Pay scale · United Kingdom · 2026/27
NHS pay bands 2026/27
Agenda for Change pay rose 3.3% in England from 1 April 2026. Band 2 pays £25,272, band 5 £32,073 to £39,043, band 6 £39,959 to £48,117, band 7 £49,387 to £56,515 and band 9 up to £129,783, for a full-time 37.5-hour week. Pick your band and pay point to see your pay with London weighting and part-time hours, and what you take home after tax, National Insurance and pension.
By Dominic Roworth · Every figure from NHS Employers and the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, checked 30 October 2026
Band 5 entry, a year
£32,073
Full time, 2026/27
NHS pay 2026/27: the key figures
| Figure | 2026/27 (England) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pay rise | 3.3% on every pay point, consolidated | Written statement HCWS1340; NHSPRB 39th report |
| In effect from | 1 April 2026, paid in April salaries | NHS Employers |
| Lowest rate (bands 1 and 2) | £25,272 (£12.92 an hour) | NHS Employers pay scales 2026/27 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 to £39,043 | NHS Employers pay scales 2026/27 |
| Highest rate (band 9 top) | £129,783 | NHS Employers pay scales 2026/27 |
| London weighting (HCAS) | 20% Inner London, 15% Outer London, 5% fringe, with a minimum and maximum | Handbook, Annex 9 |
| Full-time hours | 37.5 a week | Handbook, section 10.1 |
| NHS pension contribution | 5.2% to 12.5% of pensionable pay | NHS Business Services Authority |
| 2027/28 | Not yet decided; the government plans for 2.4% | DHSC evidence to the NHSPRB, October 2026 |
NHS Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27 (England)
Every band and pay point for a full-time 37.5-hour week, with the 2026/27 figure, last year's, and the hourly rate. "Years" is how long you spend on the previous point before you can move to this one, as long as you meet the requirements for pay progression.
| Band | Pay point | Years | 2026/27 | 2025/26 | Rise | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | Spot salary (closed to new entrants) | £25,272 | £24,465 | +£807 | £12.92 | |
| Band 2 | Entry | £25,272 | £24,465 | +£807 | £12.92 | |
| Top | 2 | £25,272 | £24,465 | +£807 | £12.92 | |
| Band 3 | Entry | £25,760 | £24,937 | +£823 | £13.17 | |
| Top | 2 | £27,476 | £26,598 | +£878 | £14.05 | |
| Band 4 | Entry | £28,392 | £27,485 | +£907 | £14.52 | |
| Top | 3 | £31,157 | £30,162 | +£995 | £15.93 | |
| Band 5 | Entry | £32,073 | £31,049 | +£1,024 | £16.40 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £34,592 | £33,487 | +£1,105 | £17.69 | |
| Top | 2 | £39,043 | £37,796 | +£1,247 | £19.97 | |
| Band 6 | Entry | £39,959 | £38,682 | +£1,277 | £20.44 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £42,170 | £40,823 | +£1,347 | £21.57 | |
| Top | 3 | £48,117 | £46,580 | +£1,537 | £24.61 | |
| Band 7 | Entry | £49,387 | £47,810 | +£1,577 | £25.26 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £51,932 | £50,273 | +£1,659 | £26.56 | |
| Top | 3 | £56,515 | £54,710 | +£1,805 | £28.90 | |
| Band 8a | Entry | £57,528 | £55,690 | +£1,838 | £29.42 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £60,417 | £58,487 | +£1,930 | £30.90 | |
| Top | 3 | £64,750 | £62,682 | +£2,068 | £33.11 | |
| Band 8b | Entry | £66,582 | £64,455 | +£2,127 | £34.05 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £70,896 | £68,631 | +£2,265 | £36.26 | |
| Top | 3 | £77,368 | £74,896 | +£2,472 | £39.57 | |
| Band 8c | Entry | £79,504 | £76,965 | +£2,539 | £40.66 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £84,346 | £81,652 | +£2,694 | £43.14 | |
| Top | 3 | £91,609 | £88,682 | +£2,927 | £46.85 | |
| Band 8d | Entry | £94,356 | £91,342 | +£3,014 | £48.26 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £100,140 | £96,941 | +£3,199 | £51.21 | |
| Top | 3 | £108,814 | £105,337 | +£3,477 | £55.65 | |
| Band 9 | Entry | £112,782 | £109,179 | +£3,603 | £57.68 | |
| Intermediate | 2 | £119,583 | £115,763 | +£3,820 | £61.16 | |
| Top | 3 | £129,783 | £125,637 | +£4,146 | £66.37 |
Hourly rate = annual salary / (365 / 7) weeks / 37.5 hours, the method behind the hourly rates NHS Employers publishes. Band 2's two points pay the same.
