Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the percentage median salary increase for full time NHS nurses in England between 1996–97 and 2025–26 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the percentage median salary increase for full time grade 8 NHS staff in England between 1996–97 and 2025–26 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for consultants employed by the NHS in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation; and what was the percentage salary increase in each of those terms between 1996–97 and 2025–26.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for registrars employed by the NHS in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation; and what was the percentage salary increase in each of those terms between 1996–97 and 2025–26.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for doctors employed by the NHS in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation; and what was the percentage salary increase in each of those terms between 1996–97 and 2025–26.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for full time grade 8 NHS staff in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for resident doctors employed by the NHS in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation; and what was the percentage salary increase in each of those terms between 1996–97 and 2025–26.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for full time NHS nurses in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for civil servants graded at Senior Executive Officer, or equivalent, in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation; and what was the percentage salary increase in each of those terms between 1996–97 and 2025–26.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Decisions on pay below Senior Civil Service are delegated to Departments.
Information on median salary of civil servants at SEO grade in England is available only for each year from 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2025. Please see table below:
Year | Grade | Median Salary | Median Salary - real terms adjusted for inflation relative to 2007 | Median Salary - real terms adjusted for inflation relative to 2025 | Percentage increase in cash terms since 2007 | Percentage increase in real terms adjusted for inflation since 2007 |
2007 | SEO | £36,000 | £36,000 | £59,100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
2008 | SEO | £36,000 | £35,100 | £57,600 | 0.0% | -2.5% |
2009 | SEO | £36,400 | £34,600 | £56,800 | 1.3% | -3.9% |
2010 | SEO | £37,500 | £34,700 | £57,000 | 4.2% | -3.5% |
2011 | SEO | £38,700 | £34,600 | £56,900 | 7.7% | -3.7% |
2012 | SEO | £38,800 | £33,600 | £55,300 | 7.8% | -6.5% |
2013 | SEO | £38,800 | £32,800 | £54,000 | 7.8% | -8.7% |
2014 | SEO | £39,000 | £32,500 | £53,400 | 8.3% | -9.7% |
2015 | SEO | £38,800 | £32,200 | £53,000 | 7.8% | -10.4% |
2016 | SEO | £38,900 | £32,100 | £52,800 | 8.2% | -10.7% |
2017 | SEO | £38,700 | £31,200 | £51,300 | 7.5% | -13.3% |
2018 | SEO | £38,800 | £30,600 | £50,300 | 8.0% | -14.9% |
2019 | SEO | £39,200 | £30,400 | £49,900 | 9.1% | -15.6% |
2020 | SEO | £39,800 | £30,300 | £49,800 | 10.6% | -15.7% |
2021 | SEO | £40,600 | £30,600 | £50,300 | 12.8% | -14.8% |
2022 | SEO | £40,600 | £28,800 | £47,400 | 12.8% | -19.8% |
2023 | SEO | £42,100 | £27,500 | £45,200 | 17.2% | -23.5% |
2024 | SEO | £44,000 | £27,700 | £45,500 | 22.5% | -22.9% |
2025 | SEO | £46,100 | £28,000 | £46,100 | 28.2% | -22.0% |
Notes:
-Source: Civil Service Statistics
-Figures are based on Civil Service salaries as at 31st March in each year.
-Median salaries have been rounded to the nearest £100.
-The ONS CPIH index for March in each year has been used to calculate real terms inflation adjusted median salaries.
-Historically not all departments have had distinct SEO and HEO grades, and so may have reported under a combined SEO/HEO grade in previous years, and this may change across years, therefore caution should be used in interpreting time series at SEO only level as they may not be consistent.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the percentage median salary increase for secondary school head teachers in England between 1996–97 and 2025–26 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Median pay is published for classroom teachers, headteachers and ‘other leadership’ teachers. The percentage median salary increase is not published but can be calculated from the published median pay. Deputy heads are grouped into the ‘other leadership’ category, alongside assistant heads. Median pay is not published for deputy heads separately.
Statistics for median teacher pay extending back to 1996/97 are not readily available. The available time series goes back to 2010/11, the first year of the School Workforce Census. The most recent data currently available is for 2024/25 and the 2025/26 pay data will be published in June 2026.
Percentage Median Salary Increase Between 2010/11 and 2024/25 for Headteachers and Deputy Heads in Cash Terms
Deputy Head | Head teachers | ||
Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary |
39.5% | 38.2% | 41.6% | 36.2% |
Percentage Median Salary Increase Between 2010/11 and 2024/25 for Headteachers and Deputy Heads Adjusted for Inflation (indexed to 2024/25)
Deputy Head | Head teachers | ||
Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary |
-6.5% | -7.4% | -5.1% | -8.7% |
We have adjusted for inflation on a financial year basis using the Consumer Price Index from the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. To get the median pay figures adjusted for inflation, we have indexed to financial year 2024/25.
Headteacher pay in maintained schools is determined by a calculation set out in the ‘School teachers pay and conditions’ document. Once the school has been allocated to one of eight headteacher groups, largely based on size of school by pupil numbers, the individual salary range of the headteacher is determined by the governing body within the minimum and maximum of the respective headteacher group range. The salary range of any deputy or assistant headteachers is then determined in the context of the headteachers salary.