A long career or a job for a few years as a nursery nurse means qualifying first then securing an employment position. Nursery Nurses are also known as early years practitioners working in schools, private companies, colleges, councils and for the National health service in Wales, N Ireland, Scotland & England.
The UK doesn’t have an early years practitioner pay scale, although each organisation sets pay offered according to internal pay structure.
As an apprentice early year practitioner annual salary is around £10,500 – £11,000 training & working full-time. (Everyone starts at the low end of salary).
Full time UK nursery nurse salary ranges from £12,312 to £29,000 + benefits per annum from level 2 to 6, although 1-2 private business pay up to £35,000.
Below are actual wage ranges being offered for jobs available for early year practitioners in the UK.
Nursery Nurse Salary UK
Level 2 nursery nurse salary
| Location | Salary |
| London | £18,000- £24,045 |
| Liverpool | £13,656- £20,000 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | £19,000 – £20,800 |
| Oxfordshire | £14,020 – £22,568 |
| Sussex, Brighton | £17,500 – £20,043 |
| Greater Manchester | £14,000 – £21,840 |
| Bristol | £13,459 – £24,155 |
| Cardiff | £12,312 – £18,800 |
| Cambridge | £15,000 – £20,377 |
| Birmingham | £14,000 – £20,800 |
| Edinburgh | £13,868 – £15,100 |
| Aberdeen | £16,000 – £19,500 |
| Glasgow | £13,868 – £19,500 |
Level 3 nursery nurse salary
| Location | Salary |
| London | £24,053 – £28,000 |
| Liverpool | £18,333 – £24,960 |
| North Tyneside, Newcastle | £17,662 – £24,882 |
| Oxfordshire | £22,549 – £25,265 |
| Sussex, Brighton | £18,500 – £25,000 |
| Greater Manchester | £14,206 – £28,829 |
| Bristol | £14,524 – £24,882 |
| Cardiff | £13,318 – £25,000 |
| Norwich | £15,054 – £22,000 |
| Cambridge | £17,643 – £27,097 |
| Birmingham | £19,000 – £30,000 |
| Cumbria | £18,772 – £24,750 |
| Edinburgh | £19,000 – £25,982 |
| Aberdeen | £20,987 – £25,982 |
| Fife & Dundee | £19,760 – £25,982 |
| Glasgow | £19,000 – £23,500 |
Level 4 early year practitioner pay
| Location | Salary |
| Oxfordshire | £22,000 – £24,000 |
| East Sussex, Brighton | £23,000 – £26,000 |
| Greater Manchester | £21,216 – £26,000 |
| Bristol | £21,840 – £27,000 |
| Cardiff | £23,000 – 27,000 |
| Cambridge | £23,000 – £27,000 |
| Birmingham | £23,000 – £27,000 |
| Aberdeen | £22,027 – £27,800 |
| Perth | £22,000 – £26,000 |
| Glasgow | £20,000 – £27,000 |
Level 6 nursery nurse salary
| Location | Salary |
| Greater Manchester | £24,687 – £28,122 |
| Bristol | £25,419 – £27,514 |
| Cardiff | £25,000 – £34,218 |
| Edinburgh | £24,000 – £32,000 |
| Aberdeen | £26,000 – £30,000 |
| Dundee | £24,000 – £29,500 |
| Glasgow | £23,647 – £32,000 |
Nursery nurse salary London
- £18,407- £35,000 early years practitioner salary in London.
- Level 2 £18,000- £24,045 London.
- Level 3 £24,053 – £28,000 London.
- Level 6 £23,000- £35,000 London.
Nursery nurse salary Scotland £23,647 – £34,200 full time per year with 1-2 commercial companies paying top wages only.
Level 4 early years practitioner and above UK £20,987 – £29,557.
Salary & benefits package
Early years practitioner salary UK package depends on experience, qualifications, location and job position could include:
- Free onsite car parking.
- Pension scheme enrolment.
- Interest free bus or train season ticket loan.
- Employee bonus scheme.
- Free uniform or clothing allowance.
- Free or subsidised lunches while working.
- Discounted childcare fees for employee’s children attending the nursery.
- Extra days holiday entitlement staff loyalty scheme with length of service.
- Paid training & development courses.
- Social trips & events.
- Cycle to work scheme.
Childcare working hours
Expect to be working either an 8 or 10 hour shift for full time employees at a nursery daytime from Monday to Friday, although private companies could see you working at weekends.
Career progression
Apply for nursery school jobs in less desirable areas of the UK that employers are finding it harder to recruit appropriately qualified nurses could help speed up you’re career progression from level 3 to 6.
Working in childcare as an early years practitioner at level 3 in Cumbria with a lower salary at £18,772 – £24,750 per year gaining additional experience, skills & qualifications means you could move jobs or location with the same employer.
Relocating to Aberdeenshire or Moray counties for a more senior role at level 4 pay anywhere from £22,027 – £27,800 full time depending on where you work.
The region is less desirable to live than central Scotland, although Aberdeen is a good size city with good transport links.
Nursery school employer types
Local authority: Community care working for a county UK council in the community visiting people’s houses and other locations.
You’d be working in a stable long term role and could easily qualify for a mortgage.
You’re always in demand and receive a salary on the higher end for the profession, although fewer benefits compared to fee paying nurseries.
National Health Service: Early year practitioners working for the NHS at a hospital work in the daytime and receive pay & benefits more that average size private nurseries.
Nursery schools: Choice of childcare jobs in villages, towns & cities all around the UK from private nurseries to working in state or independent schools. Salaries offered are diverse from small nurseries offering less wages to large well funded schools providing top benefit packages as well as basic pay.
Private business: Some larger companies have child day care centres where employees can leave children while they work during the day. Salary & benefits can be top paying to average for the childcare sector.
Colleges: Some UK colleges have nurseries for children of staff members where nursery nurses are employed to look after kids 5 days a week.
A steady long tern job for level 3-6 positions, although is one of the lowest paying employers in the childcare sector.