NHS take-home pay
Gross pay is the number in the job advert. This is the other one. Choose a band and step and every deduction is listed separately, so you can check any single line rather than trust a total.
Updated for 2026/27Pay circular effective 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2027
Every pay point, after deductions
Full time, in the NHS Pension Scheme, outside a high cost area, on the standard tax code, with no student loan. Each figure is the Agenda for Change salary run through the current UK income tax, National Insurance and pension rules.
| Band and step | Gross | Tax | NI | Pension | Net a year | Net a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 entry | £25,272 | £2,211.86 | £1,016.16 | £1,642.68 | £20,401.30 | £1,700.11 |
| Band 2 entry | £25,272 | £2,211.86 | £1,016.16 | £1,642.68 | £20,401.30 | £1,700.11 |
| Band 2 top | £25,272 | £2,211.86 | £1,016.16 | £1,642.68 | £20,401.30 | £1,700.11 |
| Band 3 entry | £25,760 | £2,303.12 | £1,055.20 | £1,674.40 | £20,727.28 | £1,727.27 |
| Band 3 top | £27,476 | £2,624.01 | £1,192.48 | £1,785.94 | £21,873.57 | £1,822.80 |
| Band 4 entry | £28,392 | £2,795.30 | £1,265.76 | £1,845.48 | £22,485.46 | £1,873.79 |
| Band 4 top | £31,157 | £3,200.19 | £1,486.96 | £2,586.03 | £23,883.82 | £1,990.32 |
| Band 5 entry | £32,073 | £3,368.19 | £1,560.24 | £2,662.06 | £24,482.51 | £2,040.21 |
| Band 5 intermediate | £34,592 | £3,830.17 | £1,761.76 | £2,871.14 | £26,128.93 | £2,177.41 |
| Band 5 top | £39,043 | £4,529.36 | £2,117.84 | £3,826.21 | £28,569.59 | £2,380.80 |
| Band 6 entry | £39,959 | £4,694.60 | £2,191.12 | £3,915.98 | £29,157.30 | £2,429.78 |
| Band 6 intermediate | £42,170 | £5,093.47 | £2,368.00 | £4,132.66 | £30,575.87 | £2,547.99 |
| Band 6 top | £48,117 | £6,166.31 | £2,843.76 | £4,715.47 | £34,391.46 | £2,865.96 |
| Band 7 entry | £49,387 | £6,395.41 | £2,945.36 | £4,839.93 | £35,206.30 | £2,933.86 |
| Band 7 intermediate | £51,932 | £6,854.53 | £3,049.24 | £5,089.34 | £36,938.89 | £3,078.24 |
| Band 7 top | £56,515 | £7,619.16 | £3,140.90 | £6,047.11 | £39,707.83 | £3,308.99 |
| Band 8a entry | £57,528 | £7,981.00 | £3,161.16 | £6,155.50 | £40,230.34 | £3,352.53 |
| Band 8a intermediate | £60,417 | £9,012.95 | £3,218.94 | £6,464.62 | £41,720.49 | £3,476.71 |
| Band 8a top | £64,750 | £10,560.70 | £3,305.60 | £6,928.25 | £43,955.45 | £3,662.95 |
| Band 8b entry | £66,582 | £11,215.09 | £3,342.24 | £7,124.27 | £44,900.40 | £3,741.70 |
| Band 8b intermediate | £70,896 | £12,245.60 | £3,428.52 | £8,862.00 | £46,359.88 | £3,863.32 |
| Band 8b top | £77,368 | £14,510.80 | £3,557.96 | £9,671.00 | £49,628.24 | £4,135.69 |
| Band 8c entry | £79,504 | £15,258.40 | £3,600.68 | £9,938.00 | £50,706.92 | £4,225.58 |
| Band 8c intermediate | £84,346 | £16,953.10 | £3,697.52 | £10,543.25 | £53,152.13 | £4,429.34 |
| Band 8c top | £91,609 | £19,495.15 | £3,842.78 | £11,451.13 | £56,819.94 | £4,735.00 |
| Band 8d entry | £94,356 | £20,456.60 | £3,897.72 | £11,794.50 | £58,207.18 | £4,850.60 |
| Band 8d intermediate | £100,140 | £22,481.00 | £4,013.40 | £12,517.50 | £61,128.10 | £5,094.01 |
| Band 8d top | £108,814 | £25,516.90 | £4,186.88 | £13,601.75 | £65,508.47 | £5,459.04 |
| Band 9 entry | £112,782 | £26,905.70 | £4,266.24 | £14,097.75 | £67,512.31 | £5,626.03 |
| Band 9 intermediate | £119,583 | £30,213.08 | £4,402.26 | £14,947.88 | £70,019.78 | £5,834.98 |
| Band 9 top | £129,783 | £35,568.08 | £4,606.26 | £16,222.88 | £73,385.78 | £6,115.48 |
Figures above from: Agenda for Change pay circular for 2026/27 (England); GOV.UK income tax, National Insurance and NHS pension contribution rates. Effective from 2026-04-01. This site is not affiliated with the NHS, NHS Employers or the NHS Business Services Authority.
What the pension scheme does to your tax
NHS pension contributions come out of pay before income tax and after National Insurance. The effect is visible: a Band 5 at the entry step in the scheme pays £3,368.19 in income tax, and the same person opted out pays £3,900.60 — while the National Insurance line is identical either way.
So the true cost of the contribution is less than the contribution. Leaving the scheme raises take-home by less than the amount you stop paying in, and gives up the benefit entirely.
What this table assumes
- Full-time hours. Part-time pay is pro-rated and can fall in a lower pension tier.
- No high cost area supplement. See HCAS, which is taxable pay and raises all three deductions.
- No unsocial hours pay. It is taxable and pensionable, so it raises them too.
- The standard tax code, no student loan, and England or Wales rather than Scotland — Scottish taxpayers have a different set of income tax bands.
- National Insurance is charged per pay period rather than annually, so an irregular pay pattern can produce a different figure from the annual equivalent shown here.