jobfacts

Registered community nurses

SOC 2020 2232

Registered community nurses provide general nursing care for the sick, injured and others in need of care, and assist medical doctors with their tasks in settings outside of acute hospitals, such as clinics, health centres or visits to patients’ homes.

Also calledCommunity matronDistrict nursePractice nurseHealth visitorCommunity public health nurseHome visitorand 18 more titles
Typical full-time pay£40,9002025 Provisional
People in the job70,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month1,500↓ 30%on last year · 135th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time registered community nurses earn between £35,600 and £46,900 a year.

What full-time registered community nurses earn, 2025
£40,900 typical£30,400lowest 10%£35,60025%£50,000top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£35,600–£46,900)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£30,400
Lowest 20% earn less than£33,700
25%£35,600
Median£40,900
75%£46,900
Top 20% earn more than£50,000
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £40,900
London!£48,700
Wales!£43,900
East of England!£41,300
Scotland!£41,300
North East!£41,300
East Midlands!£41,000
North West£40,000
South East!£38,500
South West!£38,400
Yorkshire and The Humber!£36,100
West Midlands!£35,900
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £40,900
London£48,700 (small sample)
Wales£43,900 (small sample)
East of England£41,300 (small sample)
Scotland£41,300 (small sample)
North East£41,300 (small sample)
East Midlands£41,000 (small sample)
North West£40,000
South East£38,500 (small sample)
South West£38,400 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£36,100 (small sample)
West Midlands£35,900 (small sample)
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £38,000
  • 2024 £39,700
  • 2025 Provisional£40,900
↑ 7.7% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,500 jobs for registered community nurses are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,337
Jul 20261,315
Jun 2026Not published
May 20261,675
Apr 20261,468
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,481
Jan 20261,503
Dec 2025973
Nov 20251,525
Oct 20251,545
Sept 20251,709
Aug 20251,650
Jul 20251,786
Jun 20251,755
May 20252,366
Apr 20251,997
Mar 20252,198
Feb 20252,027
Jan 20252,171
Dec 20241,644
Nov 20242,221
Oct 20242,424
Sept 20242,439
Aug 20242,300
Jul 20242,588
Jun 20242,360
May 20242,814
Apr 20242,626
Mar 20242,297
Feb 20242,314
Jan 20242,639
Dec 20232,130
Nov 20232,376
Oct 20232,311
Sept 20232,303
Aug 20232,376
Jul 20233,134
Jun 20232,966
May 20232,856
Apr 20232,648
Mar 20233,199
Feb 20232,985
Jan 20233,436
Dec 20222,949
Nov 20223,515
Oct 20223,566
Sept 20223,465
Aug 20223,488
Jul 20223,526
Jun 20223,320
May 20223,560
Apr 20223,064
Mar 20223,392
Feb 20223,037
Jan 20223,124
Dec 20212,560
Nov 20213,082
Oct 20213,078
Sept 20212,800
Aug 20212,560
Jul 20213,042
Jun 20212,732
May 20212,628
Apr 20212,606
Mar 20213,276
Feb 20213,145
Jan 20213,136
Dec 20202,897
Nov 20202,854
Oct 20203,198
Sept 20202,822
Aug 20202,565
Jul 20202,430
Jun 20202,347
May 20202,198
Apr 20201,814
Mar 20202,379
Feb 20202,558
Jan 20202,732
Dec 20192,016
Nov 20192,537
Oct 20192,599
Sept 20192,483
Aug 20192,454
Jul 20192,486
Jun 20192,629
May 20193,006
Apr 20192,053
Mar 20192,644
Feb 20192,065
Jan 20192,196
Dec 20181,423
Nov 20182,194
Oct 20182,143
Sept 20181,998
Aug 20181,807
Jul 20181,850
Jun 20182,025
May 20181,688
Apr 20181,579
Mar 20181,870
Feb 20181,781
Jan 20182,070
Dec 20171,632
Nov 20172,048
Oct 20171,956
Sept 20171,929
Aug 20172,149
Jul 20171,806
Jun 20172,030
May 20172,455
Apr 20172,009
Mar 20172,374
Feb 20171,781
Jan 20172,204
Is there a shortage of registered community nurses?
Not high

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 grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
25%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for nursing professionals, which includes registered community nurses. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London579
Birmingham88
Cornwall74
Manchester67
Leeds59
Bristol, City of57
Somerset56
Nottingham54
North Yorkshire52
Sheffield48
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where registered community nurses are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 60 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Philippines, Nigeria, India, ranking it 123rd of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of registered community nurses
1.8%!
22%!
26%!
25%!
24%
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–241.8% (small sample)
25–3422% (small sample)
35–4426% (small sample)
45–5425% (small sample)
55–6424%
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent70%
Higher education below degree22%
A levels or equivalent!4.7%
GCSEs or equivalent!1.4%
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent70%
Higher education below degree22%
A levels or equivalent4.7% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent1.4% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published

Main employers: other human health activities (62%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (13%), hospital activities (11%), general medical practice activities (8%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
70%
as their highest qualification
Registration
NMC
required to practise: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Apprenticeships
2
from level 7
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 2 years
typically

Routes in

Community matron

You can get into this job through:

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner, or Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, Level 7 Professional Apprenticeship, if you're already a registered nurse.

