Health visitor salary 2026/27
Health visitors are specialist community nurses or midwives who support families from pregnancy until a child starts school. The pay is Band 6, and unusually, you can be paid while you train.
Qualified health visitor pay
Health visitor posts are almost always Band 6. In England that is £39,959 on entry, rising to £48,117 after five years. After tax, National Insurance and pension, that works out to between £2,430 and £2,866 a month full time.
| Band and step | Salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Band 6, entry | £39,959 | £2,430 |
| Band 6, intermediate | £42,170 | £2,548 |
| Band 6, top | £48,117 | £2,866 |
| Band 7, entry | £49,387 | £2,934 |
| Band 7, intermediate | £51,932 | £3,078 |
| Band 7, top | £56,515 | £3,309 |
Band 7 is for practice teachers, team leaders and specialist health visitors, for example in perinatal mental health or safeguarding.
Getting paid to train
Training to be a health visitor means a one-year specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN) course. Many trusts and community providers employ trainees on a salary while they study, often on Band 5, with course fees paid. A trainee on the middle of Band 5 takes home about £2,177 a month. Arrangements vary, so check each advert: some trusts keep existing staff on their current band.
Daytime hours, different pay pattern
Health visitors mostly work weekday office hours. That means no regular unsocial hours pay, so a nurse moving from a busy ward to health visiting may take home less than the band jump suggests at first. Part-time work is common: a health visitor working 30 hours a week on the middle of Band 6 takes home about £2,131 a month.
Health visitor pay in each nation
| Nation | Salary | Full-time week | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | £39,959 | 37.5 hours | £2,430 |
| Scotland | £43,231 | 36 hours | £2,600 |
| Wales | £40,559 | 37.5 hours | £2,462 |
| Northern Ireland | £38,682 | 37.5 hours | £2,356 |
The work
Every family in England is offered at least five health visitor contacts: a visit in pregnancy, a new baby review, a check at six to eight weeks, and reviews around one year and two to two and a half years. Around those, health visitors pick up the families who need more help.
- Supporting feeding, sleep, growth and development.
- Spotting postnatal depression and other mental health problems in parents.
- Identifying and acting on safeguarding concerns.
- Running baby clinics and parenting groups.
- Linking families with GPs, children’s centres, social care and speech and language services.
Who can train
You must already be a registered nurse or midwife with the NMC. On completing the SCPHN course you are added to the specialist community public health nursing part of the register.
Related roles
Many health visitors started as ward nurses or midwives. School nursing uses the same SCPHN qualification and pay band, for children aged five to nineteen.
Common questions
What band is a health visitor?
Band 6 once qualified. Team leaders and practice teachers are usually Band 7.
Are health visitors paid while training?
Often, yes. Many employers pay trainees a salary, frequently on Band 5, and cover the course fees, in return for working for them once qualified.
How much do health visitors earn?
£39,959 to £48,117 in England from April 2026.
Do health visitors work weekends?
Rarely. Most work weekday daytime hours, which is one reason the role appeals to nurses with young families.
Do you need to be a nurse to be a health visitor?
Yes. You must be a registered nurse or midwife before starting the specialist training.