NHS Pay Rise Calculator 2026/27
See how much of your NHS pay rise you actually take home. Enter your current salary and the percentage award to reveal the real increase after tax and NI.
A pay rise is taxed at your marginal rate, so you keep less than the headline figure. This shows the real increase in your take-home pay.
Extra take-home pay
+£990/yr
+£83 per month
- New salary
- £39,557
- Gross rise
- +£1,375
- Take-home before
- £31,011
- Take-home after
- £32,001
You keep this much of your rise
72%
Estimate only — not financial or tax advice.
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:
What an NHS pay rise really means for your pay packet
Every spring, the government confirms the Agenda for Change pay award following the NHS Pay Review Body's recommendation. A headline figure — say 3.6% — sounds simple, but it applies to your gross salary. Once Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and any student loan take their share, the rise in your take-home pay is noticeably smaller.
As a rule of thumb, a basic-rate taxpayer keeps about 72p in every extra pound (after 20% tax and 8% NI). If the rise pushes you into the higher-rate band, that drops to around 58p. The calculator above does the exact maths for your salary and nation.
Watch for band jumps and thresholds
A pay rise that lifts you over £50,270 means the portion above that is taxed at 40% and NI drops to 2%. Crossing £100,000 starts to taper your Personal Allowance, creating an effective 60% marginal rate. These thresholds are frozen, so pay rises gradually pull more people into them.