NHS Pay Calculator 2026/27
Find your NHS take-home pay for any Agenda for Change band. Pick your band below or enter your salary to see net pay after tax, NI, pension and student loan.
Preset: NHS Band 6 (entry). Change the salary or choose your band below.
Per year, before tax. The result updates as you type.
Advanced options
Your take-home pay
per year£31,011
£31,011 per year · £2,584 per month
- Gross salary
- £38,182.00
- Income Tax
- −£5,122.40
- National Insurance
- −£2,048.96
- Student Loan
- −£0.00
- Pension
- −£0.00
- Take-home pay
- £31,010.64
Effective rate
18.8%
Marginal rate
28.0%
Estimate only — not financial or tax advice. Based on standard 2026/27 rates.
NHS pay by band (2026/27)
Agenda for Change annual salaries for England. Select a band for its full take-home breakdown. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own AfC pay scales.
| Band | Typical roles | Salary range | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | Healthcare assistant, Domestic support worker | £24,169 | Take-home › |
| Band 3 | Senior healthcare assistant, Emergency care assistant | £24,625–£26,282 | Take-home › |
| Band 4 | Assistant practitioner, Pharmacy technician | £27,155–£29,769 | Take-home › |
| Band 5 | Newly-qualified nurse, Occupational therapist | £30,639–£37,303 | Take-home › |
| Band 6 | Specialist nurse, Senior physiotherapist | £38,182–£45,982 | Take-home › |
| Band 7 | Advanced nurse practitioner, Team leader | £47,181–£53,990 | Take-home › |
| Band 8a | Advanced practitioner, Principal clinical scientist | £54,964–£61,864 | Take-home › |
| Band 8b | Consultant practitioner, Head of service | £63,576–£73,886 | Take-home › |
| Band 8c | Consultant clinical scientist, Deputy director | £75,925–£87,486 | Take-home › |
| Band 8d | Director of service, Chief pharmacist | £90,122–£103,927 | Take-home › |
| Band 9 | Director, Chief scientist | £107,724–£123,964 | Take-home › |
Our figures use the standard 2026/27 Income Tax, National Insurance and student loan rates published by HMRC and the devolved administrations. See our methodology for exactly how each deduction is worked out, or check the official sources:
How NHS pay works
Almost all NHS staff — nurses, healthcare assistants, paramedics, allied health professionals and admin — are paid under Agenda for Change (AfC). Your band reflects your role, and within each band you move up pay points as you gain experience. Doctors and dentists are on separate contracts.
On top of basic pay, many NHS staff receive unsocial hours enhancements (Section 2) for nights, weekends and bank holidays, plus High Cost Area Supplements in and around London. This calculator works from your basic annual salary — add enhancements to your gross figure to include them.
The NHS Pension Scheme
Most staff pay into the NHS Pension Scheme, with contribution rates tiered by earnings (roughly 5%–12.5%). Contributions are taken before Income Tax, so they reduce your tax bill. Add your rate under Advanced options and choose "Auto-enrolment (pre-tax)".