NHS Band 7 Pay
Band 7 pays £49,387 to £56,515 a year in England for 2026/27, depending on your step. That is about £2,934 a month take-home at the entry step.
| Band | Step | Annual | Monthly Gross | Hourly | Monthly Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 7 | Entry step | £49,387 | £4,116 | £25.26 | £2,934 |
| Band 7 | Mid step | £51,932 | £4,328 | £26.56 | £3,078 |
| Band 7 | Top step | £56,515 | £4,710 | £28.90 | £3,309 |
Take-home assumes tax code 1257L, NHS pension membership, no London supplement and no student loan. Work out your own figure.
Band 7 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% | £49,387 | £35,207 |
| Scotland | 36h | 3.75% | £52,845 | £36,383 |
| Wales | 37.5h | 3.3% | £50,129 | £35,683 |
| Northern Ireland provisional | 37.5h | — | £49,387 | £35,128 |
Band 7 Pay over Five Years
| Year | Award | Entry Step | Top Step | Full Tables |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | 3.3% | £49,387 | £56,515 | 2026/27 scales |
| 2025/26 | — | £47,810 | £54,710 | 2025/26 scales |
| 2024/25 | — | £46,148 | £52,809 | 2024/25 scales |
| 2023/24 | — | £43,742 | £50,056 | 2023/24 scales |
| 2022/23 | — | £41,659 | £47,672 | 2022/23 scales |
Entry-step pay has risen £7,728 since 2022/23, an increase of 18.6% over five years before inflation.
Which Jobs Are Band 7?
101 nationally profiled job titles are matched to Band 7, across 46 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 7 Pay by Profession
Pay is set by the band, not the profession: a Band 7 nurse and a Band 7 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 7 | Pay Range | Next Profile Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | Nurse Advanced Nurse Advanced (Schools) Nurse Team Manager Nurse Team Manager (Community) Nurse Team Manager (Learning Disabilities) Nurse Team Manager (Mental Health, Community) Nurse Team Manager (NHS Direct) Nurse Team Manager (Schools) |
£49,387 to £56,515 | Nurse Consultant (Band 8a–8c) Nurse/Midwife Consultant Higher Level (Band 8c–9) |
| Midwife | Midwife Higher Level Midwife Higher Level (Research Projects) Midwife Team Manager Midwifery band 7i Midwifery band 7ii Midwifery band 7iii |
£49,387 to £56,515 | Midwife Consultant (Band 8b–8c) Midwifery band 8a-b (Band 8a–8b) |
| Physiotherapist | Physiotherapist Advanced Physiotherapist Specialist (Community) Physiotherapist Specialist (Respiratory Problems) Physiotherapy Team Manager |
£49,387 to £56,515 | Physiotherapist Consultant (Band 8a–8b) Physiotherapist Principal (Band 8a) |
| Occupational therapist | Occupational Therapist Advanced Occupational Therapist Advanced Community Occupational Therapist Team Manager |
£49,387 to £56,515 | Occupational Therapist Consultant (Band 8a–8b) Occupational Therapist Principal (Band 8a) |
| Radiographer or sonographer | Radiographer Advanced Radiographer Specialist (Reporting Sonographer) Radiographer Team Manager |
£49,387 to £56,515 | Radiographer Consultant (Diagnostic) (Band 8b–8c) Radiographer Consultant (Therapy) (Band 8a–8c) |
| Paramedic | Paramedic specialist Paramedic team leader |
£49,387 to £56,515 | — |
| Biomedical scientist | Biomedical Scientist Advanced Biomedical Scientist Team Manager |
£49,387 to £56,515 | — |
| Clinical physiologist | Highly Specialist Physiological Measurement Practitioner/Clinical Physiologist Physiological Measurement/Clinical Physiology Team Manager |
£49,387 to £56,515 | Physiological Measurement/Clinical Physiology Service Manager (Band 8a–8b) |
| Pharmacist | Pharmacist Specialist | £49,387 to £56,515 | Pharmacist Advanced (Band 8a–8b) Pharmacist Team Manager (Band 8b–8c) |
| Speech and language therapist | Speech and Language Therapist Advanced | £49,387 to £56,515 | Consultant Speech and Language Therapist (Band 8a–8c) Speech and Language Therapist Principal (Band 8a–8b) |
