Dental Care Professionals pay survey 2010

Dental Care Professionals pay survey 2010 Introduction Since 2001, the BDA has conducted quantitative research on market pay rates for Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) across the UK. Members can use this information, combined with their knowledge of the local labour market, to make informed business decisions regarding DCPs salaries. The 2010 Dental Care Professionals Pay Survey The 2010 DCP pay survey was designed to collect data on pay rates for all employed Dental Care Professionals. Separate tables have been produced for each DCP group and where possible the data is broken down by region, years of experience, NHS/private split, the number of dental nurses working at the practice, and whether the practice is a specialist practice or owned by a Body Corporate. The results reflect the hourly pay rates as at October 2010. Responses were received from 669 practices representing over 4,000 DCPs. The response rate was 33 per cent. Details of the method, and sampling are given in Appendix 2. Full results tables are available in Appendix 1.

Summary of results Table 1 shows the average hourly rate for dental care professionals, as at September 2010. The number of DCPs that the data relates to is shown in the column titled Base. Table 1: Average hourly rates for Dental Care Professionals as at September 2010 Lower quartile Median Upper quartile Base 4 Registered dental nurses 1 8.93 8.00 8.75 9.75 2,000 Trainee dental nurses 2 7.44 6.35 7.14 8.35 711 Employed hygienists 27.76 23.40 27.50 31.00 253 Employed therapists 3 26.36 23.00 26.00 30.00 93 Receptionists 8.72 7.65 8.50 9.60 971 Practice managers 13.15 10.50 12.35 15.00 368 1 Dental nurses who have completed a registerable qualification such as NVQ3. 2 Dental nurses have not yet completed a registerable qualification. 3 Including DCPs with a mixed hygienist/therapist role 4 This is the unweighted base (see Appendix 2 for details of weighting) Explanation of lower quartile, median and upper quartile The median, and upper and lower quartiles are statistical measures that summarise the distribution of hourly wage rates. The lower quartile hourly rate indicates that 25 per cent of staff earn that rate or less. The median hourly rate indicates that 50 per cent of staff earn that rate or less. The upper quartile hourly rate indicates that 75 per cent of staff earn that rate or less. Further analysis of each Dental Care Professional group can be found in Appendix 1. This is where you will find breakdowns by factors that influence pay rates such as experience, NHS commitment, and location of the practice. Making use of the survey findings To calculate an appropriate hourly rate for your staff, you may choose to consider the following data: regional variation, years of experience (which is a proxy for higher competencies and/or responsibilities), NHS/private split of the practice, and also additional qualifications held by the staff member. Figure one below shows how these factors influence the average pay rates for trained dental nurses.

Figure 1: Average pay for trained dental nurses Many other factors will need to be considered before setting the actual hourly rate such as having a competitive pay rate that encourages recruitment, enables retention of staff and keeps staff morale high, as well as complying with National Minimum Wage rates. This would require that you supplement the BDA s findings with information on pay rates for other local jobs. Such information could be assessed from local newspapers, employment agencies and at local job centres. DCP registration, and the associated costs involved, may also affect your ability to recruit new and retain existing staff and as such this should also be given consideration when setting your pay rates. Table 2: National Minimum Wage rates as at November 2010 Worker s age Minimum wage 21 and over 5.93 18-20 4.92 16-17 3.64 (Source: www.direct.gov.uk)

