NHS Pay across the Four Nations
Agenda for Change is a UK-wide framework, but each nation negotiates its own award, sets its own tax, and in Scotland sets its own working week. Assuming England's figures apply everywhere is the easiest way to get NHS pay wrong.
This site publishes verified pay scales for all four nations across 5 pay years, 2022/23 to 2026/27. Each figure links to the circular that confirmed it.
| Nation | Standard Week | 2026/27 Award | Income Tax | Pension Administrator | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 37.5 hours | 3.3% | rUK (3 bands) | NHS Business Services Authority | Verified |
| Scotland | 36 hours | 3.75% | Scottish (6 bands) | Scottish Public Pensions Agency | Verified |
| Wales | 37.5 hours | 3.3% | rUK (3 bands) | NHS Business Services Authority | Verified |
| Northern Ireland | 37.5 hours | — | rUK (3 bands) | HSC Pension Service | Provisional |
Same Band, Four Different Answers
Same band, same step, same year — four take-home figures. The gap is not one thing: it is a different scale, a different tax system and a different pension table compounding.
| Nation | Week | Gross | Take-Home | Net an Hour | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 37.5h | £39,959 | £29,158 | £14.91 | 73% |
| Scotland | 36h | £43,231 | £31,202 | £16.62 | 72% |
| Wales | 37.5h | £40,559 | £29,543 | £15.11 | 73% |
| Northern Ireland provisional | 37.5h | £39,959 | £29,094 | £14.88 | 73% |
Net an hour is take-home divided by contracted hours a year, so it accounts for the shorter Scottish week. “Keeps” is take-home as a share of gross. No London supplement, no unsocial hours, tax code 1257L. For your own band, step, hours and nation, use the take-home pay calculator.
Scotland Differs the Most
Three things compound, and each on its own is enough to make an England figure wrong for a Scottish member of staff.
- A 36-hour standard week from 1 April 2026, reduced from 37. Every part-time calculation uses a different divisor, and the hourly rate for the same annual salary is higher.
- A separately negotiated award — 3.75% for 2026/27 against 3.3% in England and Wales.
- Scottish income tax — six bands rather than three, with the higher rate starting at a lower threshold than the rest of the UK.
Pensions are administered by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, whose tier table is structured differently from the NHSBSA table used in England and Wales — 9 tiers against 6.
Wales
Wales uses a 37.5-hour week and rest-of-UK income tax, and its 2026/27 award matched England at 3.3%. The scales are close to England's but not identical, and Wales publishes its own allowances for sleeping-in and on-call.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland uses a 37.5-hour week and rest-of-UK income tax, with pensions administered by HSC Pension Service on its own tier table.
Northern Ireland has a recent history of delay: the 2025/26 award was announced in November 2025 and paid in February 2026, ten months after its effective date. Figures here will be updated when the circular is issued, and the change published on the change log. What HSC staff are paid now, and the back pay building up, is set out on the HSC pay scales page.
Comparing an Offer across Nations
Comparing annual salaries alone will mislead you. Use the calculator's "what would change if" table, which holds your band, step and hours constant and moves only the nation — including the change of working week where that applies.
Two things it cannot tell you: the High Cost Area Supplement exists only in England, and terms outside basic pay — on-call rates, sleeping-in allowances, local recruitment premia — are set separately in each nation.
Common Questions
Do All Four UK Nations Pay NHS Staff the Same?
No. Agenda for Change provides a shared band structure, but each nation negotiates and confirms its own pay award. For 2026-27 the award was 3.3% in England and Wales and 3.75% in Scotland. Northern Ireland has a ministerial commitment to match 3.3% but no formal circular yet.
Why Is Scottish NHS Pay Different?
Three things differ at once. Scotland negotiates its own award, applies its own six-band income tax, and from 1 April 2026 uses a 36-hour standard working week rather than 37.5. The shorter week changes hourly rates and every part-time calculation.
Who Administers the NHS Pension in Each Nation?
The NHS Business Services Authority covers England and Wales, the Scottish Public Pensions Agency covers Scotland, and HSC Pension Service covers Northern Ireland. Each publishes its own contribution tier table, so the same salary can fall in a different tier depending on where you work.