Figures suggest most dental nurses are earning less than £20,000 per year
Figures from the British Association of Dental Nursing (BADN) suggest that most dental nurses in the UK are earning less than £20,000 per year.
A new study revealed that 65% of dental nurses earn between £10,000 and £20,000. A third of dental nurses earn between £15,000 and £20,000 per year and 11% earn less than £10,000. Just 2% of dental nurses have a salary over £30,000. The survey also showed that 65% of dental nurses work more than 30 hours per week, with 26% working between 20 and 30 hours per week.
Chief executive of the BADN, Pam Swain, said that she wasn’t surprised by the findings, as there has been very little change within the industry since the last salary survey in 2013. Ms Swain suggested that pay hasn’t changed for dental nurses in several years and most practitioners haven’t had a pay rise since the previous study was conducted.
In many cases, dental practices are independent businesses, which means that owners set pay bands and salaries. As long as they are offering the minimum wage, Swain explained, they are not breaking any laws and can advertise roles that have low salaries.
In response to the findings of the survey, the BADN has called for dental nurses to be given more recognition and is calling for a pay scale that would put them in a similar position to other NHS staff.
The survey involved more than 1,260 dental nurses. Data was collected between October and December 2020.