| Dietitian | Dietitian Advanced Dietitian Specialist (Research) Dietitian Team Manager |
£49,387 to £56,515 | — |
| Clinical psychologist | Clinical Psychologist | £49,387 to £56,515 | Clinical Psychologist Consultant, Professional Lead/Head of Psychology Services (Band 8d–9) Clinical Psychologist Principal (Band 8a–8b) |
| Social worker | Social Work Team Manager Social Work Team Manager ( Adult Residential) Social Worker Specialist |
£49,387 to £56,515 | Social Work Locality/Service Manager (Band 8a) |
| Pharmacy technician | Pharmacy Technician Team Manager | £49,387 to £56,515 | — |
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 101 Profiled Job Titles at Band 7
- Arts Therapist (Art, Music, Drama, Dance Movement) Art Therapy
- Biomedical Scientist Advanced Biomedical scientists clinical support workers
- Biomedical Scientist Team Manager Biomedical scientists clinical support workers
- Chaplain Team Manager Chaplaincy
- Clinical advice team manager Ambulance Service
- Clinical Coding Service Manager Patient Services
- Clinical Governance Practitioner Public Health/Health Improvement
- Clinical Practitioner: Band 7 Clinical Practitioner
- Clinical Psychologist Psychological professions
- Clinical Researcher Specialist Nursing & Midwifery Generic & Generic Therapy
- Clinical Scientist (Molecular Genetics/Cytogenetics) Clinical Sciences
- Commissioning Manager Business & Projects
- Communications Manager Public Relations
- Counsellor Specialist Psychological professions
- Dental Technician Advanced Dental Services
- Dietitian Advanced Dietetics
- Dietitian Specialist (Research) Dietetics
- Dietitian Team Manager Dietetics
- Emergency Services Area Manager ES
- Estates Manager (Operations) Estates & Maintenance
- Estates Manager (Projects) Estates & Maintenance
- Estates Manager (Specialist Services) Estates & Maintenance
- Finance Analyst, Advanced Finance
- Finance Department Manager Finance
- Genetic Counsellor Genetic Counsellors
- Health Improvement Practitioner Advanced Public Health/Health Improvement
- Health Records Department Manager Patient Services
- Health Visitor Specialist Health Visitor
- Health Visitor Team Manager NM
- Healthcare Science Practitioner Advanced Health Care Science
- Healthcare Science Practitioner Advanced (Research) Health Care Science
- Healthcare Science Team Leader Health Care Science
- Healthcare Scientist Health Care Science
- Healthcare Scientist (Research) Health Care Science
- Highly Specialist Physiological Measurement Practitioner/Clinical Physiologist Medical Technology
- Hotel Services Manager SS
- HR Adviser Advanced Human Resources
- HR Team Manager Human Resources
- IM&T Analyst Advanced//Technicial Engineer Specialist Information Technology
- IM&T Section Manager Information Technology
- Improvement & Development Manager Business & Projects
- Information Analyst, Advanced/Team Manager (Statistics/Information Management/Public Health) Information Technology
- Librarian Service Manager Information Services
- Medical Engineering Team Manager Medical Technology
- Medical Physics Technician Section Manager Clinical Sciences
- Midwife Higher Level NM
- Midwife Higher Level (Research Projects) NM
- Midwife Team Manager NM
- Midwifery band 7i Midwifery
- Midwifery band 7ii Midwifery
- Midwifery band 7iii Midwifery
- Nurse Advanced NM
- Nurse Advanced (Schools) NM
- Nurse Team Manager NM
- Nurse Team Manager (Community) NM
- Nurse Team Manager (Learning Disabilities) NM
- Nurse Team Manager (Mental Health, Community) NM
- Nurse Team Manager (NHS Direct) NHS Direct
- Nurse Team Manager (Schools) NM
- Nursing: Band 7i Combined Nursing
- Nursing: Band 7ii Combined Nursing
- Nursing/Health Visitor Specialist (Community Practice Teacher) Health Visitor
- Occupational Therapist Advanced Occupational Therapy
- Occupational Therapist Advanced Community Occupational Therapy
