KnowMyPay
NHS Agenda for Change

NHS Band 4 pay in 2026/27

NHS Band 4 runs from £28,392 to £31,157 a year in England from 1 April 2026, across 2 pay points. Take-home at the bottom of the band is about £1,874 a month and at the top about £1,990 a month, after income tax, National Insurance and pension. Source: NHS Employers.

Data as of 1 April 2026 · England · 37.5 hour week · standard 1257L tax code · last reviewed 2026-09-06

Every pay point on NHS Band 4

Pay pointBasic payPension rateTake-home a yearA month
Entry point £28,392 6.5% £22,485 £1,874
Top point £31,157 8.3% £23,884 £1,990

The band spans £2,765 from bottom to top. Each point has its own page with the full working, the London supplement, part-time figures and the student loan position at that salary.

Pension contributions on NHS Band 4

The NHS Pension Scheme charges a tiered member contribution on actual annual pensionable pay. The bottom of the band pays 6.5% and the top pays 8.3%, because the band crosses a tier boundary. Contributions are taken before income tax, so the cost to take-home pay is less than the headline percentage.

Pensionable payMember contribution
Up to £13,259 5.2%
£13,259 to £28,854 6.5%
£28,854 to £35,155 8.3%
£35,155 to £52,778 9.8%
£52,778 to £67,668 10.7%
Above £67,668 12.5%

Source: NHS Employers, NHS Pension Scheme member contributions. The NHS pension calculator shows what the contribution builds up.

NHS Band 4 with a London supplement

A high cost area supplement is a percentage of basic pay between a cash floor and a cash ceiling. It is pensionable and it counts towards the pension tier.

Pay pointRest of EnglandFringeOuter LondonInner London
Entry point £28,392 £29,812 £33,262 £34,186
Top point £31,157 £32,715 £36,027 £37,388

What is different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Agenda for Change is a United Kingdom framework, but pay is negotiated separately in each country, so the cash values above are the England scale only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own scales, and the band values and the number of points in a band can differ in the same year. Income tax also differs in Scotland: at £28,392 Scottish rates would leave about £22,525 against £22,485 in England. The Scottish income tax calculator shows the working.

Bands either side of Band 4

BandBottom of bandTop of band
NHS Band 3£25,760£27,476
NHS Band 4£28,392£31,157
NHS Band 5£32,073£39,043

Work out your own figure

The tables assume full-time hours, the standard tax code and no student loan, and they exclude unsocial hours payments and overtime. Open the NHS pay calculator to set your own band, point, hours, London area and loan plan, or read the guide to the 2026/27 NHS pay bands.

Common questions

How much does NHS Band 4 pay?

£28,392 at the bottom of the band and £31,157 at the top, for full-time work in England on the scale effective 1 April 2026. There are 2 pay points.

What is NHS Band 4 after tax?

Between about £1,874 and £1,990 a month depending on the pay point, after income tax, National Insurance and a pension contribution of 6.5% to 8.3%.

How long does it take to move up NHS Band 4?

Movement between the 2 points follows the pay progression framework, which sets a period in the role and appraisal requirements before each step. The full span of the band is £2,765.

What is NHS Band 4 in London?

Inner London adds £5,794 to the bottom of the band, giving £34,186. Outer London gives £33,262 and the fringe £29,812.

What is NHS Band 4 per hour?

£14.56 an hour at the bottom of the band and £15.98 at the top, on 37.5 hours a week across 52 weeks.

Sources & Rate Verification

Rates verified against official statutory guidance on 6 September 2026.

Information, not financial advice. Pay figures are the England Agenda for Change scale effective 1 April 2026; tax figures use the published 2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland on the standard tax code. Unsocial hours payments, overtime and recruitment premia are not included.