NHS Pay Calculator 2026/27
Work out your take-home pay on any Agenda for Change band and step in England for 2026/27, after income tax, National Insurance, NHS Pension and student loan. You can add London weighting and part-time hours.
NHS pay bands 2026/27: take-home pay at every step
These figures are for full-time staff (37.5 hours a week) outside London, paying into the NHS Pension, with tax code 1257L and no student loan. Each band links to a page with London and part-time figures.
| Band and step | Pay a year | Pension | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2, single pay point | £25,272 | 6.5% | £20,401 | £1,700 |
| Band 3, entry | £25,760 | 6.5% | £20,727 | £1,727 |
| Band 3, top (after 2 years) | £27,476 | 6.5% | £21,874 | £1,823 |
| Band 4, entry | £28,392 | 6.5% | £22,485 | £1,874 |
| Band 4, top (after 3 years) | £31,157 | 8.3% | £23,884 | £1,990 |
| Band 5, entry | £32,073 | 8.3% | £24,483 | £2,040 |
| Band 5, intermediate (after 2 years) | £34,592 | 8.3% | £26,129 | £2,177 |
| Band 5, top (after 4 years) | £39,043 | 9.8% | £28,570 | £2,381 |
| Band 6, entry | £39,959 | 9.8% | £29,157 | £2,430 |
| Band 6, intermediate (after 2 years) | £42,170 | 9.8% | £30,576 | £2,548 |
| Band 6, top (after 5 years) | £48,117 | 9.8% | £34,391 | £2,866 |
| Band 7, entry | £49,387 | 9.8% | £35,206 | £2,934 |
| Band 7, intermediate (after 2 years) | £51,932 | 9.8% | £36,939 | £3,078 |
| Band 7, top (after 5 years) | £56,515 | 10.7% | £39,708 | £3,309 |
| Band 8a, entry | £57,528 | 10.7% | £40,230 | £3,353 |
| Band 8a, intermediate (after 2 years) | £60,417 | 10.7% | £41,720 | £3,477 |
| Band 8a, top (after 5 years) | £64,750 | 10.7% | £43,955 | £3,663 |
| Band 8b, entry | £66,582 | 10.7% | £44,900 | £3,742 |
| Band 8b, intermediate (after 2 years) | £70,896 | 12.5% | £46,360 | £3,863 |
| Band 8b, top (after 5 years) | £77,368 | 12.5% | £49,628 | £4,136 |
| Band 8c, entry | £79,504 | 12.5% | £50,707 | £4,226 |
| Band 8c, intermediate (after 2 years) | £84,346 | 12.5% | £53,152 | £4,429 |
| Band 8c, top (after 5 years) | £91,609 | 12.5% | £56,820 | £4,735 |
| Band 8d, entry | £94,356 | 12.5% | £58,207 | £4,851 |
| Band 8d, intermediate (after 2 years) | £100,140 | 12.5% | £61,128 | £5,094 |
| Band 8d, top (after 5 years) | £108,814 | 12.5% | £65,508 | £5,459 |
| Band 9, entry | £112,782 | 12.5% | £67,512 | £5,626 |
| Band 9, intermediate (after 2 years) | £119,583 | 12.5% | £70,020 | £5,835 |
| Band 9, top (after 5 years) | £129,783 | 12.5% | £73,386 | £6,115 |
Band 1 is closed to new entrants. Staff still on it are paid £25,272, the same as Band 2.
How NHS pay works
Most NHS staff in England, apart from doctors, dentists and very senior managers, are paid on the Agenda for Change pay system. Jobs are placed in bands from 1 to 9, with Band 8 split into 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d. Your band depends on the job, not on you.
Most bands have two or three step points. You start at the entry step and move up after a set number of years. NHS Employers lists the years at each step before you become eligible for the next one; your employer will tell you what you need to do to progress. The names Entry, Intermediate and Top are our labels for those steps, not official names.
The 2026/27 pay award
The 2026/27 award is a 3.3% rise to every Agenda for Change pay point in England. It took effect from 1 April 2026 and was paid in April 2026 salaries.
London weighting (high cost area supplements)
If you work in or near London you get a high cost area supplement on top of basic pay. It is a percentage of your basic pay, but never less than the minimum or more than the maximum. Annex 8 of the NHS terms and conditions handbook lists which areas fall in each zone, so check with your employer if you are not sure.
| Area | Supplement | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% of basic pay | £5,794 | £8,746 |
| Outer London | 15% of basic pay | £4,870 | £6,137 |
| Fringe | 5% of basic pay | £1,346 | £2,270 |
For example, a Band 5 on the entry step in Inner London gets 20% of £32,073, which is £6,414.60. At the top of Band 9, 20% would be more than £8,746, so the supplement is capped at £8,746. The supplement counts as pensionable pay, so it is included when your NHS Pension rate is worked out.