- Occupational Therapist Team Manager Occupational Therapy
- ODP: Band 7i Operating Department Practitioners
- ODP: Band 7ii Operating Department Practitioners
- Operations Manager Business & Projects
- Optometrist Advanced Orthoptist and Optometrists
- Oral Health Practitioner Advanced Dental Services
- Orthoptist Advanced Orthoptists and Optometrists
- PALS Service Manager Public Relations
- Paramedic specialist Ambulance Service
- Paramedic team leader Ambulance Service
- Pharmacist Specialist Pharmacy
- Pharmacy Technician Team Manager Pharmacy
- Physician Associate Physician Associates
- Physiological Measurement/Clinical Physiology Team Manager Medical Technology
- Physiotherapist Advanced Physiotherapy
- Physiotherapist Specialist (Community) Physiotherapy
- Physiotherapist Specialist (Respiratory Problems) Physiotherapy
- Physiotherapy Team Manager Physiotherapy
- Podiatrist Advanced Podiatry
- Podiatry Team Manager Podiatry
- Practic Education Facilitator Nursing & Midwifery Generic & Generic Therapy
- Procurement Team Manager SS
- Project Team Manager Business & Projects
- Public Health Researcher Public Health/Health Improvement
- Radiographer Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiographers
- Radiographer Specialist (Reporting Sonographer) Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiographers
- Radiographer Team Manager Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiographers
- Residential Manager / Day Centre Manager Residential Day care
- Screening Practitioner Specialist Cancer Screening
- Sexual Health Advisory Service Manager Sexual Health
- Social Work Team Manager Social Work
- Social Work Team Manager ( Adult Residential) PSS
- Social Worker Specialist Social Work
- Solicitor Legal Services
- Speech and Language Therapist Advanced Speech and Language Therapy
- Station/Operational Team Manager Ambulance Service
- Support Services Manager Support 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 7
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 7 covers jobs scoring 466-539 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 7
At £49,387 your contribution tier is 9.8%, which is £4,840 a year, or £403 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 — £11,705 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 7
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% | £8,746 (at the maximum) | +£5,336 |
| Outer London | 15% | £6,137 (at the maximum) | +£3,853 |
| Fringe | 5% | £2,270 (at the maximum) | +£1,540 |
Moving Up from Band 7
What a promotion is actually worth, after tax, National Insurance and pension — not the gross difference.
| Band | Gross | Take-Home | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 6 entry step | £39,959 | £29,158 | −£6,049 |
| Band 7 entry step | £49,387 | £35,207 | — |
| Band 8 (8a to 8d) entry step | £57,528 | £40,231 | +£5,024 |
What does it take to reach Band 8 (8a to 8d)? 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 8 (8a to 8d) to see the responsibilities those roles are scored against, then compare them with your current job description.
See Band 8 (8a to 8d) pay and roles →
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 7 Earn in 2026/27?
In England, Band 7 pay runs from £49,387 to £56,515 a year full time for 2026/27. The entry step of £49,387 works out at about £2,934 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension.
What Is Band 7 Take-Home Pay a Month?
About £2,934 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 7?
101 nationally profiled job titles are matched to Band 7, across families including Art Therapy, Biomedical scientists clinical support workers, Chaplaincy, Ambulance Service. 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 7 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.