Medicine is both a well-respected and financially rewarding career in the UK. It takes years of training to become qualified, but the potential salary makes this career path a worthwhile return on investment.
Within this prestigious industry, anaesthetists are among the most in-demand medical specialists in the country. Once fully trained, they can command some of the highest salaries in the National Health Service (NHS) or the private sector.
Remitly is all about helping newcomers find the best opportunities, whether at home or abroad. That’s why we’ve prepared this comprehensive guide to potential anaesthetist earnings in the UK, covering current base salaries throughout a typical career, income-boosting allowances and uplifts, and expected increases in 2026. If you’re dreaming of joining the UK medical workforce, this is a great place to start.
Why anaesthetists are so sought after
Anaesthetists are specialist doctors who administer anaesthesia and pain control to patients before, during, and after surgery. This is currently one of the most popular specialities within the NHS, behind nurses and GPs.
Despite their numbers, anaesthetists are still in high demand, with shortages preventing around 1.4 million operations and procedures every year. A big part of the problem is a lack of training capacity: in 2024, there were 3,520 applications, but only 540 training locations nationwide. But if you can secure a place in a training program, you can make an excellent wage as an anaesthetist in public or private service.
What do anaesthetists earn in the NHS?
According to the National Careers Service, the average salary for anaesthetists working with the NHS starts at around £38,000 GBP for new hires and goes up to £140,000 GBP for experienced professionals. That’s compared to the £24,465–£125,637 GBP UK nurses earn annually.
Let’s take a closer look at how these wages are determined at each level.
Foundation training (Years 1–2)
You’ll start earning a junior doctor’s salary out of medical school as you complete a two-year Foundation Programme, with six work placements in different settings. The base salary and average earnings for these training years, based on overtime and other allowances, are as follows:
| Node | Basic Starting Salary | On-Call Rota Uplift | Estimated Average Earnings | |
| Foundation Training Year 1 (FY1) | 1 | £38,831 | £3,107 | £45,900 |
| Foundation Training Year 2 (FY2) | 2 | £44,439 | £3,556 | £54,400 |
Specialist training (Years 3–10)
After finishing your foundation training, you can apply for speciality training in anaesthetics, which takes a minimum of seven to eight years. Expect your salary to rise consistently over this period as you gain experience.
In addition to your base salary, you’ll receive allowances and uplifts for extra hours and weekend work, based on frequency. And if you take part in the NHS on-call rota, you’ll also get a flat rate uplift, determined by your nodal point on the payscale.
| Node | Basic Starting Salary | On-Call Rota Uplift | |
| Specialist Training (ST1-2) | 3 | £52,656 | £4,213 |
| Specialist Training (ST3-5) | 4 | £65,048 | £5,204 |
| Specialist Training (ST6-8) | 5 | £73,992 | £5,920 |
How quickly you move up the salary node points depends on several factors:
- How long you’ve served at a particular level
- The results of your annual appraisal
- On-time completion of statutory and mandatory training
- A clean disciplinary and performance record
Specialist grade doctor (Years 10+)
Once you’re a fully qualified anaesthetist, you then move into the specialist grade pay scale for doctors. The basic salary is based on full-time work, which includes ten programmed activities per week, each having a time-tabled value of four hours.
| Specialist Grade | Base Salary |
| MC70 01-03 | £100,870 |
| MC70 04-06 | £104,816 |
| MC70 07 | £111,441 |
You’ll receive various uplifts on top of this, including allowances for any programmed activity above ten, the on-call allowance, weekend allowances, and so forth.
You can also get a bump in your pay by applying for the National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIA). Depending on your application, you could earn awards in three different categories:
- N1 award of £20,000 GBP
- N2 award of £30,000 GBP
- N3 award of £40,000 GBP
These awards are granted for five years and are non-pensionable. After the five-year award period, you can reapply.
If you work in London or its vicinity, you should also expect a cost-of-living uplift.
| Region | % Uplift | Minimum Uplift | Maximum Uplift |
| Inner London | 20% | £5,609 | £8,466 |
| Outer London | 15% | £4,714 | £5,914 |
| Fringe | 5% | £1,303 | £2,198 |
Calculating your salary
Calculating exact salaries for NHS doctors is challenging due to the range of allowances and uplifts available. It also depends on when and where you work, as well as whether you qualify for salary awards.
- But as a general rule, during training, you can expect to earn a base salary of around £40,000 GBP per year—more if you work overtime or during unsocial hours.
- During your mid-career, expect a base salary from £50,000 GBP to £70,000 GBP, with additional pay for extra work.
- Once you’re fully qualified, you’ll command a minimum wage of £100,000 GBP.
