A resident doctor has revealed how much she takes home every month in her first year in the NHS – dividing opinion. It comes as staff are set to strike next week in a dispute over pay
Resident doctors – formerly known junior doctors – are going on strike next week over a pay dispute. And one resident doctor has been transparent about her monthly take-home salary and her struggle with it, which has left people divided. It comes as resident doctors are set to strike in England for five consecutive days from 7am on July 25.
A NHS doctor’s salary is more complicated than it might first appear, as it differs depending on role, years in a role, experience, and where the job is based in the UK. The union has said that resident doctors need an uplift of pay by 29.2% to reverse “pay erosion” since 2008 and 2009. It has been reported that the strike will only be called off if the British Medical Association receives an offer it can put to its members.
As of February, there were 77,287 resident doctors working for the NHS. They have different levels of seniority and pay. These employees are supervised by a more senior doctor, but as they gain experience some may also begin to supervise their more junior colleagues. As of April 2025, doctors in foundation training will typically earn a salary of around £38,831 to £44,439. If you’re a doctor starting your specialist training in 2025 your basic salary will be £52,656 to £73,992, reports NHS Careers.
A resident doctor named Imogen has opened up online about her pay – and shared her latest pay slip.
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In a TikTok video, she explained that her basic salary for being an FY1 [first foundation year doctor] is £36,616 and she gets £17.56 for every hour she works. On her last payslip, she also received £362.35 for the extra hours she worked, and also got £152.57 for weekend shifts.
She got £1,051 deducted from her pay, which results in a take home of £2,514.56. Imogen compared this to a pay slip from 2005, from Dr Elena Mucci. She received a £2,416, 10 years ago. There is just £98.83 difference between the two pay slips.
Imogen added: “I hope this sheds some light on why resident doctors are about to strike.”
Shocked by this, one individual commented and said: “I’m literally getting paid more than a doctor and I don’t save lives. It’s crazy and I work 35 hours.”
Another said: “Literally thought the same, I’m on about £200 less but don’t do mad hours or weekends nor do I have any stress. This country is insane.” One other added: “This is crazy. Doctors should be the highest paid people. The fact that they make just above minimum wage is insane to me.”
One other shared: “Omg this is horrendous pay! My hourly pay is £18.36 as an entry level admit assistant with 0 experience and no degree needed. NHS staff are extremely underpaid, I just never realised it was this much!”
But others didn’t agree – insisting that they “would be happy” with Imogen’s take-home wage. One individual said: “£36K for first year, with solid earning potential ahead of you, well paid overtime and a fantastic pension scheme doesn’t sound bad at all. It’s a difficult and demanding job but this seems [like a] reasonable reward?”
Another added: “Meanwhile I’m on £1400…honestly, I’d be so happy to earn £2500.”
A third chimed in: “Salary looks reasonable to me.”
Another brutally put: “Stop being greedy, you knew how much you would be paid before you started.”
Someone else also said: “Still a lot more than what the rest of the UK.”
What does Chancellor Rachel Reeves say on the situation?
The Chancellor said this year’s pay deal is not up for discussion but the Government would work with medics to improve working conditions. She told the Mirror: “Those are fair pay rises within a generous settlement to the health service – £29billion extra a year, record investment in our NHS. I think that the public can see that those are fair settlements, generous settlements – and fair settlements within the finances that we have available.
“I am disappointed that resident doctors have jumped so quickly into industrial action. We have managed to bring down waiting lists, we have managed to deliver additional appointments. I do not want resident doctors to put that at jeopardy.”
What do you think? Comment below…