NHS Band 6 Pay
Band 6 pays £39,959 to £48,117 a year in England for 2026/27, depending on your step. That is about £2,430 a month take-home at the entry step.
| Band | Step | Annual | Monthly Gross | Hourly | Monthly Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 6 | Entry step | £39,959 | £3,330 | £20.44 | £2,430 |
| Band 6 | Mid step | £42,170 | £3,514 | £21.57 | £2,548 |
| Band 6 | Top step | £48,117 | £4,010 | £24.61 | £2,866 |
Take-home assumes tax code 1257L, NHS pension membership, no London supplement and no student loan. Work out your own figure.
Band 6 across the Four Nations
Same band, same step, four different answers — separate awards, separate tax, and a shorter week in Scotland.
| Nation | Week | Award | Gross | Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 37.5h | 3.3% | £39,959 | £29,158 |
| Scotland | 36h | 3.75% | £43,231 | £31,202 |
| Wales | 37.5h | 3.3% | £40,559 | £29,543 |
| Northern Ireland provisional | 37.5h | — | £39,959 | £29,094 |
Band 6 Pay over Five Years
| Year | Award | Entry Step | Top Step | Full Tables |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | 3.3% | £39,959 | £48,117 | 2026/27 scales |
| 2025/26 | — | £38,682 | £46,580 | 2025/26 scales |
| 2024/25 | — | £37,338 | £44,962 | 2024/25 scales |
| 2023/24 | — | £35,392 | £42,618 | 2023/24 scales |
| 2022/23 | — | £33,706 | £40,588 | 2022/23 scales |
Entry-step pay has risen £6,253 since 2022/23, an increase of 18.6% over five years before inflation.
Which Jobs Are Band 6?
93 nationally profiled job titles are matched to Band 6, across 47 job families, from the NHS Employers A–Z job profile index.
A national profile is not a guarantee. A national profile is the job-evaluation match for a role. Individual posts are matched locally, so an employer may band a job differently from the national profile.
Band 6 Pay by Profession
Pay is set by the band, not the profession: a Band 6 nurse and a Band 6 midwife on the same step are paid the same basic salary. What differs is which of a profession’s national profiles sit at this band, and where the next one up is.
| Profession | National Profiles at Band 6 | Pay Range | Next Profile Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | Nurse Specialist Nurse Specialist (Community) Nurse Specialist (GP Practice) Nurse Specialist (Learning Disabilities) Nurse Specialist (NHS Direct) Nurse Specialist (Schools) Nurse Specialist (Special Schools) Nurse Specialist Mental Health (Community) Nurse Team Leader Nurse Team Leader (Learning Disabilities) Theatre Nurse Specialist Theatre Nurse/Practitioner Higher Level* |
£39,959 to £48,117 | Nurse Advanced (Band 7) Nurse Advanced (Schools) (Band 7) |
| Midwife | Midwife (Community) Midwife (Hospital) Midwife (Integrated) Midwifery band 6 |
£39,959 to £48,117 | Midwife Higher Level (Band 7) Midwife Higher Level (Research Projects) (Band 7) |
| Physiotherapist | Physiotherapist Specialist Physiotherapist Specialist (Experienced Rotational) |
£39,959 to £48,117 | Physiotherapist Advanced (Band 7) Physiotherapist Specialist (Community) (Band 7) |
| Occupational therapist | Occupational Therapist Specialist | £39,959 to £48,117 | Occupational Therapist Advanced (Band 7) Occupational Therapist Advanced Community (Band 7) |
| Radiographer or sonographer | Radiographer Specialist (Diagnostic Therapeutic) | £39,959 to £48,117 | Radiographer Advanced (Band 7) Radiographer Specialist (Reporting Sonographer) (Band 7) |
| Paramedic | Paramedic | £39,959 to £48,117 | Paramedic specialist (Band 7) Paramedic team leader (Band 7) |
| Biomedical scientist | Biomedical Scientist Specialist Biomedical Scientist Team Leader |
£39,959 to £48,117 | Biomedical Scientist Advanced (Band 7) Biomedical Scientist Team Manager (Band 7) |
| Clinical physiologist | Specialist Physiological Measurement Practitioner/Clinical Physiologist | £39,959 to £48,117 | Highly Specialist Physiological Measurement Practitioner/Clinical Physiologist (Band 7) Physiological Measurement/Clinical Physiology Team Manager (Band 7) |
| Pharmacist | Pharmacist | £39,959 to £48,117 | Pharmacist Specialist (Band 7) |
| Speech and language therapist | Specialist Speech and Language Therapist | £39,959 to £48,117 | Speech and Language Therapist Advanced (Band 7) |
| Dietitian | Dietitian Specialist | £39,959 to £48,117 | Dietitian Advanced (Band 7) Dietitian Specialist (Research) (Band 7) |
| Social worker | Residential Day Care - Social Work (Residential) Social Work Residential Social Worker |
£39,959 to £48,117 | Social Work Team Manager (Band 7) Social Work Team Manager ( Adult Residential) (Band 7) |
| Pharmacy technician | Pharmacy Technician Specialist | £39,959 to £48,117 | Pharmacy Technician Team Manager (Band 7) |
| Dental nurse | Dental Nurse team Manager Dental Nurse Tutor |
£39,959 to £48,117 | — |
Profile titles and bands from the NHS Employers A–Z job profile index (January 2026). Pay range runs from the entry step of the lowest band to the top step of the highest band the profiles cover. Your own post is banded by local job matching, which can differ from the national profile.
