NHS Pay Scales 2026/27 (26/27) — Every AfC Band
See the NHS pay scales for 26/27 across every Agenda for Change band (Band 2 to Band 9), with 2025/26 figures side by side, the confirmed 3.3% cash uplift, and an NHS pay calculator for take-home pay.
What are the NHS pay scales for 26/27?
NHS pay scales for 2026/27 apply a confirmed 3.3% Agenda for Change uplift to the 2025/26 rates from 1 April 2026. Band 2 is £25,272, Band 5 rises from £31,049 to £32,073 (top of band £39,043), Band 6 starts at £39,959 and Band 7 at £49,387. Rates are the published NHS Employers 2026/27 scales for England.
Estimate Your NHS Take-Home Pay
Pick your band, set your contracted hours, and toggle NHS Pension contributions to see an indicative annual and monthly take-home range for 2026/27.
NHS take-home estimator (2026/27)
Full-time NHS contract = 37.5 hours/week.
Tier auto-applied (5.2%–12.5%).
Estimated annual take-home
£24,483 – £28,570
Monthly: £2,040 – £2,381
Indicative only. England rUK rates, standard 1257L tax code. Excludes London weighting, unsocial-hours enhancements, overtime and student loan deductions.
Estimate only — not financial advice
Figures are indicative for 2026/27 (England, rUK tax bands, standard 1257L tax code) and use the confirmed 3.3% Agenda for Change uplift effective 1 April 2026. Your actual pay will differ once London weighting, unsocial-hours enhancements, overtime, salary sacrifice, student loan plan, or a non-standard tax code are applied. See the full methodology & sources below for every assumption used.
2025/26 vs 2026/27 NHS Pay Bands (England)
Full-time, full-year salaries. 2025/26 figures are the Agenda for Change rates after the 3.6% uplift; 2026/27 figures are the confirmed NHS Employers scales after the 3.3% uplift effective 1 April 2026.
| Band | Typical role | 2025/26 range | 2026/27 range | Cash change (top) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | Healthcare assistant, domestic | £24,465 | £25,272 | +£807 |
| Band 3 | Senior HCA, clinical support worker | £24,937 – £26,598 | £25,760 – £27,476 | +£878 |
| Band 4 | Assistant practitioner, admin team leader | £27,485 – £30,162 | £28,392 – £31,157 | +£995 |
| Band 5 | Newly qualified nurse, midwife, paramedic | £31,049 – £37,796 | £32,073 – £39,043 | +£1,247 |
| Band 6 | Experienced nurse, specialist practitioner | £38,683 – £46,580 | £39,959 – £48,117 | +£1,537 |
| Band 7 | Ward manager, advanced practitioner | £47,809 – £54,710 | £49,387 – £56,515 | +£1,805 |
| Band 8a | Senior manager, consultant practitioner | £55,690 – £62,682 | £57,528 – £64,750 | +£2,068 |
| Band 8b | Head of service | £64,455 – £74,896 | £66,582 – £77,368 | +£2,472 |
| Band 8c | Senior head of service | £76,965 – £88,682 | £79,504 – £91,609 | +£2,927 |
| Band 8d | Director-level | £91,342 – £105,337 | £94,356 – £108,814 | +£3,477 |
| Band 9 | Executive / chief | £109,179 – £125,637 | £112,782 – £129,783 | +£4,146 |
Want to see what a band uplift means in your pocket? Use our Pay Rise Calculator or check Band 5 nurse take-home in the Nurse Salary Guide. Comparing public sector pay? See the teacher pay scales 2026/27 for M1–U3 salary points and take-home.
Complete NHS Pay Scales 2026/27 — Annual Salary & Take-Home
Confirmed 2026/27 figures (3.3% uplift on the 2025/26 Agenda for Change scales). Take-home is full-time, England, after Income Tax, employee National Insurance (8% / 2%) and the relevant NHS Pension contribution tier (5.2%–12.5% from 1 April 2026). It excludes London weighting and unsocial-hours enhancements.
| Band | Annual (min) | Annual (max) | Take-home (min) | Take-home (max) | Pension tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | — | £20,401 | — | 6.5% |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | £27,476 | £20,727 | £21,874 | 6.5% |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | £31,157 | £22,485 | £23,884 | 6.5–8.3% |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | £39,043 | £24,483 | £28,570 | 8.3–9.8% |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £48,117 | £29,157 | £34,391 | 9.8% |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £56,515 | £35,206 | £39,708 | 9.8–10.7% |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | £64,750 | £40,230 | £43,955 | 10.7% |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | £77,368 | £44,900 | £49,628 | 10.7–12.5% |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | £91,609 | £50,707 | £56,820 | 12.5% |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | £108,814 | £58,207 | £65,508 | 12.5% |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | £129,783 | £67,512 | £74,742 | 12.5% |
Sources: NHS Employers “Pay scales for 2026/27” (confirmed 3.3% uplift, effective 1 April 2026) and the 2025/26 NHS Staff Council pay circular for the comparison year; HMRC 2026/27 Income Tax & NI thresholds; NHSBSA member contribution tiers from 1 April 2026. Reviewed 2 September 2026.
Band 5 Nurse Salary 2026 — The Detail
Band 5 is where most newly qualified nurses, midwives and paramedics start. The 2025/26 entry rate of £31,049 rises to £32,073 in 2026/27, and the top of band moves from £37,796 to £39,043. The intermediate step point after two years is £34,592.
Take-home pay on the entry point is roughly £24,483/year (~£2,040/month) after Income Tax, National Insurance and the 8.3% NHS Pension contribution; at the top of band that rises to about £28,570/year (~£2,381/month) on the 9.8% pension tier. London staff get a High Cost Area Supplement of 5–20% on top, and unsocial-hours enhancements can add another 10–30% for staff working nights and weekends.
How the NHS 2026/27 Pay Award Was Set
The NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) reviews evidence from the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Employers, and the unions each year, then recommends an uplift to Agenda for Change pay. For 2026/27 it recommended 3.3% across all bands, which the government accepted in full.
NHS Employers then publishes the pay scales setting the exact full-year and hourly rates — the 2026/27 rates were published ahead of 1 April 2026, so no backdating was needed this year. Scotland negotiates separately and usually settles at a slightly higher rate than England; Wales and Northern Ireland generally follow the English award.
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