jobfacts

GP

Generalist medical practitioners — SOC 2020 2211

Generalist medical practitioners diagnose mental and physical injuries, disorders and diseases, prescribe and give treatment, recommend preventative action, and conduct medical education and research activities. They work in hospitals or in general practice and, where necessary, refer the patient to a specialist.

Also calledGeneral practitionerDoctorHospital doctorMedical practitionerPhysicianMedical adviserand 22 more titles
Typical full-time pay£55,5002025 Provisional
People in the job198,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month1,300↑ 38%on last year · 151st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time GPs earn between £43,700 and £68,900 a year.

What full-time GPs earn, 2025
£55,500 typical£28,500lowest 10%£43,70025%£71,500top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£43,700–£68,900)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£28,500
Lowest 20% earn less than£38,600
25%£43,700
Median£55,500
75%£68,900
Top 20% earn more than£71,500
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £55,500
Yorkshire and The Humber!£62,500
East Midlands!£56,900
London!£55,300
East of England!£55,100
North West!£53,500
North EastNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £55,500
Yorkshire and The Humber£62,500 (small sample)
East Midlands£56,900 (small sample)
London£55,300 (small sample)
East of England£55,100 (small sample)
North West£53,500 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £41,400
  • 2024 £48,900
  • 2025 Provisional£55,500
↑ 34% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,300 jobs for GPs are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026885
Jul 2026860
Jun 2026Not published
May 20261,222
Apr 2026953
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20262,465
Jan 20261,596
Dec 20251,134
Nov 20251,267
Oct 20251,546
Sept 20251,189
Aug 20251,360
Jul 20251,782
Jun 2025901
May 20251,136
Apr 2025935
Mar 20251,082
Feb 20251,124
Jan 2025669
Dec 2024500
Nov 2024714
Oct 2024665
Sept 2024639
Aug 2024642
Jul 2024787
Jun 2024670
May 2024882
Apr 2024843
Mar 2024718
Feb 2024767
Jan 2024837
Dec 2023925
Nov 2023790
Oct 2023834
Sept 2023679
Aug 2023702
Jul 2023964
Jun 20231,354
May 20231,297
Apr 20231,081
Mar 20231,214
Feb 20231,170
Jan 20231,381
Dec 20221,122
Nov 20221,418
Oct 20221,437
Sept 20221,146
Aug 20221,343
Jul 20221,576
Jun 20221,502
May 20221,827
Apr 20221,289
Mar 20221,598
Feb 20221,421
Jan 20221,367
Dec 20211,144
Nov 20211,240
Oct 20211,125
Sept 20211,051
Aug 20211,046
Jul 20211,335
Jun 20211,139
May 20211,134
Apr 2021920
Mar 20211,194
Feb 2021911
Jan 20211,014
Dec 2020911
Nov 2020893
Oct 20201,304
Sept 20201,099
Aug 20201,191
Jul 20201,213
Jun 20201,105
May 20201,091
Apr 20201,240
Mar 20201,596
Feb 20201,541
Jan 20201,519
Dec 20191,050
Nov 20191,355
Oct 20191,270
Sept 20191,300
Aug 20191,319
Jul 20191,453
Jun 20191,409
May 20191,663
Apr 20191,220
Mar 20191,271
Feb 20191,565
Jan 20191,742
Dec 20181,071
Nov 20181,809
Oct 20181,636
Sept 20181,476
Aug 20181,194
Jul 20181,408
Jun 20181,821
May 20181,455
Apr 20181,593
Mar 20181,697
Feb 20181,886
Jan 20181,895
Dec 20171,268
Nov 20171,614
Oct 20171,414
Sept 20171,325
Aug 20171,512
Jul 20171,391
Jun 20171,280
May 20171,230
Apr 20171,345
Mar 20171,354
Feb 20171,017
Jan 20171,140
Is there a shortage of GPs?
Critical

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedWell above usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
31%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for health professionals, which includes GPs. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London606
South Gloucestershire421
Birmingham311
Tewkesbury247
Bradford72
Manchester64
Cotswold55
Glasgow City44
Leeds44
Liverpool40
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where GPs are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 3,126 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, ranking it 6th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of GPs
2.2%!
43%
28%
19%
7.1%!
1.5%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–242.2% (small sample)
25–3443%
35–4428%
45–5419%
55–647.1% (small sample)
65+1.5% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent95%
Higher education below degree!0.8%
A levels or equivalent!1%
Other qualifications!2.4%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent95%
Higher education below degree0.8% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent1% (small sample)
Other qualifications2.4% (small sample)

Main employers: general medical practice activities (32%), hospital activities (32%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (19%), other human health activities (10%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
95%
as their highest qualification
Registration
GMC
required to practise: General Medical Council (GMC)
Apprenticeships
1
from level 7, a degree apprenticeship
Apprenticeships take
5 years
typically

Routes in

GP

You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.

