To this this wage is far too low?

[thirtytalking]

I work as a dental nurse. Have to pay £55 a day childcare, have to pay £120 a year subscription to the GCC, and £40 a year for a CPD programme. It's hard, stressful work.

I get £11.20 an hour. I thought that was bad. Talking to others who have been there longer, they don't even earn that. Some have done extra courses and have other duties and have been refused a pay rise.

I worked in pubs and came home with more. I claim UC and the pay is so low (I only do a few days) it's triggered a back to work meeting. In my last job there was no stress, I didn't have to be qualified or pay anything.. I just served a few drinks and came home with more money. It's a joke.

This sucks. Is it band 3-4? I feel for you guys starting at this rate, not sure why this isn't in line with the rest of the nursing and AHP starting salaries.
So are you saying other dental nurses get paid below minimum wage? That's surely can't be right.

Dental nursing salaries are not banded 😞

I’m so sorry OP, that’s awful. I feel so bad for people that work so hard and don’t get what they deserve back. It’s shameful that it’s like that, especially in a job like yours where you help people. You see ‘influencers’ post a pretty picture of themselves and earn more than what people working their arses off make in a year. I have no advice for you, but I hope things get better for you.

How much is that a year?

I only earn £8,000 a year part time.. full time will be what about £18,000?

I'm searching indeed every day just looking for zero hour contract work.. I was so much happier in my last job just making drinks and coming hone with more money!

Is there a chance of going back to your old job, or something similar?

Possibly but a lot of that type of work is hard to get around this time of year now as they slow down in winter and start again in spring x

I work as a dental nurse. Have to pay £55 a day childcare, have to pay £120 a year subscription to the GCC, and £40 a year for a CPD programme. It's hard, stressful work.

I get £11.20 an hour

You cant include your childcare as part of your pay - obviously you cannot work without paying for the care, but it was a choice to have a child, not a necessity of the job.

Its crap - you're right - how many hours do you work?
Does it put you below min wage having to pay £160 a year for subscriptions?
What happens if someone is part time, does that cost come down?

I think that’s poor for that job yes it’s barely minimum wage … I think you’d get more as a health care assistant in a hospital

No, I'm part time and I still have to pay the full amount every year to be on the GDC register

I'm shocked you make so little. Is yours a shortage occupation in other countries with higher pay/ same pay but lower cost of living? Might be worth a thought.

Oh were those numbers after you take out childcare costs? As that’s misleading!

I work 16 hours x

No I get £11.25 an hour. Thats before taking out childcare costs! I only wish it was after!!

Is that before or after tax? Minimum wage comes out at about £20k for a 39 hour week, so I'd think your full time equivalent should be more that that.

Can't you claim the registration back via your tax account? I used to do this with my registration before the LA started to cover it as a work benefit. I can't remember exactly how but if you log in your personal tax account through government gateway I'm sure there's a question which asks if you have to pay for a registration. Doesn't massively help the problem of the wage being low though

I'm not sure as I only work 2 days so I don't get taxed. I work 15 hours a week and I come home with £720 after £10 into pension.

Of course it's too low. NMW will be £11.44 ph from April next year, and you're earning less than that for a skilled job that requires qualifications. The consequence of a rising NMW (which is obviously a good thing) that other jobs that used to pay a reasonable premium above NMW haven't seen similar rises and now more and more people are earning that amount, even when their job requires qualifications and experience.

It's probably not a coincidence that 99% of dental nurses are female (I deal with a lot through my work and 'know' hundreds of dental nurses and under 10 have been male and most of them are overseas qualified dentists who are getting a foot in the door and earning money while they study for the qualification that allows them to practice dentistry in the UK).

That is a terrible wage for someone with qualifications in the industry.
For reference

As of the 21st November 2023, The Government has announced their new 'National Living Wage' rates for 2024 as £11.44 an hour, and have adjusted this to include over 21 year olds.

Currently the real living wage (signed up to by over 14k uk businesses is £12ph) so yes worker at Lush, Ikea earn more than you

https://www.livingwage.org.uk/#:~:text=There%20are%20over%2014%2C000%20Living,Aviva%2C%20Ikea%20and%20Everton%20FC.

If you want to stay in your industry suggest you move employers or if the industry is in that state move careers

P.s. most employers I've had pay registration fees for professional bodies especially if requirement for the job

Then I agree it’s low. I don’t imagine it’s an easy job with nervous patients. Very undervalued!

Can you go back to working in a pub where you wouldn't have subscriptions to pay and you said you enjoyed it more? I know a lot of pubs give a free meal if they serve food too. Plus you might get some tips. Minimum pay goes up in April. Maybe you will need to work some more hours if DWP are reviewing your case.

@thirtytalking

pubs/restaurants slow down at Christmas? Not in my experience.

How did you get the job with no experience? Or qualifications?

£18,000 (for a full time position is dreadful!! But are you more of a trainee?

Sorry not so much pubs etc - but places I have previously worked more tearooms, cafes etc.

It was what I qualified in prior to have children 7 years ago. It's not got any better and I'm starting to realise why I didn't return!

The only benefit to it was the it wasn't weekends, that was it.

I'm so miserable. I don't know whether to just hand my notice in asap, wait until I find another job, or what really. I was crying in the car yesterday morning as I just could not stand the thought of another day there.

I'm fully qualified and I passed my exam in 2010.

I'm on indeed from the moment I open my eyes until what feels like I go to sleep.. and there's just nothing. It doesn't help I live quite rurally either