jobfacts

Children's nurse

Registered children's nurses — SOC 2020 2236

Registered children's nurses nurses provide general or acute nursing care for children and young people with chronic or acute conditions and assist medical doctors with their tasks.

Also calledSchool nurseSpecialist community public health nurseNursePaediatric nursePaediatric staff nurseNeonatal staff nurseand 12 more titles
Typical full-time pay£42,0002025 Provisional
People in the job42,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month582↓ 26%on last year · 249th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time children's nurses earn, 2025
£42,000 typical£29,500lowest 20%£33,80025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£29,500
25%£33,800
Median£42,000
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £42,000
London!£43,700
East of England!£42,800
Scotland!£41,800
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £42,000
London£43,700 (small sample)
East of England£42,800 (small sample)
Scotland£41,800 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £33,600
  • 2024 £40,700
  • 2025 Provisional£42,000
↑ 25% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 582 jobs for children's 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 2026433
Jul 2026543
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026573
Apr 2026631
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026601
Jan 2026676
Dec 2025305
Nov 2025635
Oct 2025679
Sept 2025748
Aug 2025673
Jul 2025748
Jun 2025765
May 2025822
Apr 2025658
Mar 2025781
Feb 2025829
Jan 2025876
Dec 2024609
Nov 2024849
Oct 2024894
Sept 2024916
Aug 2024941
Jul 2024990
Jun 20241,028
May 20241,118
Apr 20241,288
Mar 20241,073
Feb 2024980
Jan 20241,167
Dec 2023946
Nov 20231,028
Oct 20231,027
Sept 2023967
Aug 20231,117
Jul 20231,249
Jun 20231,322
May 20231,270
Apr 20231,069
Mar 20231,257
Feb 20231,132
Jan 20231,252
Dec 20221,061
Nov 20221,307
Oct 20221,346
Sept 20221,174
Aug 20221,233
Jul 20221,246
Jun 20221,116
May 20221,197
Apr 20221,032
Mar 20221,245
Feb 20221,041
Jan 20221,159
Dec 20211,036
Nov 20211,209
Oct 20211,109
Sept 20211,051
Aug 2021942
Jul 20211,160
Jun 2021977
May 2021955
Apr 2021804
Mar 20211,128
Feb 2021882
Jan 20211,014
Dec 2020904
Nov 2020890
Oct 20201,190
Sept 2020991
Aug 2020845
Jul 2020819
Jun 2020830
May 2020654
Apr 2020680
Mar 2020924
Feb 20201,012
Jan 20201,017
Dec 2019741
Nov 2019937
Oct 2019857
Sept 2019922
Aug 2019958
Jul 20191,046
Jun 20191,072
May 20191,191
Apr 2019880
Mar 2019985
Feb 2019867
Jan 2019997
Dec 2018638
Nov 20181,029
Oct 2018918
Sept 20181,012
Aug 2018821
Jul 2018901
Jun 20181,058
May 2018917
Apr 2018939
Mar 20181,028
Feb 2018973
Jan 20181,118
Dec 2017822
Nov 2017927
Oct 2017979
Sept 20171,105
Aug 20171,210
Jul 20171,299
Jun 20171,348
May 20171,420
Apr 20171,237
Mar 20171,169
Feb 2017995
Jan 20171,123
Is there a shortage of children's 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 growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
25%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for nursing professionals, which includes children's nurses. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London383
Birmingham54
Nottingham31
Manchester29
Reigate and Banstead27
Oxford21
Guildford19
Bristol, City of18
Liverpool18
North Yorkshire18
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where children's nurses are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 20 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Nigeria, India, Philippines, ranking it 181st of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of children's nurses
12%!
30%!
27%!
14%!
14%!
2.8%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2412% (small sample)
25–3430% (small sample)
35–4427% (small sample)
45–5414% (small sample)
55–6414% (small sample)
65+2.8% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent80%
Higher education below degree!15%
A levels or equivalent!2.5%
GCSEs or equivalent–
Not published
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent80%
Higher education below degree15% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent2.5% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalentNot published
Other qualificationsNot published

Main employers: hospital activities (61%), other human health activities (17%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (6.5%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
80%
as their highest qualification
Registration
NMC
required to practise: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Apprenticeships
1
from level 7
Apprenticeships take
18 months
typically

Routes in

Children's nurse

You can get into this job through:

University

You can do a degree in children's nursing approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

You might be able to get extra student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

You may be able to do an extended degree that combines children's nursing with another nursing branch. You'll need to check that this type of course is recognised by the NMC.

You might be able to join the second year of a nursing degree if you already have a degree in:

  • a health-related subject
  • psychology
  • life sciences
  • social work

Full-time courses usually take 3 years.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 2 or 3 A levels, including a science, or a level 3 diploma or access to higher education in health, science or nursing

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Registered Nurse Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, if you work in a healthcare setting, like a hospital or clinic.

The degree apprenticeship takes around 4 years and is a mix of academic study and on-the-job training.

You'll need the support of your employer to do a degree apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could work as an assistant practitioner or nursing associate and study for a shortened nursing degree to qualify as a registered children's nurse.

Volunteering

You can volunteer with a charity that works with children and young people to get some experience.

Volunteering in the NHS is also a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.

You can find further opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do it.

Other routes

If you're already a registered nurse, for example in adult nursing, you may be able to complete a conversion course to become a children's nurse. Courses normally take between 1 and 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 find advice about how to become a children's nurse from the Nursing & Midwifery Council and Health Careers.

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

School nurse

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

Apprenticeship

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

This usually takes a year and 6 months to complete and is a mix of learning at work and study at an accredited university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • to be a registered nurse

Work your way up

You can apply to become a school nurse if you're a registered nurse or midwife.

You'll usually need to do an approved programme in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - School Nursing.

This approved programme can take 1 to 2 years to complete.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks

You'll usually need a driving licence for this job.

Registration and professional bodies

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

You might have an advantage when applying for courses or jobs if you have:

  • experience in health promotion or working with children in the community
  • knowledge of child protection and family planning issues
  • an understanding of school children's health needs
Further information

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

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

Apprenticeships

1 for this job
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

  • assists medical doctors and works with other healthcare professionals to deal with emergencies and pre-planned treatment of patients
  • manages own case load
  • monitors children's progress, including the interpretation of the behaviour of young children too young to communicate
  • administers drugs and medicines, applies surgical dressings and gives other forms of treatment
  • works with parents to explain procedures and health conditions and to help them care for children when they return home
  • advises on nursing care, disease prevention, and nutrition
  • plans, manages, provides and evaluates nursing care services for patients, supervises the implementation of nursing care plans

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 children's 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.