NHS Pay Scales
Five pay years, four nations, every band and step. Each year shows the award applied and links to the circular that confirmed it.
| Pay Year | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | Tables |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 current | 3.3% | 3.75% | 3.3% | — provisional | View 2026/27 |
| 2025/26 | — | 4.4% (adjusted from 4.25% — inflation guarantee triggered) | 3.6% | — | View 2025/26 |
| 2024/25 | — | 5.5% | 5.5% | — | View 2024/25 |
| 2023/24 | — | 6.5% consolidated (floor £1,548, cap £3,755) plus one-off non-consolidated £387–£939 | 5% | — | View 2023/24 |
| 2022/23 | — | Flat £2,205 uplift all AfC staff — 5.41% to 11.32% depending on band | — | — | View 2022/23 |
Band 5 Entry Step over Five Years
The clearest single line through the data — the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse, midwife or paramedic.
| Nation | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | £27,055 | £28,407 | £29,970 | £31,049 | £32,073 |
| Scotland | £28,384 | £30,229 | £31,892 | £33,295 | £34,544 |
| Wales | £27,461 | £28,834 | £30,420 | £31,516 | £32,557 |
| Northern Ireland | £27,055 | £28,407 | £29,970 | £31,049 | £32,073 |
Scotland's figures are not directly comparable with the rest: its standard week is shorter (36 hours from April 2026, 37 before), so the same annual salary buys fewer contracted hours.
How Far Each Band Has Moved in Five Years
The year-by-year tables above show what was awarded. This shows where it landed: the entry step of every band in 2022/23 against 2026/27, in cash and in percentage terms.
| Band | 2022/23 | 2026/27 | Cash | Change | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £20,270 | £25,272 | £5,002 | 24.7% | Band 2 |
| Band 3 | £21,730 | £25,760 | £4,030 | 18.5% | Band 3 |
| Band 4 | £23,949 | £28,392 | £4,443 | 18.6% | Band 4 |
| Band 5 | £27,055 | £32,073 | £5,018 | 18.5% | Band 5 |
| Band 6 | £33,706 | £39,959 | £6,253 | 18.6% | Band 6 |
| Band 7 | £41,659 | £49,387 | £7,728 | 18.6% | Band 7 |
| Band 8a | £48,526 | £57,528 | £9,002 | 18.6% | Band 8a |
| Band 8b | £56,164 | £66,582 | £10,418 | 18.5% | Band 8b |
| Band 8c | £67,064 | £79,504 | £12,440 | 18.5% | Band 8c |
| Band 8d | £79,592 | £94,356 | £14,764 | 18.5% | Band 8d |
| Band 9 | £95,135 | £112,782 | £17,647 | 18.5% | Band 9 |
Two things worth reading off it.
The same percentage is very different money. Most bands have moved by about 18.5% over the five years, because the awards are percentages applied to the whole scale. Applied to Band 3 that is £4,030; applied to Band 9 the same run of awards is worth £17,647, roughly 4.4× as much cash for an almost identical percentage. This is the whole of the flat-rate versus percentage argument in one pair of rows.
Band 2 is the exception at 24.7%. It has risen faster than the rest of the scale, which is what happens when the bottom of a pay structure is pushed up against a statutory wage floor while the middle and top receive only the negotiated award. The effect is measurable: the gap between the top and bottom of the scale has narrowed, from 4.69× in 2022/23 to 4.46× today.
These are cash figures, not real-terms figures. Every number here is before inflation. An 18.5% rise across five years is not an 18.5% improvement in what the money buys, and we do not publish a real-terms series because the answer depends entirely on which inflation index you choose. That is a choice we would rather leave with you than make silently on your behalf.
Looking for a Single Band?
Every band has its own page: pay, take-home, the jobs matched to it, five years of history and what a promotion is worth.
Why Four Sets of Numbers
Agenda for Change is a UK-wide framework, but each nation negotiates its own award and confirms it on its own timetable. Scotland also sets its own working week. Assuming England's figures apply everywhere is the single easiest way to get NHS pay wrong — see pay across the four nations.