These can take up to 2 years to complete and combine work-based training with study.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Work your way up

You can become a community matron by doing professional development training with your employer.

You'll need to be a registered nurse in any branch, or a registered health professional, for example a speech and language therapist.

You'll usually need:

  • specialist knowledge of different nursing procedures and practice
  • knowledge of long-term health conditions and treatments
  • experience of managing a team

Some employers may want you to have a postgraduate master's qualification, for example in clinical practice.

Find out more about how you can develop your nursing career through the NHS Leadership Academy.

Apply directly

You can apply directly if you're a registered nurse or health professional and have between 3 and 5 years' post-registration experience.

You might also need:

  • a degree or postgraduate diploma in community practice, specialising in district nursing, health visiting or practice nursing
  • a relevant teaching or mentoring qualification
  • a nurse prescribing qualification

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

You may need a driving licence for some jobs.

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Further information

You can find out more about working in healthcare from Health Careers.

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

District nurse

You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or working towards this role.

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply for a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner Level 7 Apprenticeship, if you have the support of your employer.

Entry requirements

To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:

  • to be a registered nurse

Work your way up

You can apply for district nurse training if you're a registered nurse with 1 or 2 years' experience, for example as an adult nurse or children's nurse.

You'll complete a course in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - District Nursing, approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Your training will last 1 to 2 years and include practical community placements.

You can contact your local health trust or your employer about student training sponsorship opportunities.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

You may need a full driving licence for some jobs.

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Career tips

You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.

Further information

You can get more advice about how to become a district nurse from Health Careers.

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

Practice nurse

You can get into this job by applying directly.

Apply directly

To apply directly to work in general practice, you need to be a qualified and registered adult, child, mental health or learning disability nurse.

When applying for jobs, it might give you an advantage if you have experience in:

  • chronic disease management, like diabetes or asthma
  • child immunisations
  • cervical screenings
  • taking blood samples

You might need to do the Specialist Practitioner - General Practice Nursing course. This is an approved programme by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

More about this route
Return to nursing

If you've been out of nursing for a while, you could do a return to general practice nursing course.

You do not need previous general practice experience. You can do work placements in the community to help you move into a general practice nurse role.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Further information

You can find out more about how to become a practice nurse from Health Careers.

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

Health visitor

You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or by working toward this role.

Apprenticeship

If you are a qualified registered nurse or midwife, you may be able to do a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship.

This typically takes a year and 6 months to complete as a mix of learning on the job and study.

Entry requirements

To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:

  • to be a registered nurse

Work your way up

You can apply for health visitor training if you're a registered midwife or nurse in any branch of nursing.

You'll need to complete the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - Health Visiting course which is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Your training can be full time or part time and will last between 1 to 2 years.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Career tips

You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.

Further information

You can get more advice about how to become a health visitor from Health Careers.

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

Apprenticeships

2 for this job
Level 7About 2 years

Community nurse specialist practitioner (NMC 2022)

You gain
Level 7 qualification approved by the NMC as a Community Nursing Specialist Practice…
Registration
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Employers may ask for
It is a requirement of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) that those training to become a community nurse specialist practitioner are already registered…
Details on Skills England
Level 7About 18 months

Specialist community public health nurse (NMC 2022)

You gain
NMC Approved Qualifications. Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
Registration
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Employers may ask for
It is a requirement of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) that those training to become a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse are already registered…
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

  • plans, manages, provides and evaluates nursing care services within a community care setting
  • provides basic care and monitors patients' general health such as blood pressure or body temperature
  • administers drugs and medicines, applies surgical dressings and gives other forms of treatment
  • assists medical doctors in conducting examinations and other medical procedures
  • manages own case load
  • plays an educational role for patients and families, helping to develop rehabilitation routines and advising on how to care for their condition in everyday life, disease prevention and nutrition

Skills

  • accept own accountability
  • adapt leadership styles in healthcare
  • address problems critically
  • adhere to organisational guidelines
  • advise on healthcare users' informed consent
  • advise on healthy lifestyles
  • analyse the care quality
  • apply context specific clinical competences
  • apply health sciences
  • apply nursing care in long-term care
  • apply person-centred care
  • apply sustainability principles in health care
  • carry out nurse-led discharge
  • comply with legislation related to health care

Knowledge

  • impact of social contexts on health

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 registered community nurses.
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.