Agenda for Change pay in England runs from £25,272 at Band 2 to £129,783 at the top of Band 9 from 1 April 2026, after a 3.3% award. A newly qualified Band 5 nurse on £32,073 takes home about £2,040 a month after the NHS pension contribution, income tax and National Insurance. Every band and pay point is set out below with the monthly take-home figure, followed by the pension tiers and London supplements that move it.
Figures are for England on the standard 1257L tax code, full time at 37.5 hours, with the NHS Pension Scheme contribution deducted and no student loan or unsocial hours enhancements. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own pay circulars.
Every band and pay point, with take-home
| Band | Entry point | Take-home a month | Top point | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | £39,043 | £2,381 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £2,430 | £48,117 | £2,866 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £2,934 | £56,515 | £3,309 |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | £3,353 | £64,750 | £3,663 |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | £3,742 | £77,368 | £4,136 |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | £4,226 | £91,609 | £4,735 |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | £4,851 | £108,814 | £5,459 |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | £5,626 | £129,783 | £6,115 |
Bands 5 to 9 also have an intermediate point: £34,592 for Band 5, £42,170 for Band 6, £51,932 for Band 7, £60,417 for Band 8a, £70,896 for Band 8b, £84,346 for Band 8c, £100,140 for Band 8d and £119,583 for Band 9. Progression between points is time-based under the pay progression framework, normally after two years at the entry point, with the wait for the top point differing by band. The NHS pay calculator gives the figure for any point, hours pattern and supplement.
How NHS take-home pay is worked out
Three deductions come off an NHS payslip before anything else, and the order matters.
1. The pension contribution. NHS Pension Scheme members pay a tiered percentage of pensionable pay. From 1 April 2026 the tiers are 5.2% up to £13,259, 6.5% to £28,854, 8.3% to £35,155, 9.8% to £52,778, 10.7% to £67,668 and 12.5% above that. The thresholds were not changed for 2026/27 because the 3.3% pay award was below the September 2025 inflation figure used to index them. The tier is set by your actual pay, so a part-time member can sit in a lower tier than a full-time colleague on the same point.
2. Income tax, on pay after the pension. The NHS scheme is a net pay arrangement, so the contribution is deducted before tax is calculated. A Band 5 entry point of £32,073 pays 8.3%, £2,662, leaving £29,411 taxable. Income tax on that is £3,368.
3. National Insurance, on the full gross. Employee National Insurance ignores the pension deduction: 8% on pay between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above. On £32,073 it is £1,560.
The Band 5 entry point therefore takes home £32,073 minus £2,662 minus £3,368 minus £1,560, which is £24,483 a year, £2,040 a month or £471 a week. Deductions take 23.7% of gross pay, and the basic hourly rate is £16.45.
Band 5 in detail
Band 5 is the largest single group in the NHS, covering newly qualified nurses, midwives and many allied health professionals, so it is worth showing how the figure moves.
| Band 5 scenario | Gross pay | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Entry point, full time | £32,073 | £2,040 |
| Intermediate point | £34,592 | £2,177 |
| Top point | £39,043 | £2,381 |
| Entry point, inner London (supplement £6,415) | £38,488 | £2,351 |
| Entry point, outer London (supplement £4,870) | £36,943 | £2,269 |
| Entry point, 30 hours a week | £25,658 | £1,722 |
| Entry point with a Plan 2 student loan | £32,073 | £2,020 |
| Entry point, opted out of the pension | £32,073 | £2,218 |
Opting out of the pension raises take-home by £2,130 a year but gives up a £2,662 contribution and, more importantly, the employer’s contribution and the guaranteed pension it buys. The inner London supplement takes the same post into the 9.8% pension tier, which is why the London uplift in take-home is smaller than the uplift in gross pay.
High cost area supplements
Staff in and around London receive a supplement on top of basic pay, set as a percentage within a floor and a ceiling for 2026/27:
| Zone | Rate | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% of basic pay | £5,794 | £8,746 |
| Outer London | 15% of basic pay | £4,870 | £6,137 |
| Fringe | 5% of basic pay | £1,346 | £2,270 |
Because of the ceiling, a Band 8a in inner London receives the same £8,746 as a Band 7 at the top point. The supplement is pensionable and taxable, and it is pro rata for part-time staff.
What is not in these figures
Unsocial hours. Nights, weekends and bank holidays attract percentage enhancements under Section 2 of the handbook, and for many clinical staff they add several thousand pounds a year. They depend on the rota, so they are left out here.
Overtime, on-call and bank work. All paid on top and taxed as ordinary income, which can push a payslip into a higher band for the month.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each publishes its own Agenda for Change circular with different points and dates, and Scottish staff pay Scottish income tax.
Tax codes other than 1257L. A second job, a benefit in kind or an earlier underpayment changes the allowance. The tax code checker explains any code.
Common questions
What is a Band 5 nurse salary in 2026/27? £32,073 at the entry point, £34,592 at the intermediate point and £39,043 at the top, for full-time hours in England. Take-home at the entry point is about £2,040 a month after pension, tax and National Insurance.
What is a Band 6 salary after tax? £39,959 to £48,117 gross. At the entry point take-home is about £2,430 a month; at the top point about £2,866, after a 9.8% pension contribution.
How much pension do NHS staff pay? Between 5.2% and 12.5% of pensionable pay, depending on the tier the pay falls into. A Band 5 entry point pays 8.3%, a Band 6 pays 9.8%, and Bands 8a and above pay 10.7% or 12.5%.
Was the NHS pay rise 3.3% in 2026/27? Yes, for Agenda for Change staff in England from 1 April 2026, according to NHS Employers. The pension tier thresholds were left unchanged because the award was below the inflation figure they are indexed to.
Is NHS pay pro rata for part-time staff? Yes. Basic pay and any supplement scale with contracted hours against 37.5, and the pension tier follows the actual pay received. The full personal allowance still applies, so part-time staff keep a larger share of gross pay.
How much more is a Band 5 paid in London? £5,794 to £8,746 a year in inner London and £4,870 to £6,137 in outer London on top of basic pay. On the entry point that is £6,415 inner and £4,870 outer, or about £311 and £228 more a month after deductions.
Information, not financial advice. Pay points and supplements are the 2026/27 Agenda for Change figures for England published by NHS Employers; pension tiers are from the NHS Employers member contributions guidance; tax uses the published 2026/27 rates for England. Figures are estimates to help you understand the rules. Check your own payslip or your employer’s payroll team before acting on them.