisions are devolved [5] [8].
6. Industrial context: negotiations and recent disputes
Pay is politically contested. Recent reporting notes Wales approved an improved pay deal voted for by junior doctors, Scotland reached a deal that ended industrial action, and Northern Ireland negotiations were ongoing as of late 2024 — all of which affect real‑world pay outcomes and morale [9]. The BMA has publicly argued inflation has significantly eroded pay in some nations, notably Northern Ireland in past commentary [10].
7. What the numbers do and do not show
Available sources list headline FY1/FY2 and trainee pay ranges for England and provide analysis comparing the composition of total pay across nations; they also note Scotland had not finalised a 2025/26 deal in some analyses and that detailed annual pay points differ by nation [1] [2]. Sources do not provide a single table directly comparing every pay point across all four nations in one place in this dataset — for full, up‑to‑date, line‑by‑line comparisons consult the BMA or official pay scales for each nation [11] [4].
8. Practical takeaway for trainees and employers
Don’t compare only headline basic pay. Consider (a) whether the post is in England with the reformed contract or in a devolved nation on the 2002 contract, (b) expected banding/unsocial‑hours income for the post, (c) local premiums such as London weighting, and (d) the state of current pay negotiations in that nation [3] [2] [9]. For exact annual figures and to model net pay, use up‑to‑date calculators and the official BMA/departmental pay documents referenced by sources [6] [11].
Limitations: this summary uses the supplied reporting and guide material; it cannot confirm every specific pay‑point for 2025/26 across all grades because devolved nations publish varying schedules and some analyses excluded nations awaiting ratified offers [2] [5].