What are current NHS pay bands and basic salaries for junior doctors in 2025?
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Executive summary
From 1 April 2025 the agreed pay award for resident (junior) doctors was a headline 4% uplift to basic pay plus a one‑off £750 payment, producing an average increase of about 5.4% for resident doctors and pushing an expected average full‑time basic pay to roughly £54,300 in 2025–26 [1] [2]. Basic pay ranges for resident doctors sit broadly between roughly £32,400 at entry and up to about £63,000 for senior trainees, with estimates of total full‑time earnings (including enhancements/banding) ranging from ~£41,300 for very junior doctors to £71,300 for late specialty registrars [3] [4].
1. What “junior doctor” / “resident doctor” pay means in 2025 — terminology and the award
Since 2024–25 the term “resident doctors” has become the government’s preferred label for what was widely called “junior doctors,” and the 2025 award the government accepted follows recommendations from the independent review bodies: a 4% uplift to basic pay for doctors plus an additional consolidated £750 payment for resident doctors — a package that the Department of Health said averages a 5.4% increase for resident doctors in 2025–26 [5] [2] [1].
2. Basic pay ranges you should expect — entry to senior trainee
Multiple analyses and official summaries place resident doctors’ basic pay in 2025 in a band from about £32,397–£38,831 at foundation entry levels up to ~£63,162 for more senior trainee grades, with Nuffield Trust summarising basic pay for resident doctors as between £32,397 and £63,162 [3]. NHS Health Careers and BBC reporting give the foundation figures specifically: FY1/FY2 basic salary points are cited around £38,831 rising to £44,439 for the second foundation year [6] [7].
3. Total earnings vs basic pay — why banding and enhancements matter
Basic pay is only one part of a resident doctor’s income. Non‑basic pay — banding, antisocial hours enhancements, on‑call/availability payments, weekend supplements and London weighting — can add a substantial share. Nuffield Trust notes non‑basic pay historically made up 28–33% of resident doctors’ total earnings in England, and their 2025 estimates show average total full‑time earnings of ~£41,300 for newly qualified doctors and ~£71,300 for senior specialty registrars [4] [3].
4. How the 2025 award changes the numbers — headline impacts
Analysts and government communications calculated the 2025/26 settlement by uplifting 2024/25 earnings by “4% + £750” for resident doctors — a methodology used in Nuffield’s update and in NHS communications — which raises basic pay across nodal points and produces the average full‑time basic pay figure of approximately £54,300 for resident doctors cited by the Department [4] [2].
5. Regional and contractual variation — England vs the rest of the UK and different contracts
Pay scales and the way non‑basic pay is structured differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Nuffield highlights higher basic pay in England but relatively higher non‑basic pay in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; separate pay circulars and local implementation mean totals can vary by country and by trust [3] [4]. Also, resident doctors may be paid under different national pay scales (2016 contract vs older scales) which affect nodal progression and supplements [8] [9].
6. What this doesn’t tell you — limits of current reporting
Available sources give ranges, averages and uplift formulas but do not provide a single, line‑by‑line 2025 pay table for every nodal point in this briefing set. The detailed nodal‑point salaries and trust‑specific flexible pay premia are documented in NHS Pay and Conditions Circulars and local trust papers, which are referenced but not reproduced in full in the sources provided here [8] [9]. For precise pay at a named grade and nodal point you must consult the NHS Pay and Conditions Circular or the BMA pay scales page [8] [10].
7. Political and industrial context — why pay remains contested
The 2025 uplift followed years of industrial action and successive offers; Parliament briefing and media note the award was part of an attempt to end sustained strike action and to reset relations with the medical workforce — but unions and the BMA continued to critique the real‑terms position of pay versus inflation, and turnout and strike mandates shaped negotiations [5] [1] [7]. Some commentators argued the one‑off payments and modest percent rises still left pay behind inflation and historic peaks [11].
Sources: departmental announcements, Nuffield Trust analysis, BBC reporting and NHS pay circulars cited above [2] [4] [3] [1] [8] [7].