NHS Doctor Pay: What India-Qualified Doctors Can Expect

Pay depends on the grade you are appointed to, not your nationality. On the England resident-doctor scale, basic pay currently runs from £38,831 at nodal point 1 (Foundation Year 1) to £73,992 at nodal point 5 (senior specialty training). Consultants are on a separate scale of roughly £109,725 to £145,475. These are basic figures — actual take-home is higher once out-of-hours and weekend enhancements, and any London weighting, are added. Figures were checked in July 2026 and are reviewed annually.

Many India-qualified doctors start in a non-training NHS post (often as a senior house officer or registrar-equivalent) matched to their experience, and are placed at the corresponding nodal point or SAS grade. Your exact starting point depends on the role, your experience, and the employer’s assessment. There is no single “IMG salary” — it is the grade that sets the pay.

The scale figures are gross annual basic pay before income tax and National Insurance, and before pension contributions. They also exclude enhancements for nights, weekends and on-call, which can add substantially to total earnings. Use a UK take-home calculator for a net estimate once you know your grade and rota.

No. The nodal-point and consultant figures shown are the national basic scales. Doctors working in and around London usually receive additional High Cost Area Supplements on top. Because the supplement depends on the exact location, treat the national figure as the floor for London posts.

SAS stands for Specialty and Associate Specialist doctors — experienced doctors working at senior level outside formal training. Specialty doctor and specialist grades have their own pay scales, negotiated separately from resident doctors and consultants, and are a common destination for experienced India-qualified doctors. Check the current SAS scales on the BMA / NHS Employers pages.