Take-home pay at every band
What a full-time employee outside London takes home in 2026/27, after income tax, employee National Insurance and the NHS pension contribution, worked out with our 2026/27 UK tax engine (England, Wales and Northern Ireland tax bands, tax code 1257L). A band 5 nurse on entry keeps £24,483 of £32,073: about 76%.
| Band | Entry | Take-home a year | A month | Top | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | £20,401 | £1,700 | £25,272 | £20,401 | £1,700 |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | £20,727 | £1,727 | £27,476 | £21,874 | £1,823 |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | £22,485 | £1,874 | £31,157 | £23,884 | £1,990 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | £24,483 | £2,040 | £39,043 | £28,570 | £2,381 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £29,157 | £2,430 | £48,117 | £34,391 | £2,866 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £35,206 | £2,934 | £56,515 | £39,708 | £3,309 |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | £40,230 | £3,353 | £64,750 | £43,955 | £3,663 |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | £44,900 | £3,742 | £77,368 | £49,628 | £4,136 |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | £50,707 | £4,226 | £91,609 | £56,820 | £4,735 |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | £58,207 | £4,851 | £108,814 | £65,508 | £5,459 |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | £67,512 | £5,626 | £129,783 | £73,386 | £6,115 |
Not included: student loan repayments, salary sacrifice schemes, overtime and unsocial hours payments. In Scotland, Scottish income tax bands apply.
NHS London weighting: high cost area supplements
Staff working in and around London get a high cost area supplement (HCAS) on top of basic pay: a percentage of basic salary, kept between a minimum and a maximum. It is pensionable, and part-time staff get it pro rata (Handbook, sections 4 and 11.1).
| Area | Rate | 2026/27 minimum | 2026/27 maximum | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% | £5,794 | £8,746 | £5,609 to £8,466 |
| Outer London | 15% | £4,870 | £6,137 | £4,714 to £5,941 |
| Fringe | 5% | £1,346 | £2,270 | £1,303 to £2,198 |
Three examples, full time:
- Band 5 entry, Inner London: 20% of £32,073 is £6,414.60, inside the limits, so total pay is £38,487.60.
- Band 2, Inner London: 20% would be £5,054.40, below the £5,794 minimum, so the supplement is £5,794.
- Band 6 entry, Outer London, 30 hours a week: £31,967.20 basic plus £4,795.08 HCAS (both pro rata), £36,762.28 in all.
Which zone you are in depends on where you work; the zones are defined in Annex 8 of the Handbook.
NHS pension contributions 2026/27
Members of the NHS Pension Scheme (England and Wales) pay a share of their pensionable pay set by which tier their actual pensionable pay for the year falls in. The whole of your pay is charged at that one rate, not slice by slice. The thresholds rose by 3.8% on 1 April 2026, except the lowest ones.
| Actual pensionable pay a year | Contribution rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £13,259 | 5.2% |
| £13,260 to £28,854 | 6.5% |
| £28,855 to £35,155 | 8.3% |
| £35,156 to £52,778 | 9.8% |
| £52,779 to £67,668 | 10.7% |
| £67,669 and above | 12.5% |
Contributions come off before income tax is worked out (a net pay arrangement), so they cost less than they look: a basic-rate taxpayer saves 20p in tax for every £1 paid in. National Insurance is still charged on your full pay (HMRC, PTM044210 and NIM02365). The employer pays 23.7% on top.
How you move up a band's pay points
Each band has one to three pay points. You move to the next point on your pay step date, after the years shown in the table, provided you have shown the knowledge, skills and level of performance the role needs, as set out locally under the Handbook's pay progression rules (sections 1.8 and 1.9, Annex 23). Moving up is normally only held back after a documented discussion about performance and a fair chance to improve. Pay beyond the top of your band comes from a move to a higher band.
Bands 1 and 2 and the National Living Wage
The National Living Wage rose to £12.71 an hour on 1 April 2026. NHS Employers announced a temporary rise for bands 1 and 2 to keep them above it, and the 3.3% award then overtook it: both pay £25,272, £12.92 an hour, which the NHS Pay Review Body notes is 21p above the National Living Wage.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Scotland has its own two-year deal: 3.75% from 1 April 2026, and the full-time week is now 36 hours. Band 5 starts at £34,544 and band 6 at £43,231 (PCS(AFC)2026/1). If average inflation for 2026 is above 2.75%, a further rise is due in March 2027.
- Wales accepted the 3.3% award from 1 April 2026, with more for the lowest paid. Band 5 starts at £32,557 and band 6 at £40,559; bands 1 and 2 pay £26,300. Welsh pay points from band 4 up are about 1.5% above England's.