Furthermore, it is important to note that paying staff solely on experience or length of service can, in some cases, be unlawful age discrimination. It would, for example, likely be unlawful to pay a 40 year old nurse with 15 years' experience more than a 30 year old nurse with five years' experience if the role they did was identical. However, it is acceptable to pay experienced staff or staff who have been at your practice longer if awarding or increasing pay or benefits is meant to reflect a higher level of experience of the employee, or to reward loyalty, or to increase or maintain the motivation of the employee. Members should contact the BDA s Practice Support Team for advice if they wish to use a pay scale relating to length of service or experience. Looking to the future The most important survival strategy a business must have is one that ensures that all business costs are covered by the income it receives. A successful business is one that is able to cover all related operating costs, has some financial reserves for contingencies, considers future outgoings and is in profit. Deciding on a pay increase for staff is a business decision that also requires consideration of the economic climate and more importantly the practice profitability. Any change in business outgoings should be carefully considered. A cashflow forecast is recommended so that you can evaluate changes in outgoings and the income you will require to cover them. Prospective pay awards for DCP s can be based on any one or combination of the following: the current headline rate of inflation the current headline rate of average earnings growth NHS fee scale or contract uplifts Forecasts of the rate of inflation or rate of average earnings growth. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.1 per cent in the year to September 2010, whilst the Retail Price Index (RPI) rose by 4.6 per cent over the same period 1. The Average Earnings Index (AEI) rose by 2.2 per cent (excluding bonus payments) in the year to September 2010 2. Independent forecasts (dated November 2010) suggest that CPI will rise by 2.6 per cent in 2011, RPI by 3.5 per cent 3. The information from the BDA Pay Survey is designed to be used as a starting point and is intended to be informative rather than prescriptive. For further information or advice, members in England and Wales should email practicesupport@bda.org or call 020 7563 4574, whilst members in Scotland and Northern Ireland should email a.pitcaithley@bda.org or call 01786 431727. For further advice about business relating outgoings, the BDA advice sheet C8 Fee Setting may be of use. 1 HM Treasury pocket databank 17 November 2010 2 www.statistics.gov.uk 3 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Annex 1 Results

Registered dental nurses 25 th Average hourly pay rate Median 75 th Count Count UK 8.93 8.00 8.75 9.75 2008 2000 Country England 9.00 8.00 8.77 9.80 1694 1319 Northern Ireland 8.18 7.50 8.06 8.98 67 255 Scotland 8.61 7.49 8.44 9.30 158 206 Wales 8.54 7.70 8.35 9.25 87 213 England regions Greater London 10.12 9.00 10.00 11.30 131 102 Southern England 9.64 8.50 9.44 10.36 297 231 South West England 9.24 8.40 9.00 9.80 191 149 Midlands 8.62 7.70 8.50 9.32 304 237 North East England 8.48 7.74 8.38 9.00 315 245 North West England 8.60 7.70 8.50 9.50 352 274 East Anglia 9.49 8.20 9.15 10.56 90 70 Years of experience 0 1 7.31 6.50 7.00 8.00 42 53 2 3 7.83 7.25 7.75 8.40 300 312 4 5 8.50 7.70 8.25 9.00 343 343 6 7 8.77 8.00 8.60 9.38 249 248 8 9 9.03 8.20 8.90 9.60 201 184 10+ 9.56 8.52 9.37 10.20 867 856 NHS 75-100% NHS 8.54 7.66 8.32 9.30 923 934 50-74% NHS 8.91 7.87 8.60 10.00 242 254 25-49% NHS 9.01 8.24 8.76 9.56 240 243 1-24% NHS 9.27 8.50 9.27 9.90 357 348 100% private 9.82 8.50 9.42 11.00 237 202 Number of dental nurses 1-2 9.60 8.40 9.50 10.50 228 222 3-4 8.82 7.90 8.72 9.60 594 629 5-6 9.08 8.10 8.85 9.90 473 467 7+ 8.69 7.90 8.52 9.41 713 682 Corporate Yes 8.93 8.00 8.75 9.75 61 55 No 8.93 8.00 8.73 9.75 1908 1899 Specialist practice Yes 9.43 8.12 9.33 10.00 112 98 No 8.89 8.00 8.70 9.70 1875 1876 Post qualification certificate Yes 9.53 8.60 9.42 10.00 447 415 No 8.75 7.80 8.50 9.50 1279 1286 Unknown 8.77 8.00 8.55 9.50 283 299

