# NHS Pay Calculator 2026/27 – Take-Home Pay by Band | SalaryCal > Work out NHS take-home pay for 2026/27 by Agenda for Change band and pay point, with London HCAS, part-time hours, NHS pension tiers, tax, NI and student loan. A Band 5 nurse starting on £32,073 takes home about £2,040 a month in 2026/27 after income tax, National Insurance and NHS pension (full-time, England, no student loan). Pick your Agenda for Change band and pay point below to see your own take-home pay, with London weighting (HCAS), part-time hours, Scottish tax and student loan included. ## NHS take-home pay by band, 2026/27 Take-home pay per month for every Agenda for Change pay point in 2026/27: full-time (37.5 hours), England, no high cost area supplement, NHS pension contributions included, no student loan. Pay is the national annual basic salary from 1 April 2026. | Band | Entry pay | Entry take-home /month | Intermediate pay | Intermediate take-home /month | Top pay | Top take-home /month | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Band 1* | £25,272 | £1,700 | – | – | – | – | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Band 2 | £25,272 | £1,700 | – | – | £25,272 | £1,700 | | Band 3 | £25,760 | £1,727 | – | – | £27,476 | £1,823 | | Band 4 | £28,392 | £1,874 | – | – | £31,157 | £1,990 | | Band 5 | £32,073 | £2,040 | £34,592 | £2,177 | £39,043 | £2,381 | | Band 6 | £39,959 | £2,430 | £42,170 | £2,548 | £48,117 | £2,866 | | Band 7 | £49,387 | £2,934 | £51,932 | £3,078 | £56,515 | £3,309 | | Band 8a | £57,528 | £3,353 | £60,417 | £3,477 | £64,750 | £3,663 | | Band 8b | £66,582 | £3,742 | £70,896 | £3,863 | £77,368 | £4,136 | | Band 8c | £79,504 | £4,226 | £84,346 | £4,429 | £91,609 | £4,735 | | Band 8d | £94,356 | £4,851 | £100,140 | £5,094 | £108,814 | £5,459 | | Band 9 | £112,782 | £5,626 | £119,583 | £5,835 | £129,783 | £6,115 | * Band 1 is closed to new entrants. Bands 2 to 4 have an entry and a top pay point only. Figures are rounded to the nearest pound. ### How NHS pay bands work Most NHS staff in England, apart from doctors, dentists and very senior managers, are paid on the Agenda for Change pay scales. Your job is matched to a band from 1 to 9, and each band has pay points. Bands 5 to 9 have three points (entry, intermediate and top); bands 2 to 4 have two. You start at the entry point and become eligible to move to the next point after a set time: in Band 5, after 2 years at entry and 2 more years at intermediate; in Bands 6 to 9, after 2 years at entry and 3 years at intermediate; in Bands 3 and 4, after 2 and 3 years. Progression goes through your employer’s pay progression process. For example, a Band 5 nurse moves from £32,073 to £34,592 and then to £39,043. The 2026/27 pay award is a 3.3% consolidated rise for Agenda for Change staff, effective from 1 April 2026. Full-time hours are 37.5 a week; if you work fewer hours you are paid pro rata, so this calculator multiplies the full-time salary by your hours divided by 37.5. ### London weighting: high cost area supplements (HCAS) If you work in or around London you get a high cost area supplement on top of basic pay. It is a percentage of basic salary with a minimum and maximum each year (full-time values, pro rata for part-time): | Area | Supplement | Minimum | Maximum | |---|---|---|---| | Inner London | 20% | £5,794 | £8,746 | |---|---|---|---| | Outer London | 15% | £4,870 | £6,137 | | Fringe | 5% | £1,346 | £2,270 | HCAS is pensionable, so it counts towards your NHS pension contribution tier. Which zone you are in depends on where you work; the zones are listed in annex 8 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. ### NHS pension contribution tiers from April 2026 The NHS Pension Scheme (England and Wales) takes a percentage of your pensionable pay. The rate depends on your actual annual pensionable pay, so part-time staff pay the rate for what they actually earn, and that one rate applies to all of your pay. The tier ranges were revised from 1 April 2026; the rates are unchanged. | Actual annual pensionable pay | Member contribution rate | |---|---| | Up to £13,259 | 5.2% | |---|---| | £13,260 to £28,854 | 6.5% | | £28,855 to £35,155 | 8.3% | | £35,156 to £52,778 | 9.8% | | £52,779 to £67,668 | 10.7% | | £67,669 and above | 12.5% | The NHS pension is a net pay arrangement: your contribution comes off your pay before income tax, so you get tax relief at your highest rate, but National Insurance and student loan repayments are still worked out on your full pay. Contributions cannot be paid by salary sacrifice. For a Band 5 nurse at entry, the £2,662 contribution reduces take-home pay by about £2,130 a year, because it saves £532 in income tax. ### Worked examples Band 5, entry point (£32,073). Pension at 8.3% is £2,662, income tax £3,368 and National Insurance £1,560. Take-home pay is £24,483 a year, about £2,040 a month or £471 a week. The gross hourly rate is £16.40. With a Plan 2 student loan (£242 a year) it is about £2,020 a month. Band 6, top point (£48,117). Pension at 9.8% is £4,715, income tax £6,166 and National Insurance £2,844. Take-home pay is £34,391 a year, about £2,866 a month or £661 a week. Band 7, entry point, inner London (£49,387 + £8,746 HCAS). 