Health Visitor
Specialist nurse working with families with babies and young children in the community.
This UK health visitor career guide covers what the role involves day to day, typical salary at each stage, the usual entry route, the skills employers expect, and related careers worth comparing.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £35,392 (NHS Band 6)
- Mid-career salary
- £43,742 - £50,056
- Senior salary
- £55,000 - £70,000
- Work environment
- Hospital, clinic or community setting
- Time to entry
- 1 year post-qualification (specialist training)
- Degree required
- Nursing/midwifery + SCPHN
- Category
- Healthcare and Care
What a Health Visitor does
Specialist nurse working with families with babies and young children in the community.
- Universal Service - Routine reviews for under-5s.
- Targeted Family Support - Intensive work with vulnerable families.
- Infant Feeding Lead - Lead infant feeding strategy across teams.
- Perinatal Mental Health - Specialist support for mums with PMH issues.
How to become a Health Visitor
- Look up Health Visitor roles on LinkedIn or Indeed and read 5 real job ads
- Talk to someone already working as a Health Visitor - even a 15-minute call helps
- Find one beginner course or qualification used by people in this role
- Build one small piece of evidence you've explored this (project, shadowing, short course)
- Apply to one entry-level role or related opportunity within the next month
Key skills
- Child development
- Family assessment
- Safeguarding
- Comms
- Lone working