NHS Pay Calculator 2026/27: Band 5-9 Take-Home Salary

Updated May 14, 2026 • Reflects the 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay award

A newly qualified NHS nurse on Band 5 earns £32,073 from 1 April 2026. After tax, National Insurance, and pension, that lands at roughly £2,090 a month in the bank before any night or weekend enhancements. This guide breaks down the full 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay scales for Bands 5 to 9, shows the estimated take-home figures after every deduction, and explains exactly why the gap between your gross salary and your payslip is as wide as it is.

The 2026/27 pay award is a 3.3% uplift across every Agenda for Change pay point, accepted by the government on 12 February 2026 and effective from 1 April 2026 for staff in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland negotiates separately and agreed a 3.75% uplift for 2026/27. The figures below are the England rates – the same base salaries apply across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

1. What the 2026/27 Pay Award Actually Means

After the usual months of negotiation, the NHS Pay Review Body recommended a 3.3% rise for Agenda for Change staff in 2026/27, and the government accepted it in full on 12 February 2026. The Department of Health issued its remit letters early this cycle, which is why most staff should see the uplift on the May payslip rather than waiting for a backdated lump sum later in the year.

For a newly qualified nurse, the headline is this: Band 5 entry pay is now £32,073. Three years ago that figure was under £29,000. The rise still sits close to inflation rather than dramatically ahead of it – the OBR forecast inflation at 2.2% for 2026/27 while CPI was running at 3.4% when the award was announced, so whether this is a real-terms rise or a real-terms hold depends on which month you measure. But in cash terms, every band has gone up, and the structured progression through pay points means your salary climbs further each year regardless of the annual award.

Below are the gross salaries and the estimated net monthly take-home after the three deductions every NHS nurse sees on a payslip: Income Tax, National Insurance, and the NHS Pension contribution.

2. The 2026/27 Take-Home Pay Tables

Estimated net figures assume a standard 1257L tax code, Employee National Insurance at 8%, and the applicable 2026/27 NHS Pension tier. They exclude student loan repayments, unsocial hours enhancements, and any salary sacrifice arrangements. Your actual payslip will vary with your personal circumstances.

Band 5 – The Staff Nurse

Newly qualified nurses and general staff nurses. Three pay points.

A newly qualified Band 5 nurse clears roughly £2,090 a month before any unsocial hours payments. Add nights and weekends and the real figure is meaningfully higher – more on enhancements below.

Band 6 – The Senior or Specialist Nurse

Senior nurses, deputy sisters and charge nurses, clinical specialists. Three pay points.

Note the pension effect: Band 6 sits almost entirely in the 9.8% pension tier, so the contribution takes a larger slice than it does at Band 5 entry. The jump in take-home between Band 5 top and Band 6 entry is smaller than the gross gap suggests, because tax, NI, and pension all scale up together.

Band 7 – Advanced Practitioner or Ward Manager

Ward sisters and charge nurses, advanced nurse practitioners, senior specialists. Three pay points.

Band 7 is where the 40% higher-rate tax band starts to bite. Earnings above £50,270 are taxed at 40%, so Band 7 mid and top steps lose a larger proportion of each extra pound than the lower bands. The pension tier also steps up to 10.7% once pensionable pay crosses £52,779.

Bands 8 and 9 – Senior Management and Consultant Roles

For completeness, the 2026/27 entry and top-of-band figures for the senior bands:

3. London Weighting – High Cost Area Supplement

If you work inside the M25, your basic Agenda for Change salary is topped up by the High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS). It is pensionable and added to your basic pay, which means it also counts toward your pension contributions and your pension pot.

Inner London

20% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £5,794 and a maximum of £8,746.

Worked example: A newly qualified Band 5 nurse in Inner London does not start on £32,073. Twenty percent of £32,073 is £6,415 – above the minimum, below the maximum, so the full 20% applies. Total gross becomes £38,488.

Outer London

15% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £4,870 and a maximum of £6,137.

Fringe (the outer edge)

A smaller supplement applies to designated fringe areas just outside Outer London. Check whether your specific Trust qualifies – not all locations near London receive a supplement.

