NHS Staff
Pay Scales 2026/27
Rules last checked
Basic pay, full time, 2026/27
Annual basic pay for a 37.5-hour week from 1 April 2026. You move up a step after the years shown. For your own take-home, use the Pay Calculator for England. Band 1† is closed to new entrants.
| Band | Step | Basic pay against the top of band 9 | Annual basic | Years to the next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed to new entrants | Every step | £25,272 | ||
| Band 2 | Every step | £25,272 | ||
| Band 3 | Entry | £25,760 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Top | £27,476 | |||
| Band 4 | Entry | £28,392 | 3 years to the next step | |
| Top | £31,157 | |||
| Band 5 | Entry | £32,073 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £34,592 | 2 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £39,043 | |||
| Band 6 | Entry | £39,959 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £42,170 | 3 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £48,117 | |||
| Band 7 | Entry | £49,387 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £51,932 | 3 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £56,515 | |||
| Band 8a | Entry | £57,528 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £60,417 | 3 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £64,750 | |||
| Band 8b | Entry | £66,582 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £70,896 | 3 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £77,368 | |||
| Band 8c | Entry | £79,504 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £84,346 | 3 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £91,609 | |||
| Band 8d | Entry | £94,356 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £100,140 | 3 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £108,814 | |||
| Band 9 | Entry | £112,782 | 2 years to the next step | |
| Intermediate | £119,583 | 3 years to the next step | ||
| Top | £129,783 |
NHS Employers, pay scales for 2026/27; NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Annex 2.
What is paid on top of basic
Unsocial hours
A percentage of each hour's basic pay, plus any long-term recruitment and retention premium, added on top. Saturdays and weeknights: all day Saturday, and weekdays after 8pm and before 6am. Sundays and public holidays: all day Sunday and on public holidays. The Pay Calculator turns these into pounds.
| Band | Saturdays and weeknightson top of basic pay | Sundays and public holidayson top of basic pay |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | +47% | +94% |
| Band 2 | +41% | +83% |
| Band 3 | +35% | +69% |
| Bands 4 to 9 | +30% | +60% |
NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 2 (England), Table 2.
Overtime
Time and a half above 37.5 hours a week, and double time on a general public holiday. Part-time staff are paid their normal rate up to 37.5 hours. Bands 1 to 7 are paid overtime; bands 8a to 9 are not.
NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 3.
High cost area supplement
In and around London, a percentage of basic pay plus any long-term recruitment and retention premium, between a minimum and a maximum. For most bands the minimum or maximum is what is paid.
| Area | Of basic | At least | At most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% | £5,794 | £8,746 |
| Outer London | 15% | £4,870 | £6,137 |
| Fringe | 5% | £1,346 | £2,270 |
NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 4 and Annex 9, Table 1.
Get paid for every shift you work
Your rota checked against your contract, and your payslip checked against the shifts you worked. Complete, for Agenda for Change staff in England.
- Rota Compliance Check. Make sure your trust is not making you work illegally. Your actual rota, checked shift by shift against your contract.
- Personalised Payslip Check. Your payslip, checked against the shifts you actually worked.
- Automatic Correction Email. Written for you from your checks: your rota's limits to your manager or rostering team, your payslip's differences to payroll.
- Plus every rota you check saved to your account, on any device.
Sources
- NHS Employers, pay scales for 2026/27, the pay bands, the pay step points and the high cost area supplements, from 1 April 2026.
- NHS Employers, unsocial hours payments, the unsocial hours rates for each band.
- NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, pay progression, unsocial hours (Section 2), overtime (Section 3) and the high cost area supplement (Section 4 and Annex 9).
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