Trainee dental nurses 25th Average hourly pay rate Median 75th Count Count UK 7.44 6.35 7.14 8.35 728 711 Country England 7.48 6.39 7.15 8.45 601 468 Northern Ireland 6.97 6.41 6.60 7.56 21 79 Scotland 7.18 6.25 7.14 7.85 85 111 Wales 7.73 6.50 7.14 8.25 21 51 England regions Greater London 8.21 6.50 7.50 10.00 44 34 Southern England 7.47 6.50 7.50 8.24 158 123 South West England 8.87 7.20 8.74 10.00 58 45 Midlands 7.09 6.00 7.00 8.10 81 63 North East England 7.12 6.00 7.15 8.11 82 64 North West England 7.08 6.00 6.75 7.86 95 74 East Anglia 7.43 6.15 6.92 8.42 74 58 Years of experience 0 1 6.41 5.95 6.50 7.00 285 275 2 3 7.07 6.35 7.00 7.50 140 145 4 5 7.67 6.85 7.50 8.30 47 49 6 7 8.19 7.50 8.10 8.40 30 32 8 9 8.32 7.75 8.25 9.09 24 21 10+ 9.07 8.10 8.76 10.00 180 171 NHS 75-100% NHS 7.13 6.00 7.00 8.00 376 375 50-74% NHS 7.17 6.25 7.00 8.00 76 82 25-49% NHS 7.45 6.25 7.00 8.45 91 86 1-24% NHS 8.11 7.00 8.00 9.26 115 106 100% private 8.43 7.37 8.25 9.56 62 54 Number of dental nurses 1 2 8.00 7.00 7.80 8.90 75 72 3-4 7.64 6.50 7.50 8.50 250 252 5-6 7.44 6.50 7.00 8.10 196 185 7+ 6.98 6.00 6.84 7.90 207 202 Corporate Yes 7.12 6.35 6.50 7.50 22 21 No 7.46 6.42 7.15 8.40 693 671 Specialist practice Yes 9.02 8.70 9.09 10.00 16 18 No 7.41 6.35 7.10 8.30 704 682

Employed dental hygienists 25th Average hourly pay rate Median 75th Count Count UK 27.76 23.40 27.50 31.00 266 253 Country England 28.46 24.64 28.00 32.00 227 177 Northern Ireland 23.09 20.50 22.00 25.00 5 20 Scotland 23.28 20.50 23.00 25.46 22 29 Wales 24.57 23.75 24.34 25.05 11 27 England regions Greater London 32.72 30.00 33.20 35.00 17 13 Southern England 31.11 28.77 31.00 33.00 60 47 South West England 27.62 25.00 28.00 30.00 45 35 Midlands 26.23 21.75 24.78 28.00 37 29 North East England 25.18 21.75 25.00 29.58 30 23 North West England 25.12 22.67 23.98 25.40 22 17 East Anglia 32.89 27.50 29.05 35.00 13 10 Years of experience 0 4 26.76 23.00 26.00 31.00 27 31 5 9 26.91 23.00 26.00 31.00 58 58 10+ 28.13 24.00 28.00 31.00 176 160 NHS 75-100% NHS 25.89 21.75 25.00 30.00 82 77 50-74% NHS 27.60 23.00 28.00 30.00 27 25 25-49% NHS 26.52 22.00 26.00 30.00 36 40 1-24% NHS 28.78 25.00 28.00 31.00 72 67 100% private 30.41 26.00 30.00 33.20 49 43 Number of dental nurses 1 2 29.31 26.00 28.77 32.00 58 51 3 4 28.85 24.00 28.00 32.00 88 93 5 6 27.02 22.90 27.30 32.00 59 54 7+ 25.42 21.00 24.00 29.58 61 55 Corporate Yes 27.14 21.00 27.18 30.00 7 7 No 27.84 23.98 27.66 31.50 256 238 Specialist practice Yes 27.75 20.84 28.00 32.50 15 13 No 27.78 23.40 27.50 31.00 249 236

Employed dental therapists* 25th Average hourly pay rate Median 75th Count Count All Therapists 26.36 23.00 26.00 30.00 103 93 * Including hygienists/therapists