4. Why Gross and Net Are So Far Apart

The gap between your headline salary and what actually reaches your account comes from three deductions. Understanding them is the difference between feeling underpaid and understanding your payslip.

NHS Pension – the biggest single deduction

The NHS Pension is one of the strongest pension schemes in the country, but the employee contribution is significant and tiered by your pensionable pay. The 2026/27 tiers are:

One quirk worth knowing: the rate is flat across your whole salary, not marginal. When a pay rise pushes you into the next tier, the higher rate applies to all your pensionable pay – which is why crossing a tile threshold can occasionally mean a pay rise produces only a small bump in take-home, or in rare cases a slight dip. Your employer also contributes an additional 23.7% on top, which never shows on your payslip but builds your future pension.

National Insurance

You pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 per year, then 2% on anything above £50,270. For most Band 5, 6, and lower Band 7 nurses, the flat 8% applies to the bulk of pay.

Income Tax

The personal allowance is £12,570 (tax-free). Earnings from £12,571 to £50,270 are taxed at 20%. Earnings above £50,270 are taxed at 40%. This is why Band 7 mid and top steps feel a sharper deduction – part of that salary falls into the higher-rate band.

Student loans (if you trained in the UK)

UK-trained nurses on a Plan 2 loan repay 9% of earnings above roughly £27,295. For a Band 5 entry nurse, that is around £30–£35 per month on top of the deductions above. Internationally educated nurses who trained abroad are not affected by UK student loan deductions.

5. What the Tables Do Not Show – Unsocial Hours

Every figure above is basic pay only. For most ward-based nurses, basic pay is not the whole story, because Agenda for Change pays enhancements for unsocial hours.

For nurses in Bands 5 to 7: 30% enhancement for evenings, Saturdays, and weekday nights; 60% for Sundays and bank holidays. For a nurse working a typical rotating shift pattern with regular nights and weekends, these enhancements commonly add £200 to £500 per month to take-home pay – sometimes more on heavy night rotations.

This matters when comparing NHS pay to other countries or to agency work. A Band 5 nurse’s “real” monthly income on a full shift pattern is meaningfully higher than the basic-pay net figure in the table. When you plan your budget, plan around your actual roster, not the headline band.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Band 5 nurse earn in 2026/27?

£32,073 at entry, rising to £39,043 at the top of the band across three pay points. Net take-home at entry is roughly £2,090 a month before unsocial hours enhancements, which most ward nurses do receive.

When does the 2026/27 pay rise reach my payslip?

The 3.3% award took effect 1 April 2026. Most NHS Trusts applied it to the May 2026 payslip. If your Trust applied it late, the difference is backdated to April and paid as a lump sum.

Is the pay the same across the UK?

The base salaries are identical across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses the same base figures with a small uplift multiplier and a 36-hour week instead of 37.5 hours, and Scotland agreed a separate 3.75% award for 2026/27.

When is NHS payday?

For most Trusts, the 28th of each month. If the 28th falls on a weekend or bank holiday, you are paid the working day before.

Do these rates apply to agency nurses?

No. These are the rates for substantive (permanent, contracted) NHS staff. Agency rates are set by individual agencies and frameworks. They often loosely track NHS rises but are not bound to them.

Are night and weekend payments included in these figures?

No. Every figure above is basic pay only. Unsocial hours enhancements (30% for nights, Saturdays and evenings; 60% for Sundays and bank holidays in Bands 5 to 7) are paid on top.

What about practice nurses in GP surgeries?

Most practice nurses employed directly by GP surgeries are not on Agenda for Change contracts, so this pay award does not automatically apply to them. Practice nurse pay is set separately by each surgery.

Disclaimer: Financial figures are for guidance only. Net take-home estimates assume a standard 1257L tax code with no student loan or salary sacrifice, and will vary with individual circumstances. Pay scales sourced from NHS Employers (2026/27 Agenda for Change pay circular, 3.3% award effective 1 April 2026). Pension tiers and HCAS figures reflect 2026/27 NHS Terms and Conditions. Always check your official ESR payslip and use the NHS Employers pay scales page for definitive figures. Information current as of May 14, 2026.