NHS Pay Bands
Nine bands, four nations, and a job evaluation score behind every one. Pick a band for its pay, take-home, roles and progression — or use the calculator for your own figure.
- Band 2 £25,272 £1,700 a monthtake-home at the entry step
- Band 3 £25,760 – £27,476 £1,727 a monthtake-home at the entry step
- Band 4 £28,392 – £31,157 £1,874 a monthtake-home at the entry step
- Band 5 £32,073 – £39,043 £2,040 a monthtake-home at the entry step
- Band 6 £39,959 – £48,117 £2,430 a monthtake-home at the entry step
- Band 7 £49,387 – £56,515 £2,934 a monthtake-home at the entry step
- Band 8 8a–8d £57,528 – £108,814 £3,353 a monthtake-home at the entry step
- Band 9 £112,782 – £129,783 £5,626 a monthtake-home at the entry step
Every Band Side by Side
England, 2026/27, full time. Take-home assumes a standard tax code, NHS pension membership and no London supplement.
| Band | Entry Step | Top Step | Take-Home a Month | Job Weight | Profiled Roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | £25,272 | £1,700 | 161-215 | 51 |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | £27,476 | £1,727 | 216-270 | 56 |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | £31,157 | £1,874 | 271-325 | 55 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | £39,043 | £2,040 | 326-395 | 77 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £48,117 | £2,430 | 396-465 | 93 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £56,515 | £2,934 | 466-539 | 101 |
| Band 8 (8a to 8d) | £57,528 | £108,814 | £3,353 | 540-584 | 84 |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | £129,783 | £5,626 | 585-629 | 12 |
Band 1 is closed to new entrants and is not shown. Job weight is the job evaluation score range for that band.
What a Pay Band Actually Is
A band is not a grade you are given, or a level you earn. It is the outcome of scoring the job against the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme — 16 factors covering knowledge, responsibility for patient care, freedom to act, physical and emotional effort, and working conditions. The scheme measures the post, never the person in it.
That distinction explains the thing most people find frustrating: doing work above your band does not raise your band. The job description has to be rewritten and re-evaluated, and it has to score into the next range.
Bands, Steps and Increments
Within each band sit two or three steps. You join at the entry step and move up on your incremental date, subject to your appraisal. That is progression within the same job. Moving band requires a different post.
The gap matters more than people expect. In band 5 the distance from entry to top is £6,970 a year — for the same role, the same title, and the same duties.
Looking for a Different Year?
These pages always show the current pay year. Earlier years are kept as archives: 2026/27 · 2025/26 · 2024/25 · 2023/24 · 2022/23.
Common Questions
What Are the NHS Pay Bands?
Agenda for Change sets nine pay bands, numbered 1 to 9, with band 8 split into 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d. Band 1 is closed to new entrants. Every band contains two or three pay steps, and you move up a step on your incremental date. In England for 2026/27 the scale runs from £25,272 at the bottom of band 2 to £129,783 at the top of band 9.
How Is My NHS Band Decided?
By the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme, which scores the job — never the person — against 16 factors including knowledge, responsibility for patients, freedom to act, and working conditions. The total score decides the band: 326-395 points is band 5, 396-465 points is band 6. Taking on extra duties only changes your band if the job description is re-evaluated and scores into the next range.
Which Band Am I In?
Your band is on your payslip and in your contract. If you want to check what a role would normally be banded at, 529 nationally profiled job titles are listed across the band pages on this site, taken from the NHS Employers A–Z job profile index.
Do the Bands Pay the Same across the UK?
No. All four nations use the same band structure, but each negotiates its own pay award, and Scotland has a shorter standard working week — 36 hours from April 2026 against 37.5 elsewhere. Every band page compares all four.
What Is the Difference between a Band and a Step?
The band reflects the job. The step reflects how long you have been doing it. Band 5 in England has three steps spanning £32,073 to £39,043 — the same job, the same band, but a difference of £6,970 a year between the bottom and the top.