In case you qualified as an anaesthetist overseas, learn about getting your qualifications recognised in the UK here, and discover UK immigration policies that apply before you travel.
How much can anaesthetists earn in the private sector?
In the UK, NHS anaesthetists can also work as consultants in the private sector, earning an additional salary from private medical organisations. Salary Expert suggests that these professionals can earn an average of £208,648 GBP per year, with the number reaching up to £285,280 GBP for those with eight years of experience or more.
On average, doctors can boost their income by £20,000–£70,000 GBP annually through private-practice anaesthetist work. They can also take various other available pathways:
- If you take on a university-affiliated position that combines clinical work with research and teaching, expect to earn an NHS base salary plus an academic supplement of £5,000–£20,000 GBP.
- If you take on short-term, temporary locum work to fill gaps in demand, you can attract a premium rate of £90–£150 GBP per hour.
- If you sign up for offshore work on oil rigs or in other remote locations, compensation ranges from £1,500–£2,000 GBP per day, plus accommodation and transportation.
What factors influence an anaesthetist’s salary?
While the NHS is highly transparent about its compensation based on training and experience, various factors can impact your actual take-home income as an anaesthetist.
Experience
Experience is the biggest deciding factor when it comes to salary potential, with trainee doctors earning a modest base salary of around £40,000 GBP per year.
You then experience a major pay bump as you move into specialist training, starting at £50,000 GBP and consistently increasing to above £70,000 GBP over the eight years of training.
As a senior anaesthetist, you’ll earn a minimum of £100,000 GBP per year, with potential to significantly raise your wages through private sector consulting and excellence awards.
Location
While specialist-grade salaries are consistent across England, Scotland, and Wales, anaesthetists in Northern Ireland earn a little less.
And if you’re based in major urban areas like London, you can also look forward to significant uplifts to cover the higher cost of living.
Additional and unsociable hours
The NHS provides a clear base salary for different levels of experience, but actual pay can vary based on when you work. For instance, substantial allowances apply when you work more than full-time hours, during unsociable hours, such as evenings and weekends, and on-call work.
Committing to extra hours can significantly boost your income, even during training.
Additional responsibilities
Taking on additional responsibilities is another way to ensure a noticeable salary hike. Plus, supervisory roles come with extra pay, and you can apply for awards that give you a non-pensionable bonus.
Private work
You must go through the NHS to train as an anaesthetist in the UK, but afterwards, you have the opportunity to work privately.
Private contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and lack the consistency of NHS pay scales. Still, they can give your wages a big upgrade, especially if you have more experience.
Looking ahead: anaesthetist salary projections for 2026
The NHS has not yet released the expected salary increases for the 2026–2027 financial year, as pay hikes are usually announced in May or June and are backdated to April of that year. But we can make educated guesses based on prior rates:
- Doctors received a big pay bump of between 17.8% and 14.3% in 2023/24
- Afterwards, they received a 6% increase in the 2024/25 year
- This number shot down to 4% in 2025/26
- Considering Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation is projected to be 3.8% for 2026/2027, we might expect pay increases of around 4%
A rewarding career path
While it takes around 10 years of training to become an anaesthetist in the UK, it’s a worthwhile professional investment and a rewarding career path.
You start earning right out of medical school during your training, with a starting salary of around £40,000 GBP. This is modest for doctors, but well above the national average wage. As you progress through your specialist training, which takes about eight years, you’ll see steady pay bumps up to around £75,000 GBP by the time you finish your training, with plenty of allowances and uplifts to boost your income.
Once you’re fully qualified, you can look forward to earning at least £100,000 GBP a year, with the potential to double or triple that through awards and private sector work. Anaesthetics is also a reasonably safe career path; the demand for these professionals is high in the UK, safeguarding your earning potential for years to come.
FAQs
Why is the private consultant anaesthetist pay so high?
Consultant anaesthetists earn high incomes due to the years of training required to qualify and the undersupply of professionals in the UK workforce, mainly due to a lack of accredited training locations. Additionally, surgeries can’t take place without the support of a qualified anaesthetist, so private medical clinics and hospitals rely on consultant specialists to bridge the shortfall.
What is the future outlook for anaesthetist earnings in the UK?
Anaesthetists are considered specialists and are in high demand in the UK. Experienced professionals currently command salaries starting from £100,000 GBP per year, with the potential to double their salary through private work and awards. It also promises to remain a secure profession for the foreseeable future.
What is a good doctor’s salary in the UK?
A good doctor’s salary in the UK depends on your speciality and level of experience. Junior doctors in training generally earn a base salary of around £40,000 GBP per year, graduate to £50,000 GBP during specialist training, and move up to £100,000 GBP once fully qualified. NHS doctors enjoy take-home salaries of around £140,000 GBP.