You will always get paid for working as a doctor in the UK. All jobs are paid jobs, including non-training jobs. You will never have to work for free.
This post concerns pay scales for junior doctors working in the UK at entry level posts. This includes junior doctors working at CT1/CT2/ST1/ST2 level.
Pay Scale
Regardless of the job being training or non-training, junior doctors earn somewhere between £30,000 to £40,000 annually. This equals to £2,500 to £3,500 per month. You can check the minimum training wages here.
Amount of Tax Deduction
Depending on their grade, 17% to 27% tax is deducted from a junior doctor’s salary. You can read about it in detail here.
Take-Home Pay
After tax deduction the salary is around:
- £1,900 to £2,000 per month without nights/banding
- £2,700 to £3,000 per month with nights/banding.
(Night shift is a 12-hour shift in the U.K. You can read about working hours and banding in the UK by clicking the highlighted links)
Conclusion
Finances will not be an issue for you in the U.K. Doctors in the UK earn enough to meet all their needs and live a very comfortable life.
Useful Links
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much pay is enough in the UK? It depends on your lifestyle, location, number of dependents and a few other factors. But the following might give you a general idea: £1,900/month can be more than enough for a single person and just enough for a couple. £2,700/month can be more than enough for a couple. 2. Would I be able to save money in the UK? Again, it depends on the factors mentioned above. So savings can be different for every individual. I have seen people save £1,000/month for a whole year and I have seen people not save anything even after a couple of years. So it depends on each individual and how they live. 3. How much tax would I have to pay in the UK? The monthly salaries mentioned in this article are exclusive of tax. These are the take-home salaries, after tax deduction. However, to learn more about pay scales and taxation in the UK, you can click here. 4. How much tax would I have to pay on annual earning of £30,000? There will be two components of tax deductions from your salary. A. Income tax. The initial £11,000 would be free of tax. 20% income tax would be deducted from your pay between £11,851 and £30,000. Total annual income tax deduction: £3,629 The initial £8,160 would be free of tax. 12% national insurance would be deducted from your pay between £8,160 and £30,000. Total annual national insurance deduction: £2,589 £3,629 + £2,589 = £6,218 £6,420 = 20.7% of £30,000 Therefore, the total annual tax deduction on annual earning of £30,000 will be £6,218. This equal to 20.7% of the total earning. 5. How much tax would I have to pay on annual earning of £48,000? There will be two components of tax deductions from your salary. A. Income tax. The initial £11,850 would be free of tax. 20% income tax would be deducted from your pay between £11,851 and £46,350. 40% income tax would only be deducted from your pay between £46,351 and £48,000. Total annual income tax deduction: £7,652 The initial £8,424 would be free of tax. 12% national insurance would be deducted from your pay between £8,425 and £46,356. Total annual national insurance deduction: £4,583 £7,652 + £4,583 = £12,235 £12,235 = 25.4% of £48,000 Therefore, the total annual tax deduction on annual earning of £48,000 will be £12,235. This equal to 25.4% of the total earning.
B. National insurance.A. Income Tax on Annual Earning of £30,000
Earning
Deduction %
Deduction £
Up to £11,850
0%
£0
£11,851 to £30,000
20%
£3,629
B. National Insurance on Annual Earning of £30,000
Earning
Deduction %
Deduction £
Up to £8,424
0%
£0
£8,425 to £30,000
12%
£2,589
Total Taxation on Annual Earning of £30,000
B. National insurance.A. Income Tax on Annual Earning of £48,000
Earning
Deduction %
Deduction £
Up to £11,850
0%
£0
£11,851 to £46,350
20%
£6,953
£46,351 to £48,000
40%
£659
B. National Insurance on Annual Earning of £48,000
Earning
Deduction %
Deduction £
Up to £8,424
0%
£0
£8,425 to £46,356
12%
£4,551
£46,357 to £48,000
2%
£32
Total Taxation on Annual Earning of £48,000