Doctors' pay fell further than public sector average over 14 years, BMJ reveals

Credit: PA Wire/Jacob King

By Claudia Tanner

Doctors' earnings have fallen more steeply in real terms than the public sector average between 2011 and 2025, according new research by a think tank.

The analysis, which compared real-terms earnings across healthcare groups with the public and private sectors, found that resident doctors' average earnings fell 8.6% over the 14-year period to March 2025, whilst consultants experienced a 10% decrease. This contrasts with an average fall of 6.9% across the entire public sector.