All 93 Profiled Job Titles at Band 6
- Ambulance Practitioner Advanced ES
- Arts Therapist Entry Level (Art, Music, Drama, Dance Movement) Art Therapy
- Biomedical Scientist Specialist Biomedical scientists clinical support workers
- Biomedical Scientist Team Leader Biomedical scientists clinical support workers
- Business/Administrative Manager Higher Level Business & Projects
- Care Coordinator Home Care
- Catering Manager Higher Level SS
- Chaplain Chaplaincy
- Clinical adviser Ambulance Service
- Clinical Audit Facilitator Specialist Public Health/Health Improvement
- Clinical Coding Team Manager Patient Services
- Clinical Practitioner: Band 6 Clinical Practitioner
- Clinical PsychologyTrainee Psychological professions
- Clinical Researcher Nursing & Midwifery Generic & Generic Therapy
- Communicatons Specialist Public Relations
- Complaints Officer Higher Level Public Relations
- Counsellor Psychological professions
- Day Centre Manager PSS
- Dental Nurse team Manager Dental Nursing
- Dental Nurse Tutor Dental Nursing
- Dental Technician Specialist Dental Services
- Dietitian Specialist Dietetics
- Duty manager Ambulance Service
- Emergency Services Team Leader ES
- Estates Officer (Operations) Estates & Maintenance
- Estates Officer (projects) Estates & Maintenance
- Estates Officer (Specialist Services) Estates & Maintenance
- Finance Analyst, Specialist Finance
- Finance Section Manager Finance
- Genetic Counsellor Trainee Genetic Counsellors
- Graphic Designer Public Health/Health Improvement
- Health Improvement Practitioner Specialist Public Health/Health Improvement
- Health Records Multi Section Manager Patient Services
- Health Visitor NM
- Healthcare Science Practitioner Specialist Health Care Science
- Healthcare Scientist Graduate Trainee Health Care Science
- HR Advisor Specialist Human Resources
- IM&T Analyst Specialist/Technical Engineer/Team Leader Information Technology
- Information Analyst Specialist (Statistics/Information Management/Public Health Intelligence) Information Technology
- Librarian Specialist Information Services
- Librarian Team Leader Information Services
- Medical Engineering Technician Specialist Medical Technology
- Midwife (Community) NM
- Midwife (Hospital) NM
- Midwife (Integrated) NM
- Midwifery band 6 Midwifery
- Nurse Specialist NM
- Nurse Specialist (Community) NM
- Nurse Specialist (GP Practice) NM
- Nurse Specialist (Learning Disabilities) NM
- Nurse Specialist (NHS Direct) NHS Direct
- Nurse Specialist (Schools) NM
- Nurse Specialist (Special Schools) NM
- Nurse Specialist Mental Health (Community) NM
- Nurse Team Leader NM
- Nurse Team Leader (Learning Disabilities) NM
- Nursing: Band 6i Combined Nursing
- Nursing: Band 6ii Combined Nursing
- Occupational Therapist Specialist Occupational Therapy
- ODP: Band 6i Operating Department Practitioners
- ODP: Band 6ii* Operating Department Practitioners
- Optometrist Specialist Orthoptists and Optometrists
- Oral Health Practitioner Specialist Dental Services
- Orthoptists Specialist Orthoptists and Optometrists
- PALS Specialist Public Relations
- PALS Team Manager Public Relations
- Paramedic ES
- Pharmacist Pharmacy
- Pharmacy Technician Specialist Pharmacy
- Physician Associate Entry Level Physician Associates
- Physiotherapist Specialist Physiotherapy
- Physiotherapist Specialist (Experienced Rotational) Physiotherapy
- Play Specialist Team Manager Play Specialists
- Podiatrist Specialist Podiatry
- Practice Education Facilitator (Entry Level) Nursing & Midwifery Generic & Generic Therapy
- Practice Manager (Group Practice) Patient Services
- Procurement Officer (Higher Level) SS
- Procurement Officer Higher Level Support Services
- Project Manager Business & Projects
- Radiographer Specialist (Diagnostic Therapeutic) Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiographers
- Residential Day Care - Day Centre Deputy Residential Day care
- Residential Day Care - Social Work (Residential) Residential Day care
- Screening Practitioner Cancer Screening
- Sexual Health Adviser Sexual Health
- Social Work Residential PSS
- Social Worker Social Work
- Specialist Medical Physics Technician Clinical Sciences
- Specialist Physiological Measurement Practitioner/Clinical Physiologist Medical Technology
- Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Speech and Language Therapy
- Station/Operational Team Leader Ambulance Service
- Theatre Nurse Specialist Theatre Nurses
- Theatre Nurse/Practitioner Higher Level* Theatre Nurses
- Voluntary Services Manager Patient Services
Full job descriptions and the responsibilities each role is scored against are published by NHS Employers as national profile documents. We link them rather than reproduce them, so you always read the current version: browse the profile documents. To understand how a role ends up in this band at all, see how pay bands are decided.
