GP salary in the UK
There is no single “GP salary” in the UK, because GPs are paid in three quite different ways. As of July 2026, a salaried GP earns a salary on a nationally-agreed range; a GP partner is self-employed and takes a share of the practice’s profits; and a locum GP is paid per session. This page explains how each works and points you to the official, current pay figures — the exact numbers change each year, so a structure you can rely on is more useful than a figure that goes stale.
Salaried GP
Employed by a practice or NHS body on a national pay range.
Salaried GPs are paid on a nationally-agreed pay range (published by the BMA / NHS Employers) that is uplifted periodically following the independent pay-review process. The exact range changes each year — confirm the current figures on the BMA website and the Gera NHS pay-scales index.
GP partner
Self-employed co-owner of the practice; income is a share of profits.
Partners are self-employed and take drawings from the practice profits after expenses, so income varies widely by practice, list size, and workload. There is no single figure — it depends on the practice accounts.
Locum / sessional GP
Paid per session (typically a notional half-day).
Locum GPs are paid by the session and set their own rates within the local market. Session rates vary by area and demand — sessional pay is not set on a national scale.
Where to find the current figures
The salaried GP pay range is uplifted periodically following the independent pay-review process, so the current figures live at the source. Gera maintains an NHS pay index that tracks the picture:
Why partner income is not a salary
Most UK GP practices are partnerships or run under the GP contract, and partners are self-employed. Their income is a share of the practice’s profits after all expenses — staff, premises, and running costs — so it is shaped by the practice’s list size, workload, and how the partnership is structured. Two partners in different practices can earn very differently. This is why partner income is quoted as a range at best, and why the practice accounts, not a national scale, determine it.
How pay fits the pathway
Pay is only one factor when planning a move into UK general practice. The prerequisite is registration: a doctor must be on the GMC GP Register to work as a GP, via a UK CCT or the portfolio route. The GP shortage evidence explains the demand behind those roles.