Receptionists 25th Average hourly pay rate Median 75th Count Count UK 8.72 7.65 8.50 9.60 971 971 Country England 8.76 7.67 8.50 9.70 831 647 Northern Ireland 8.39 7.50 8.26 9.18 36 137 Scotland 8.58 7.70 8.48 9.20 58 76 Wales 8.46 7.50 8.35 9.38 46 111 England regions Greater London 9.63 8.00 9.20 10.50 76 59 Southern England 9.03 8.00 8.80 10.00 199 155 South West England 8.67 7.56 8.61 9.45 100 78 Midlands 8.30 7.73 8.10 8.95 121 94 North East England 8.34 7.50 8.12 9.00 119 93 North West England 8.79 7.55 8.55 10.00 154 120 East Anglia 8.61 7.80 8.50 9.25 62 48 Years of experience 0 1 7.28 6.50 7.20 8.00 100 96 2 3 7.87 7.00 7.60 8.50 119 119 4 5 8.19 7.50 8.18 8.73 133 132 6 7 8.64 7.96 8.30 9.00 79 77 8 9 8.88 7.75 8.50 9.73 70 72 10+ 9.42 8.30 9.10 10.15 453 459 NHS 75-100% NHS 8.36 7.50 8.16 9.00 423 431 50-74% NHS 8.79 7.84 8.50 9.74 134 134 25-49% NHS 8.84 7.74 8.62 9.60 108 112 1-24% NHS 8.98 8.00 8.80 9.77 197 195 100% private 9.47 8.10 9.00 10.61 107 94 Number of dental nurses 1 2 8.81 7.55 8.50 10.00 180 184 3 4 8.64 7.50 8.46 9.50 334 346 5 6 8.95 8.00 8.62 9.67 206 202 7+ 8.58 7.61 8.50 9.42 251 239 Corporate Yes 8.60 8.00 9.00 10.00 28 25 No 8.72 7.63 8.50 9.50 925 924 Specialist practice Yes 9.05 7.68 8.24 9.50 36 37 No 8.70 7.63 8.50 9.60 926 925

Practice managers 25 th Average hourly pay rate Median 75 th Count Count UK 13.15 10.50 12.35 15.00 378 368 Country England 13.23 10.50 12.36 15.00 321 250 Northern Ireland 11.98 10.00 11.79 13.50 9 34 Scotland 13.07 11.00 12.30 15.00 29 38 Wales 12.47 11.10 12.00 14.00 19 46 England regions Greater London 13.54 12.00 13.50 15.00 30 23 Southern England 13.53 11.00 12.56 15.00 74 58 South West England 13.96 11.43 12.82 14.00 27 21 Midlands 12.31 10.41 12.12 13.25 51 40 North East England 13.00 10.00 12.83 14.86 42 33 North West England 13.02 10.44 12.21 15.00 62 48 East Anglia 14.47 11.00 12.23 16.38 28 22 Years of experience 0 1 11.28 9.00 11.00 12.01 15 15 2 3 11.40 9.50 10.25 13.50 35 32 4 5 12.29 10.50 12.00 14.23 32 33 6 7 11.75 10.00 11.95 12.50 17 16 8 9 13.08 11.37 12.50 14.42 19 17 10+ 13.74 10.95 12.82 15.41 255 251 NHS 75-100% NHS 12.57 10.00 11.65 14.43 153 154 50-74% NHS 13.78 11.93 13.00 15.50 45 43 25-49% NHS 12.90 10.83 12.39 14.52 49 49 1-24% NHS 13.43 11.24 12.61 14.60 77 74 100% private 14.31 11.50 13.50 16.90 51 44 Number of dental nurses 1 2 12.66 10.25 12.00 15.00 63 60 3 4 12.84 10.00 12.00 14.10 129 133 5 6 13.22 11.00 12.66 15.00 85 77 7+ 13.80 11.00 12.61 16.00 101 98 Corporate Yes 12.18 10.50 12.20 13.00 16 13 No 13.22 10.51 12.37 15.00 356 347 Specialist practice Yes 16.35 12.82 16.90 20.00 12 13 No 13.07 10.50 12.26 15.00 362 350

Annex 2 Sampling

Method and response A stratified random sampling method was used to select a sample of 1,400 practice owners in England, 200 in Wales, 200 in Scotland, and 200 in Northern Ireland. This sample excluded retired dentists and members currently living overseas. Practice owners in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland deliberately oversampled to ensure that an adequate number of responses were received to allow detailed analysis. The survey was circulated by post in early September 2010. A reminder was sent to everyone who had not responded in late September. In total, 669 responses were received representing over 4,000 DCPs. The response rate was 33 per cent. Weighting To account for the stratified sampling method across the UK, the data has been weighted to represent BDA membership as at August 2010 with regards to the proportions of practice owners in each of the four nations. The following weights have been used: Country Weighting England 1.284 Wales 0.410 Scotland 0.766 Northern Ireland 0.264 Respondent characteristics Count Count UK 669 670 Country Northern Ireland 87 23 Scotland 68 52 Wales 74 30 England 440 565 England regions Greater London 48 62 Southern England 105 135 South West England 47 60 Midlands 69 89 North East England 57 73 North West England 75 96 East Anglia 31 40 NHS 75-100% NHS 288 276 25-74% NHS 148 145 0-24% NHS 224 243