NHS pay in England, 2026/27
Pick a band and a step and this works out the annual and hourly rate, the high cost area supplement if you get one, your pension tier, and what actually reaches your account after income tax and National Insurance. Every number comes from the NHS Staff Council pay circular or the Terms and Conditions handbook, and each one shows which.
31 pay points · £25,272 to £129,783 · effective 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2027 · England
Updated for 2026/27Pay circular effective 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2027
The 2026/27 pay scale
A full-time NHS week is 37.5 hours excluding meal breaks. The annual and hourly figures below exclude any high cost area supplement, which is added separately. Every band links to a page with its own take-home working, unsocial-hours rates and pension tier.
| Band | Step | Annual | Hourly | Years to next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1closed to new entrants | Entry | £25,272 | £12.92 | — |
| Band 2 | Entry | £25,272 | £12.92 | 2 |
| Band 2 | Top | £25,272 | £12.92 | — |
| Band 3 | Entry | £25,760 | £13.17 | 2 |
| Band 3 | Top | £27,476 | £14.05 | — |
| Band 4 | Entry | £28,392 | £14.52 | 3 |
| Band 4 | Top | £31,157 | £15.93 | — |
| Band 5 | Entry | £32,073 | £16.40 | 2 |
| Band 5 | Intermediate | £34,592 | £17.69 | 2 |
| Band 5 | Top | £39,043 | £19.97 | — |
| Band 6 | Entry | £39,959 | £20.44 | 2 |
| Band 6 | Intermediate | £42,170 | £21.57 | 3 |
| Band 6 | Top | £48,117 | £24.61 | — |
| Band 7 | Entry | £49,387 | £25.26 | 2 |
| Band 7 | Intermediate | £51,932 | £26.56 | 3 |
| Band 7 | Top | £56,515 | £28.90 | — |
| Band 8a | Entry | £57,528 | £29.42 | 2 |
| Band 8a | Intermediate | £60,417 | £30.90 | 3 |
| Band 8a | Top | £64,750 | £33.11 | — |
| Band 8b | Entry | £66,582 | £34.05 | 2 |
| Band 8b | Intermediate | £70,896 | £36.26 | 3 |
| Band 8b | Top | £77,368 | £39.57 | — |
| Band 8c | Entry | £79,504 | £40.66 | 2 |
| Band 8c | Intermediate | £84,346 | £43.14 | 3 |
| Band 8c | Top | £91,609 | £46.85 | — |
| Band 8d | Entry | £94,356 | £48.26 | 2 |
| Band 8d | Intermediate | £100,140 | £51.21 | 3 |
| Band 8d | Top | £108,814 | £55.65 | — |
| Band 9 | Entry | £112,782 | £57.68 | 2 |
| Band 9 | Intermediate | £119,583 | £61.16 | 3 |
| Band 9 | Top | £129,783 | £66.37 | — |
Gross is not the number that matters
A Band 5 at the entry step is advertised at £32,073. In the pension scheme, on the standard tax code, that is £24,482.51 a year after deductions — £2,040.21 a month. The take-home page shows the same working for every point on the scale.
Every band
Guides
- Take-home payEvery pay point after income tax, National Insurance and pension — each deduction on its own line.
- Unsocial hoursNights, weekends and public holidays: the rates by band, the whole-shift rule, and the pay figure they are worked out on.
- Maternity payThe NHS scheme and Statutory Maternity Pay set against each other week by week across the full entitlement.
- Pension contributionsWhat you pay in, which pay figure sets your tier, and why part-time work changes the answer.
- High cost area supplementInner, outer and fringe — and why the percentage is usually not what you actually receive.
- Annual leaveEntitlement by length of service, public holidays on top, and how part-time entitlement works.