- Northern Ireland has not paid the 2026/27 award. The Health Minister accepted 3.3%, but as of October 2026 no decision had been taken to fund it, so staff are still on 2025/26 rates: band 5 starts at £31,049 and band 6 at £38,682.
What happens next
- Pay structure talks. Unions, employers and the government are negotiating changes to the Agenda for Change structure through the NHS Staff Council, with the lowest bands and graduates as priorities. Any increases agreed would be backdated to 1 April 2026. As of October 2026 there was no agreement.
- Band 5 nurse review. Since February 2026 employers have been reviewing every band 5 nurse role, with funding for any resulting rises. It doesn't promise a move to band 6.
- 2027/28. The government asked the NHS Pay Review Body for a recommendation "at the earliest point" and plans for a 2.4% uplift. We update this page when the award is announced.
Limits
- These are England's Agenda for Change pay scales for staff on NHS terms. Doctors and dentists are paid on their own contracts, and some NHS-funded employers don't use Agenda for Change.
- Take-home pay assumes one job, tax code 1257L and the England, Wales and Northern Ireland tax bands, with no student loan, salary sacrifice or other deductions.
- Unsocial hours, overtime, on-call payments and recruitment and retention premia aren't included.
Questions
How much is band 5 in 2026/27?
In England, band 5 pays £32,073 on entry, £34,592 after 2 years and £39,043 after 2 more, for a full-time 37.5-hour week, from 1 April 2026. That is £16.40 an hour on entry. After income tax, National Insurance and an 8.3% NHS pension contribution, a full-time band 5 on entry takes home about £24,483 a year, or £2,040 a month, outside London.
How much is band 6 and band 7 in 2026/27?
Band 6 pays £39,959 on entry, £42,170 after 2 years and £48,117 after 3 more. Band 7 pays £49,387, £51,932 and £56,515. Both are full-time figures for England; London staff get a high cost area supplement on top.
When was the 2026/27 NHS pay rise paid?
The 3.3% award was announced on 12 February 2026 and took effect from 1 April 2026. For the first time in six years it was in pay packets from April, so there was no back pay to wait for.
How much is London weighting for NHS staff?
It is called the high cost area supplement (HCAS). In 2026/27 it is 20% of basic salary in Inner London (at least £5,794 and at most £8,746 a year), 15% in Outer London (£4,870 to £6,137) and 5% in the fringe (£1,346 to £2,270). A band 5 nurse on entry in Inner London gets £6,414.60 on top of £32,073. HCAS is pensionable, and part-time staff get it pro rata.
Is there a 2027/28 NHS pay rise?
Not yet. The government asked the NHS Pay Review Body for its 2027/28 recommendation on 15 July 2026, and its evidence to the review body says it plans for a 2.4% uplift. Separately, talks on reforming the Agenda for Change pay structure are going on, and any deal would be backdated to 1 April 2026.
What band do newly qualified nurses start on?
Band 5. A newly qualified nurse in England starts on £32,073 in 2026/27, reaching £39,043 after 4 years at the band. Since February 2026 every band 5 nurse's role is being reviewed by their employer, which may move some nurses to band 6, but there is no automatic regrading.
Sources
- NHS Employers, Pay scales for 2026/27 (12 February 2026)
- NHS Employers, Pay scales for 2025/26 (22 May 2025)
- NHS Employers, NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, amendment 63 (sections 1, 4, 10, 11; Annexes 2, 8 and 9)
- Written statement HCWS1340, NHS pay 2026/27 (12 February 2026)
- NHS Pay Review Body, 39th report, 2026 (CP 1484)
- NHS Employers, National Living Wage 2026/27 update (5 February 2026)
- NHS Business Services Authority, Cost of being in the Scheme (member contributions)
- NHS Employers, NHS Pension Scheme member contributions (2 March 2026)
- HMRC, Pensions Tax Manual PTM044210 (net pay arrangements)
- HMRC, National Insurance Manual NIM02365 (pension contributions and NICs)
- NHS Scotland, PCS(AFC)2026/1, pay 2026/27 (23 January 2026)
- Welsh Government, written statement on the 39th NHS Pay Review Body report (12 February 2026)
- NHS Wales, Pay Letter AfC(W) 02/2026, Annex 1 (1 June 2026)
- Department of Health (NI), evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body 2027/28 (October 2026)
- DHSC, NHS Pay Review Body remit letter 2027 to 2028 (15 July 2026)
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026/27 UK tax engine (HMRC rates and thresholds), see the methodology.
Related
- Nurse salary in the UK: what nurses earn across the NHS and private sector, from ONS data
- Pharmacist salary in the UK
- London weighting 2026/27: how the NHS supplement compares with teachers, police and other London employers
- UK National Living Wage: the April 2026 and 2027 rates
- All pay scales: official public sector pay tables we cover
- Salaries in the United Kingdom