20% of basic pay would be £9,877, so the £8,746 maximum applies and gross pay is £58,133. Pension at 10.7% is £6,220, income tax £8,197 and National Insurance £3,173. Take-home pay is £40,542 a year, about £3,379 a month or £780 a week. Part-time Band 5, entry point, 22.5 hours. Pro rata pay is £19,244. Because the tier uses actual pay, pension is 6.5% (£1,251), and take-home pay is about £1,365 a month. ### Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland The pay points on this page are the England Agenda for Change scales published by NHS Employers. Scotland has its own NHS pay scales, and Wales and Northern Ireland decide their own pay awards, so if your salary differs, pick Custom salary and enter your full-time salary. Tick Scotland to apply Scottish income tax rates. The pension tiers shown are for the NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does a Band 5 nurse take home a month? A Band 5 nurse on the 2026/27 entry point of £32,073 takes home about £2,040 a month in England, after £3,368 a year in income tax, £1,560 in National Insurance and an 8.3% NHS pension contribution of £2,662. At the intermediate point (£34,592) it is about £2,177 a month and at the top of Band 5 (£39,043) about £2,381. A Plan 2 student loan takes off roughly another £20 a month at the entry point. ### Is NHS pension taken before tax? Yes for income tax, but not for National Insurance. The NHS Pension Scheme is a net pay arrangement: your contribution is taken from your pay before income tax is worked out, so you get tax relief at your highest rate straight away. National Insurance and student loan repayments are still worked out on your full pay, and contributions cannot be paid by salary sacrifice. ### When is the 2026 NHS pay rise paid? The 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay award of 3.3% was announced on 12 February 2026 and applies from 1 April 2026. NHS Employers said the Electronic Staff Record team confirmed the increase would be paid in April 2026 salaries. ### How much is London weighting (HCAS) for NHS staff? In 2026/27 inner London adds 20% of basic pay (minimum £5,794, maximum £8,746 a year), outer London adds 15% (£4,870 to £6,137) and the fringe adds 5% (£1,346 to £2,270). The amounts are for full-time staff and are paid pro rata for part-time. HCAS is pensionable. ### What NHS pension contribution rate will I pay in 2026/27? From 1 April 2026 the member rate is 5.2% on pay up to £13,259, 6.5% from £13,260 to £28,854, 8.3% from £28,855 to £35,155, 9.8% from £35,156 to £52,778, 10.7% from £52,779 to £67,668 and 12.5% from £67,669. The rate is set by your actual annual pensionable pay and applies to all of it. ### How do I move up an NHS pay band? Within a band you move up pay points over time: in Band 5 you become eligible for the next point after 2 years at entry and 2 years at intermediate, and in Bands 6 to 9 after 2 years and then 3 years, through your employer's pay progression process. Moving to a higher band, for example from Band 5 to Band 6, needs a job that is graded at that band. ### Does this NHS pay calculator work for Scotland? It uses Scottish income tax rates when you tick Scotland. NHS Scotland publishes its own Agenda for Change pay scales, so choose Custom salary and enter your Scottish full-time salary. The pension tiers used are for the NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales. ## Sources - [NHS Employers: Pay scales for 2026/27](https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/pay-scales-202627) (annual and hourly rates and HCAS, effective 1 April 2026) - [NHS Employers: NHS PRB pay award announcement 2026](https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/nhs-prb-pay-award-announcement-2026) (3.3% uplift, paid in April salaries) - [NHS Business Services Authority: Pay and contributions](https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/employer-hub/technical-guidance/pay-and-contributions) (member contribution tiers from 1 April 2026) - [NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook](https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/tchandbook) (section 4: pay in high cost areas) - [GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances](https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates) and [National Insurance rates](https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-rates-letters) Figures checked 18 October 2026.