What Makes a Job Band 6
Bands are not assigned by judgement. Every NHS role is scored against 16 factors under the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme — knowledge and experience, responsibility for patient care, freedom to act, physical and emotional effort, working conditions and others. Each factor is awarded points according to the level the job demands, and the 1000 points available add up to a single total.
That total decides the band. Band 6 covers jobs scoring 396-465 points.
| Band | Total Score |
|---|---|
| Band 1 | 0-160 points |
| Band 2 | 161-215 points |
| Band 3 | 216-270 points |
| Band 4 | 271-325 points |
| Band 5 | 326-395 points |
| Band 6 | 396-465 points |
| Band 7 | 466-539 points |
| Band 8 | 540-584 points |
| Band 9 | 585-629 points |
This is why taking on extra duties does not by itself change your band: the job description has to be re-evaluated and score into the next range. How the 16 factors are scored →
Pension at Band 6
At £39,959 your contribution tier is 9.8%, which is £3,916 a year, or £326 a month. Because it comes out before income tax, the real cost to your take-home is less than the headline rate.
Your employer pays 23.7% on top — £9,470 a year at this salary. That is money most pay calculators never show you, and it is the single biggest reason opting out is rarely a good deal.
Tiers are slabs, not slices. Cross a threshold and the higher rate applies to all your pensionable pay, not just the part above it. A pay rise that nudges you over a boundary can leave a smaller increase than you expected — the calculator shows which tier you land in and why.
London Weighting at Band 6
England only. A percentage of basic pay, capped at an annual minimum and maximum — which is why the headline percentage is not what everyone receives.
| Zone | Rate | Supplement | Extra Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% | £7,992 | +£5,128 |
| Outer London | 15% | £5,994 | +£3,846 |
| Fringe | 5% | £1,998 | +£1,282 |
Moving Up from Band 6
What a promotion is actually worth, after tax, National Insurance and pension — not the gross difference.
| Band | Gross | Take-Home | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 entry step | £32,073 | £24,483 | −£4,675 |
| Band 6 entry step | £39,959 | £29,158 | — |
| Band 7 entry step | £49,387 | £35,207 | +£6,049 |
What does it take to reach Band 7? There is no national answer, and any site that gives you one has invented it. Agenda for Change does not publish promotion criteria — each vacancy sets its own person specification, and the post is banded by job evaluation. What you can do is read the national profiles for Band 7 to see the responsibilities those roles are scored against, then compare them with your current job description.
Moving up a step within your own band is different, and happens on your incremental date — see when your increment is due.
Common Questions
How Much Does Band 6 Earn in 2026/27?
In England, Band 6 pay runs from £39,959 to £48,117 a year full time for 2026/27. The entry step of £39,959 works out at about £2,430 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension.
What Is Band 6 Take-Home Pay a Month?
About £2,430 a month at the entry step, on a standard tax code with NHS pension membership and no London supplement. Your own figure depends on your step, hours, nation and circumstances.
Which Jobs Are Band 6?
93 nationally profiled job titles are matched to Band 6, across families including ES, Art Therapy, Biomedical scientists clinical support workers, Business & Projects. Individual posts are banded locally, so an employer may band a job differently from the national profile.
What Are the Requirements to Reach the Next Band?
There is no national answer. Agenda for Change does not publish promotion criteria — each vacancy sets its own person specification and the post is banded by job evaluation, not by the person filling it. The national job profiles show the responsibilities roles at the next band are scored against.
Does Band 6 Pay Differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes. Each nation negotiates its own award, and Scotland also has a shorter standard working week — 36 hours from April 2026 against 37.5 elsewhere. The comparison table on this page shows all four.