NHS Pay Calculator 2026/27

England and Wales received a 3.3% consolidated increase, effective from 1 April 2026. Scotland's increase was 3.75%, agreed separately. Northern Ireland's Health Minister has confirmed an intention to match the 3.3% figure, but a formal pay circular had not been issued as of August 2026, pending budget agreement.

That depends on your band, step, nation, and personal circumstances like student loan or salary sacrifice. Use the calculator above for your exact figure. As a reference point, a Band 5 entry-level nurse working full-time in England moved to a gross salary of £32,073 for 2026-27 before deductions.

Three things differ. Scotland has its own income tax bands, with six rates instead of three, so higher earners pay more tax than in England. Scotland also negotiates its Agenda for Change pay award separately, which is why the 2026-27 uplift was 3.75% rather than 3.3%. And the standard working week in Scotland reduced from 37 to 36 hours from 1 April 2026, which changes hourly rates and part-time calculations.

Your contribution tier depends on your actual pensionable pay, not your whole-time equivalent salary if you work part-time. This has been the rule since October 2022, though it's still commonly reported incorrectly elsewhere. Rates are tiered from 5.2% up to 12.5% in England and Wales, with a slightly different scale in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Pension is deducted before income tax is calculated, which reduces your tax bill, but it doesn't reduce what you pay in National Insurance.

The Health Minister confirmed on 12 February 2026 that a 3.3% award is intended, but a formal HSC pay circular depends on the NI Executive agreeing its budget. Northern Ireland has a recent history of delay on this: the 2025-26 award was announced in November 2025 and not paid until February 2026, ten months after it was due. Figures shown for 2026-27 reflect the ministerial commitment and will update once the circular is issued.

Working evenings, nights, weekends, or bank holidays adds a percentage on top of your basic hourly rate, set out in Section 2 of the Agenda for Change handbook. The rate is 30% for weekday nights between 8pm and 6am and for Saturdays, and 60% for Sundays and bank holidays. These enhancements are pensionable, meaning they count towards your pension contribution and your future pension.

HCAS is an additional payment for staff working in or around London, applied in England only. It's calculated as a percentage of basic salary: 20% in Inner London, 15% in Outer London, and 5% in the Fringe area, each with minimum and maximum caps. It's pensionable, so it counts towards your pension contribution tier as well as your take-home pay.

Yes, and this is one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of NHS pay. Your tier is based on your actual pensionable pay, not the full-time equivalent of your salary. So a part-time member of staff pays their contribution rate on what they actually earn, not on what they'd earn if they worked full-time. Some calculators and guides still get this wrong.

Student loan repayments are calculated on the same earnings base as National Insurance, above your plan's repayment threshold. Pension contributions don't reduce this base, so paying into your pension doesn't lower your student loan repayment the way it lowers your income tax.

Salary sacrifice means agreeing to give up part of your salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit, most commonly additional pension contributions. Because it reduces your gross pay before tax and National Insurance are calculated, it can lower both, though it also reduces the salary figure used for some other calculations. It's worth checking against your specific arrangement rather than assuming a flat percentage benefit.

Progression to the next pay point within a band usually happens after a set period of time, subject to satisfactory performance, rather than automatically. Moving to a different band entirely requires a change in role or banding review. Timescales vary by band and by trust, so this is worth checking against your own contract rather than assuming a standard national timeline.

Agenda for Change is a UK-wide pay framework, but each nation negotiates and confirms its own award, sets its own tax rules, and in Scotland's case, sets its own working week. The underlying band structure is shared, but the final number in your pocket depends on which nation you're employed in.

The NHS pension is widely considered strong value because of the employer contribution on top of your own — currently 23.7% in England and Wales, which is well above what most private sector pensions offer. Opting out means losing that employer contribution entirely, not just your own. This is a personal financial decision that depends on individual circumstances, and this isn't financial advice.

Gross pay is your full salary before any deductions. Pensionable pay is the amount your pension contribution and tier are calculated on, which usually includes basic pay and some enhancements like unsocial hours, but not everything. Taxable pay is what's left after pension contributions come out, since pension reduces your income tax base but not your gross pay. Each one is a different number, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion.

Pay scales update whenever a new Agenda for Change award is confirmed, generally once a year from April, though implementation dates vary by nation. This site's last-verified date is shown near every result, so you can see exactly when each figure was last checked against its official source.