NHS Pay Scales 2021/22
The first year of the finished step structure: two or three steps per band with fixed minimum periods, and a 3% award backdated to 1 April 2021.
Band 5 in England ran from £25,655 to £31,534 in 2021/22. These are England’s figures; see below for the other nations.
← 2020/21 · All years · 2022/23 → · Download CSV
What Changed in 2021/22
- A 3% consolidated award for every band, published in the handbook from 29 July 2021 and backdated to 1 April 2021.
- The step structure was complete. Transitional points in bands 5, 6 and 7 were removed on 1 April 2021, leaving entry, intermediate and top steps in those bands and two steps elsewhere.
- Years until eligible for progression were printed with the scale: 2 in bands 2 and 3, 3 in band 4, 2 then 2 in band 5, 2 then 3 in bands 6 and 7, and 5 in bands 8a to 9.
- Band 8 and 9 consolidated payments continued only for staff already receiving them on 31 March 2021.
Bands 8a to 9 gained an intermediate step later, in 2024/25; see 2024/25 pay scales.
Pay Scales, England 2021/22
Annual basic pay for each step, with the years you must spend on a step before becoming eligible for the next.
| Band | Entry Step | Intermediate Step | Top Step | Years until Eligible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £18,546 | — | — | — |
| Band 2 | £18,546 | — | £19,918 | 2 years |
| Band 3 | £20,330 | — | £21,777 | 2 years |
| Band 4 | £22,549 | — | £24,882 | 3 years |
| Band 5 | £25,655 | £27,780 | £31,534 | 2 + 2 years |
| Band 6 | £32,306 | £34,172 | £39,027 | 2 + 3 years |
| Band 7 | £40,057 | £42,121 | £45,839 | 2 + 3 years |
| Band 8a | £47,126 | — | £53,219 | 5 years |
| Band 8b | £54,764 | — | £63,862 | 5 years |
| Band 8c | £65,664 | — | £75,874 | 5 years |
| Band 8d | £78,192 | — | £90,387 | 5 years |
| Band 9 | £93,735 | — | £108,075 | 5 years |
Monthly gross is the annual figure ÷ 12; hourly is annual ÷ (37.5 × 52.143). Source: NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook — Annex 2: pay bands and pay points in England from 29 July 2021 (NHS Pay Advisory Notice 02/2021), each value checked as a 3% uplift on the 1 April 2021 table. Checked 2026-09-17.
| Band | Entry Step, Monthly | Top Step, Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £1,546 (£9.48/h) | £1,660 (£10.19/h) |
| Band 3 | £1,694 (£10.40/h) | £1,815 (£11.14/h) |
| Band 4 | £1,879 (£11.53/h) | £2,074 (£12.73/h) |
| Band 5 | £2,138 (£13.12/h) | £2,628 (£16.13/h) |
| Band 6 | £2,692 (£16.52/h) | £3,252 (£19.96/h) |
| Band 7 | £3,338 (£20.49/h) | £3,820 (£23.44/h) |
| Band 8a | £3,927 (£24.10/h) | £4,435 (£27.22/h) |
| Band 8b | £4,564 (£28.01/h) | £5,322 (£32.66/h) |
| Band 8c | £5,472 (£33.58/h) | £6,323 (£38.80/h) |
| Band 8d | £6,516 (£39.99/h) | £7,532 (£46.23/h) |
| Band 9 | £7,811 (£47.94/h) | £9,006 (£55.27/h) |
Band 8 and 9 Consolidated Payments, 2021/22
Staff who were receiving a consolidated payment on 31 March 2021 kept it for 2021/22 at these values. Nobody else became eligible.
| Band | Years of Experience | Basic Pay + Payment | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 8a | 4 | £47,126 + £788 | £47,914 |
| Band 8a | 5 | £47,126 + £2,849 | £49,975 |
| Band 8b | 4 | £54,764 + £2,350 | £57,114 |
| Band 8b | 5 | £54,764 + £5,371 | £60,135 |
| Band 8c | 4 | £65,664 + £1,215 | £66,879 |
| Band 8c | 5 | £65,664 + £5,700 | £71,364 |
| Band 8d | 4 | £78,192 + £2,007 | £80,199 |
| Band 8d | 5 | £78,192 + £6,084 | £84,276 |
| Band 9 | 4 | £93,735 + £3,305 | £97,040 |
| Band 9 | 5 | £93,735 + £7,964 | £101,699 |
Only staff in receipt of a consolidated payment on 31 March 2021. Handbook Annex 2, Table 10(a) from 29 July 2021.
Compared with 2020/21
| Band | Lowest Point | Top Point | Top Point Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £18,005 → £18,546 | £19,337 → £19,918 | 3.0% |
| Band 3 | £19,737 → £20,330 | £21,142 → £21,777 | 3.0% |
| Band 4 | £21,892 → £22,549 | £24,157 → £24,882 | 3.0% |
| Band 5 | £24,907 → £25,655 | £30,615 → £31,534 | 3.0% |
| Band 6 | £31,365 → £32,306 | £37,890 → £39,027 | 3.0% |
| Band 7 | £38,890 → £40,057 | £44,503 → £45,839 | 3.0% |
| Band 8a | £45,753 → £47,126 | £51,668 → £53,219 | 3.0% |
| Band 8b | £53,168 → £54,764 | £62,001 → £63,862 | 3.0% |
| Band 8c | £63,751 → £65,664 | £73,664 → £75,874 | 3.0% |
| Band 8d | £75,914 → £78,192 | £87,754 → £90,387 | 3.0% |
| Band 9 | £91,004 → £93,735 | £104,927 → £108,075 | 3.0% |
The lowest point often rose by far more than the headline percentage between 2018 and 2021, because overlapping points at the bottom of each band were deleted rather than uprated.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The tables on this page are England’s. Each nation published its own scales for these years and they differ, so England’s figures should not be used for a post elsewhere. We have not yet checked the other nations’ tables for these years against their circulars, so we do not reproduce them. They are published by the Scottish Government’s NHS circulars archive (PCS(AFC) series), NHS Wales pay and conditions, and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland’s workforce policy guidance for each year.
Later Years and Your Pay Today
The full tables for all four nations from 2022/23 onwards, with take-home pay, are on the pay scales hub. If you are owed money from one of these years — a missed step or unpaid arrears — your employer’s payroll team holds the records; the increment dates guide explains how the step rules work and what to ask for.