NHS Pension contributions
From 1 April 2026 your NHS Pension contribution is one rate on all your pensionable pay. The rate depends on your actual yearly pensionable pay: basic pay plus any high cost area supplement, after any part-time reduction.
| Actual yearly pensionable pay | Rate on all pensionable pay |
|---|---|
| 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 are taken before income tax (a net pay arrangement), so you get tax relief at your highest rate. The NHS Pension cannot be paid through salary sacrifice, so National Insurance is still worked out on your full pay.
Why higher pay can mean a higher rate on all your pay
Because one rate applies to all your pensionable pay, moving into a higher tier raises the rate on every pound, not just the part above the tier. A full-time Band 5 on the entry step (£32,073) pays 8.3%, which is £2,662 a year. At the top step (£39,043) the rate is 9.8%, which is £3,826 a year. London weighting can do the same: the same entry-step Band 5 in Inner London has £38,487.60 of pensionable pay and pays 9.8%.
Part-time staff
If you work fewer than 37.5 hours a week, you are paid pro rata: the full-time salary × your hours ÷ 37.5. Your pension rate is based on what you actually earn, so part-time staff often pay a lower rate. For example, a Band 3 on the entry step working 22.5 hours a week earns £15,456 a year, pays 6.5% into the NHS Pension and takes home about £1,154 a month.
Could 2026/27 pay change?
A separate reform of the Agenda for Change pay structure is being negotiated through the NHS Staff Council. If a deal is agreed, pay for some staff could change, with any increases backdated to 1 April 2026. As of 12 October 2026 no new pay scales had been published, so the figures here may change if a deal is agreed. We will update these pages if that happens.
Related calculators
Doctors and dentists are paid on separate scales: see the doctors' pay calculator. Compare with any other salary using the take home pay calculator. See how pension contributions affect your pay with the pension calculator, or check repayments on each plan with the student loan calculator. Working part time? The pro-rata salary calculator scales any salary to your hours. Work out extra shifts with the overtime calculator, and check your payslip code with the tax code checker.
How this is worked out
We take the full-time salary for your band and step from the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay scales, scale it by your hours ÷ 37.5, and add any high cost area supplement. Your NHS Pension rate is picked from your actual yearly pensionable pay and taken off before income tax. Income tax, National Insurance and student loan then use the same 2026/27 rules as our take home pay calculator.
What this calculator assumes
- Agenda for Change pay scales for England, effective 1 April 2026, and the 2026/27 tax year with England, Wales and Northern Ireland income tax rates, tax code 1257L and no other income.
- The high cost area supplement is a percentage of basic pay, held between the minimum and maximum. For part-time hours we scale the supplement, including the minimum and maximum, by your hours ÷ 37.5 (our reading of handbook section 11.1, which gives part-time staff the same entitlements pro rata).
- NHS Pension (England and Wales) is one rate on all pensionable pay (basic pay plus any supplement), chosen by your actual yearly pensionable pay. It comes off before income tax; National Insurance and student loan are worked out on full pay.
- Not included: overtime, unsocial hours payments, on-call payments, recruitment and retention premiums, salary sacrifice schemes and employer pension contributions.
- The same pay every month, rounded to the nearest pound. Your payslip works out tax and NI each month, so it can differ by a few pounds.
Sources
- Pay scales for 2026/27 (NHS Employers)
- Cost of being in the NHS Pension Scheme (NHSBSA)
- NHS terms and conditions of service handbook (NHS Employers)
- NHS pay award announcement 2026 (NHS Employers)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
- Repaying your student loan: what you pay (GOV.UK)
Checked against NHS Employers, NHSBSA and GOV.UK on 12 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
Agenda for Change staff in England got a 3.3% rise to every pay point from 1 April 2026, paid in April 2026 salaries. A separate pay structure reform is still being negotiated, and any agreed increases would be backdated to 1 April 2026.
A full-time Band 5 on the entry step earns £32,073 a year. Outside London, with NHS Pension contributions of 8.3% and no student loan, that is about £2,040 a month after income tax, National Insurance and pension. At the top step (£39,043) it is about £2,381 a month.
Yes. NHS Pension contributions come off your pay before income tax is worked out (a net pay arrangement), so you get tax relief at your highest rate. National Insurance and student loan repayments are still worked out on your full pay.
Your NHS Pension rate depends on your actual yearly pensionable pay, and the one rate applies to all of it. If a pay rise, a step increase or London weighting takes you into a higher tier, you pay the higher rate on your whole pensionable pay, not just the part above the tier.
Yes. Part-time staff get the same entitlements as full-time staff on a pro-rata basis. This calculator scales the high cost area supplement, including its minimum and maximum, by your hours ÷ 37.5. Check your payslip, as your employer applies the exact rules.
It might. Talks on reforming the Agenda for Change pay structure are under way through the NHS Staff Council. If a deal is agreed, pay for some staff could rise, backdated to 1 April 2026. As of 12 October 2026 no new pay scales had been published.