South Dakota is known to have the lowest nursing salary compared to any other state at an average annual wage of $60,540.
The Royal College of Nursing estimated in 2021 that the average annual salary of an NHS nurse is £33,384. The pay rise introduced across the NHS in 2023 means that average is probably now closer to £37,000. More broadly, we estimate that the average salary for a nurse is somewhere between £33,000 and £37,000.
With no state tax, average rental prices, a lower cost-of-living, and 16th best salary for Registered Nurses in the USA, Texas ranks as the most affordable state for nurses to live and work in.
According to the report, the average pay for travel nurses in Florida had the biggest decrease out of every state, 41% lower than pay in August 2021. The report says this change is primarily due to the shift from travel to permanent nursing and fewer federal dollars for hospitals for large travel contracts.
Switzerland: Nurses in Switzerland have some of the highest salaries in the world, with an average annual salary of around $85000. Canada: Nurses in Canada earn an average annual salary of around $75000. Germany: Nurses in Germany have an average salary of around $65000.
Licensed vocational nurses (LVN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN) are some of the lowest-paid nursing roles, but that is due to the fact that the educational requirements are less than most other types of nurses.
The latest international comparison puts the average UK nurses' annual pay at around £30,880 in 2020. This is just behind the EU average for the same period (£31,600). Both figures were calculated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in December last year.
Compared to other countries, the U.S. typically pays a higher salary for their nurses. In addition to the competitive salary, USRNs get benefits such as medical and dental insurance, a 401k retirement plan, and paid time off.
According to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a member organisation of 38 of the world's market economies, pay for UK nurses is among the lowest in Europe when the cost of living standards and average salaries in country are taken into account.
The UK has three of the best universities for nursing in the world – King's College London, the University of Southampton and the University of Manchester.
And when salaries are compared to each country's average annual income, the UK ranks 24th out of 32 countries. Belgium, the US, Norway and Ireland all pay their nurses more than the UK does.
The most stressful nursing jobs include ICU nurse, ER nurse, and NICU nurse. In these roles, nurses work in an intense environment with high stakes. They manage emergency situations and care for critically ill patients. Other stressful nursing jobs include OR nursing, oncology nursing, and psychiatric nursing.
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses
ICU is an extremely high-pressure environment and these nurses work with patients who have significant injuries and disease with added morbidity risks. Unstable patients require lifesaving interventions and once stabilized, are transferred to a different unit.
Institutional Nurses
These nurses administer more basic care and typically don't have to work long hours and overnight shifts, so this field of nursing tends to be low-stress. Even with less excitement, these nurses find fulfillment in providing basic and family care to those in need.
Nursing has topped an independent poll of the country's most-trusted professions in Britain. Nurses came top out of 30 professions in the annual Ipsos Veracity Index, which has been running since 1983, with politicians in last place.
Although salaries can vary depending on region, speciality and employer, the base salary for nurses is, on average, £29,532 per year. In contrast, physicians can expect a base salary of around £59,195 per year. Surgeons can expect an even higher annual base salary , with an average of around £75,139 per year.
Here's the thing: the UK is one of the best countries for nurses to work and live in. While we are all aware of the amazing work that nurses do in caring for patients, it is easy to focus on how hard they work and the sacrifices they make.
The average nurse salary in UK per month is 4,541 GBP which is calculated to be around 54,500 GBP per year. Further, the salaries of a working nurse can range from 28,300 GBP to 83,300 GBP per year.
Band 5 salaries and roles
Band 5 nursing roles apply to newly qualified Nurses. The current starting salary for a Band 5 Nurse is £28,407. With 2-4 years' experience, a Band 5 Nurse will earn £30,639, and the very top of this banding pays £32,934.
The average pay of an NHS nurse has fallen in real terms by 8% since 2010. Nurses were paid £35,680 on average in the year to April 2022, equating to a reduction of more than £3,000 from a decade earlier after adjusting for inflation.