This page details expected taxable income of self-employed dental contractors as well as the national NHS pay scale of employed dentists (salaried dentists, dental consultants and dental trainees) in the UK.
Self employed contractor dentists pay
Qualified dentists working in the UK are mostly self-employed contractors. They do not have a set pay scale, and instead provide services for the NHS. After their expenses, their taxable income can vary.
NHS Digital publishes the average taxable income (ie, their income after all expenses) for 2020/21, broken down across the four nations of the UK. This income is from a mix of NHS dental work and private dental work.
| Nation | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|
| England | £68,600 | £72,500 |
| Wales | £68,700 | £67,300 |
| Northern Ireland | £65,100 | £72,500 |
| Scotland | £67,900 | £74,600 |
Trainee Dentist Salary
All newly qualified dentists who want to work in or for the NHS have to undertake formal training and complete at least the one year dental foundation training. Those who want to train further go on to undertake dental core training and specialty training (for those on oral or maxillofacial surgery training programmes).
The base salary in 2022/23 for a foundation year dental trainee is £34,728. Dental core trainees basic salary ranges from £40,257 to £51,017 for a 40 hour work week. Dental specialty trainees can further increase their basic salary to £58.398.
In 2022/23 dental trainees received a pay rise of 2%, in line with junior doctors pay rises.
| Grade | Stage | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Year | FY1 | £34,728 |
| Dental Core Training | CT1-2 | £40,257 |
| Dental Core Training | CT3 | £51,017 |
| Dental Specialty Training | ST1-5 | £51,017 |
| Dental Specialty Training | ST6-8 | £58,398 |
A range of additional payments and premiums are available, including for additional hours, and for working nights, weekends and being on call.
Salaried Dentists Pay Scale 2022/23
Salaried dentists working for the NHS are employed on the nationally negotiated Terms and Conditions for Salaried Primary Dental Staff (2008).
The pay scales are amended every year, often based on recommendations from the Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB).
For 2022/23, pay ranges from £44,955 to £96,155, and is broken down into three bands as follows:
| Band | Salary |
|---|---|
| A | £44,955 |
| A | £49,950 |
| A | £57,443 |
| A | £61,189 |
| A | £64,935 |
| A | £67,433 |
| B | £69,930 |
| B | £72,428 |
| B | £76,174 |
| B | £78,047 |
| B | £79,920 |
| B | £81,793 |
| C | £83,666 |
| C | £86,164 |
| C | £88,661 |
| C | £91,159 |
| C | £93,656 |
| C | £96,154 |
Consultant Dentist Pay Scales 2022/23
Dental Consultants are paid the same as their equivalent medical consultants, and in line with their medical colleagues, dental consultant pay was increased by 4.5% in 2022/23.
Salary depends on whether a dental consultant is on the 2003 contract, or the pre-2003 contract.
For the pre-2003 contract, dental consultants pay is as follows:
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Basic | £73,367 |
| 1 | £78,617 |
| 2 | £83,868 |
| 3 | £89,117 |
| 4 | £95,104 |
Dental consultants on the 2003 contract are paid according to the following pay scale:
| Year | Salary |
|---|---|
| 1 | £88,364 |
| 2 | £91,131 |
| 3 | £93,898 |
| 4 | £96,665 |
| 5-8 | £99,425 |
| 9-13 | £105,996 |
| 14-18 | £112,569 |
| 19+ | £119,133 |
Consultants are also entitled to clinical excellence awards, which increase as follows:
| Level | Award |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | £3,016 |
| Level 2 | £6,032 |
| Level 3 | £9,048 |
| Level 4 | £12,064 |
| Level 5 | £15,080 |
| Level 6 | £18,096 |
| Level 7 | £24,128 |
| Level 8 | £30,160 |
| Level 9 or bronze | £36,192 |
| Level 10 or silver | £47,582 |
| Level 11 or gold | £59,477 |
| Level 12 or platinum | £77,320 |
Full details of employed and trainee NHS dentist pay scales can be found in the relevant pay circular on the NHS Employers website.