Intensive care nurse salary and pay rate guide

If you’re a registered ICU, ITU or CCU nurse wanting to progress your career or are a registered nurse thinking about making a move into intensive care, this short guide provides information on:

• Average annual ICU nursing salaries for NHS Scotland, the HSE in the Republic of Ireland and the HSC in Northern Ireland
• Average hourly ICU nursing pay rates in the three public health services
• Average hourly pay rates for ICU agency nurses working with us at the Guild

The role of an ICU nurse

ICU nurses provide intensive care, regular observations, and specialist healthcare support to critically ill patients in hospitals who need close monitoring of their vital signs.

As many of these patients face life-threatening situations, working in ICU means you’ll have a role with a unique set of demands that can change quickly should a patient’s condition change or deteriorate. While it is a challenging role, the personal rewards you can gain from working in such an intense and technical role, where 1:1 care may be required, can be incredibly high.

So how does this responsibility translate into pay?

Salary guide for intensive care nurse roles in Scotland

ICU nurses can start at a Band 5 level, with senior roles available at Band 7 and 8. Pay in the band you are in will increase as you gain experience. Also, if you are promoted to a higher banded role, this will see you receive a pay rise.

The average permanent salaries and hourly rates for ICU nurses are:

Source: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/pay-scales-202324

When working as an agency nurse, hourly rates tend to be higher. This is because the roles require nurses to have an exceptional level of skill. Nurses working in Scotland with the Guild can earn an average rate of:

• Registered ICU, ITU or CCU nurse – £48.50 hourly pay rate
• ICU, ITU or CCU nurse in charge – £58.50 hourly pay rate

Salary guide for intensive care nurse roles in Ireland

Intensive care nursing salaries in the Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, the pay scale for nurses working in permanent roles within the HSE is split across 30 different job roles, each with its own pay band divided into incremental pay steps that increase with each year of service up to a ceiling rate.

Additional allowances are paid to Staff Nurses, Senior Staff Nurses, and CNMs 1 & 2 (including Theatre Sisters) when working on ‘qualifying duties’. When applicable, the higher of either a location or qualification allowance is payable.

Average salaries for these ICU nursing roles are:

ICU nurses who are working with nursing agencies are paid an hourly rate. At the Guild, different nursing positions, specialisms and experience levels have different pay rates. We also have different rates for the different shifts that are available to our ICU nurses. ICU nurses working in the Republic of Ireland with the Guild can earn an average rate of:

• Registered ICU, ITU or CCU nurse – £57 hourly pay rate
• ICU, ITU or CCU nurse in charge – £70.50 hourly pay rate

Sources: HSE data has been used to put together average salaries and hourly rates for permanent ICU nursing jobs. Agency nursing hourly rates are based on P2 hourly rates provided by the Guild.

Intensive care nursing salaries in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, ICU nursing roles with HSC are banded. Registered nurses start at Band 5 – the entry level for a registered ICU nurse, with progression opportunities available. There are Band 7 roles, which include becoming a senior sister critical care or charge nurse. Another interesting role is advanced critical care practitioner (ACCPs) – there are only 130 across the whole of the UK and are at a Band 8a level.

The table below (correct as of 02/06/2023) shows the average salary and hourly rates for permanent ICU nurse roles:

Source: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/pay-scales-202324

When working as an agency ICU nurse in Northern Ireland, the hourly rates that you are paid will be different from the above. At the Guild, our rates are based on location, specialism and experience, and are calculated based on grades. A nurse working in Northern Ireland with the Guild can earn an average of:

• Registered ICU, ITU or CCU nurse – £48.50 hourly pay rate
• ICU, ITU or CCU nurse in charge – £58.50 hourly pay rate

Discover more about our pay rates along with our reward and benefits, which includes paying the NMC & NMBI fees of our nurses.

Intensive care nursing opportunities with the Guild

Are you interested in finding out more about the intensive care nursing opportunities available at SNG? Register now and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your future with us.