As a Junior Doctor, you’re fully medically trained and working in a clinical setting, treating patients and taking the lead. Your starting Junior Doctor pay is likely to be around £28,808 in your first year and could remain around this for the time you continue towards higher surgical or medical training – this could be anything from 5 to 9 years!

Your salary will rise as your career progresses but in the meantime you might be working long hours doing specialist work without seeing that reflected in your pay. This can be challenging for your financial stability, especially if you live in an area with a high cost of living or you have some financial goals that you’re looking to hit.

Let’s talk about one of the ways that you can increase your Junior Doctor Pay: becoming trained in aesthetics.

What does aesthetics mean?

Aesthetic medicine is a broad term for specialities that focus on a non-surgical approach to altering cosmetic appearance. This could be through the treatment of conditions like wrinkles and fine lines, scars, liver spots, loss of volume in the face or lips, skin discoloration, spider veins, excess fat, cellulite and unwanted hair. Most aesthetic procedures are elective, and are delivered privately.

There’s a huge demand for aesthetics services, especially when carried out by an experienced, talented medical professional (that’s you!). It’s a sector that’s worth billions, and projected to grow by as much as 10% over the next few years. As a sector it’s an ideal one for Junior Doctors to progress into, as they can administer treatments safely. 

Aesthetics isn’t just about looks either. It’s appreciated as an extremely rewarding speciality which makes a real difference to patient confidence and quality of life. For the practitioner, the sector also offers huge scope for professional growth, development and income. The industry offers direct links to innovation and technology, shaping the future evolution of patient care in other sectors – in aesthetics you’ll see it first.

There’s no denying that the industry needs more medically trained professionals to deliver a heightened state of regulated practice and protect the standards of patient care. 

How much do aestheticians make?

In the UK, the average aesthetic doctor salary is £37,050 – almost £10,000 more than Junior Doctor pay – but the reality is that this could be much, much higher. A good aesthetician can arrange to see as many – or as few – clients as they want which can seriously top up pay or even lead to a more lucrative career in itself.

Can I practice aesthetics part-time?

Many aesthetic practitioners practice part-time alongside other clinical commitments. The fiscal options are hugely varied with some choosing to become self-employed, work on a contracted basis for a clinic or work in a large, national chain. The choice is completely yours and you’re in control of your hours and earnings.

Whether you’re looking to fit your aesthetics clinic around your professional life or family or if you just want greater flexibility and autonomy then opportunities definitely exist within the sector of aesthetic medicine.