University

To become a GP you'll need to complete:

  • a 5-year degree in medicine from a medical school recognised by the General Medical Council
  • a 2-year foundation programme of general training
  • specialist training, which can take 3 years, often split between hospital and a general practice

You might be able to do a foundation year before starting a medical degree. This will depend on your circumstances and what qualifications you hold.

If you already have a science-based degree, you could take a 4-year graduate entry route into medicine.

There is a lot of competition for places, so it's important to check the entry requirements of medical schools before you apply.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 5 GCSEs grades 9 to 7 (A* or A), including English maths and sciences
  • 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology and chemistry
More about this route
Entry tests

When you apply for a course in medicine, you may be asked to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).

It tests for skills you'll need on the course, such as:

  • critical thinking
  • problem solving
  • data analysis
  • decision making
Work experience

Medical schools will expect you to have some relevant paid or voluntary work experience. The British Medical Association provides information on how to find a placement.

You could also use Observe GP, which is a free online alternative to work experience created by the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply for a place on a Doctor Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship, if you're working in a healthcare setting.

This takes 5 years to do and you would need the support of your employer to apply.

On successful completion, you could progress to the 2-year foundation training programme, then move on to specialist training in general practice.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • after your training you'll need to join the General Medical Council GP Register, and apply for a licence to practise as a doctor
Career tips

The General Medical Council has a guide on what it means to be a good doctor. You might find this useful when preparing for medical school interviews.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the British Medical Association for advice, resources and professional development opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a GP from Health Careers and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for gp. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Hospital doctor

You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.

University

To become a hospital doctor, you'll need to complete:

  • a 5-year degree in medicine recognised by the General Medical Council
  • a foundation course of general training which takes 2 years
  • specialist training which can take between 5 to 8 years depending on the speciality

You might be able to do a foundation year before starting a medical degree. This will depend on your circumstances and what qualifications you hold.

If you already have a science-based degree, you could take a 4-year graduate entry route into medicine.

There is a lot of competition for places, so it's important to check the entry requirements of medical schools before you apply.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 5 GCSEs grades 9 to 7 (A* or A), including English maths and sciences
  • 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology and chemistry
More about this route
Entry tests

When you apply for a course in medicine, you may be asked to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).

It tests for skills you'll need on the course, such as:

  • critical thinking
  • problem solving
  • data analysis
  • decision making
Work experience

Medical schools will also expect you to have some relevant paid or voluntary work experience. The British Medical Association provides information on how to find a placement.

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply for a place on a Doctor Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship, if you're working in a healthcare setting.

This takes 5 years to do and you would need the support of your employer to apply.

On successful completion, you could progress to the 2-year foundation training programme, then move on to specialist training.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need to register with the General Medical Council
Career tips

The General Medical Council has a guide on what it means to be a good doctor. You might find this useful when preparing for medical school interviews.

You can use online resources to find out more about the types of interviews you can expect to get into for medical school.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the British Medical Association for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a doctor and studying medicine from the British Medical Association and Health Careers.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for hospital doctor. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

1 for this job
Level 7About 5 yearsDegree

Doctor

You gain
Degree in Medicine from a UK university permitted by the General Medical Council to…
Registration
General Medical Council (GMC)
Employers may ask for
Entry requirements for the Doctor Degree apprenticeship will be agreed between the employer and the Medical School.
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines patient, arranges for any necessary x-rays or other tests and interprets results
  • diagnoses condition and prescribes and/or administers appropriate treatment
  • administers medical tests and inoculations against communicable diseases
  • supervises patient’s progress and advises on diet, exercise and other preventative action
  • refers patient to specialist where necessary and liaises with specialist
  • prepares and delivers lectures, undertakes research, and conducts and participates in clinical trials
  • supervises the implementation of care and treatment plans by other healthcare providers

Skills

  • provide healthcare services to patients in general medical practice
  • conduct health related research
  • contribute to education in medicine
  • employ foreign languages for health-related research
  • employ foreign languages in care
  • manage a healthcare unit budget
  • manage a multidisciplinary team involved in patient care
  • provide care for a patient group with specific characteristics

Suits people who like

  • Helping and caring for people
  • Working with ideas and solving problems

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for health professionals, a group of 24 jobs that includes GPs.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 19%about 310,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.