What is take-home for a Band 6 dietitian?

On the £42,170 Band 6 intermediate point with the 9.8% NHS pension contribution, take-home is about £30,576 a year, or £2,548 a month, after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570, 8% National Insurance and pension. This matches other Band 6 allied health roles such as physiotherapist and occupational therapist on base pay.

When does a dietitian start paying 40% tax?

On taxable pay above £50,270, and taxable pay is gross less the NHS pension contribution. Band 5 and Band 6 dietitians stay entirely at the 20% basic rate. A Band 7 dietitian pays no 40% tax at the entry or intermediate point and only about £198 of it at the £56,515 top, after the 10.7% contribution. National Insurance is different: 2% applies to gross pay above £50,270, so a Band 7 dietitian on more than that pays it. Consultant Band 8 posts sit further into the higher-rate band.

Is a dietitian the same as a nutritionist?

No. "Dietitian" is a title protected by law and regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council, so dietitians can work clinically in the NHS and diagnose and treat diet-related conditions. "Nutritionist" is not legally protected in the same way, and nutritionists typically work in wellbeing, industry or self-employed advisory roles rather than clinical NHS posts.

Dietitian Salary 2026/27: What You Take Home

Dietitians are HCPC-registered clinical professionals who sit on NHS Agenda for Change Band 5-7 (£32,073 to £56,515 in 2026/27), with advanced and consultant roles at Band 8a and above. Because the NHS pension is deducted before Income Tax, Band 5-7 pay is taxed almost entirely at the basic rate: only about £198 of the Band 7 top point is taxed at 40%.

Typical pay & take-home

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170
Band 5 entry to Band 7 top: £32,073–£56,515
Take-home on that salary: £30,576 England, after the 9.8% NHS pension contribution, Income Tax and NI.

At £42,170, you earn about 8% above the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you between the 50th percentile (£39,039) and the 75th percentile (£54,009) of UK full-time earnings.

See exact take-home for £42,170 →

What influences dietitian pay

Dietitians (distinct from nutritionists - only "dietitian" is a legally protected, HCPC-registered title) qualify with a BSc or MSc and work across acute wards, community, mental health and specialist services. NHS pay follows Agenda for Change: Band 5 entry (£32,073) for a newly qualified dietitian, progressing to Band 6 specialist (£39,959 to £48,117) and Band 7 advanced/team-lead (£49,387 to £56,515 in 2026/27).

ONS ASHE 2025 codes dietitians within "Other health professionals not elsewhere classified" (SOC 2020 code 2259, where the ONS coding index puts the title "Dietitian"), a broad group with a full-time median of £42,079 - close to the middle of the NHS Band 6 range. High-cost-area supplements (London), consultant dietitian posts (Band 8a to 8c, £57,528 to £91,609) and industry/private roles in food, pharma and freelance clinical work push the top end higher.

NHS pension contributions in 2026/27 are 9.8% across Band 6-7 pay up to £52,778, then 10.7% above it, deducted before Income Tax, so taxable pay is lower than gross. A Band 5-6 dietitian is a 20% basic-rate taxpayer throughout. At Band 7, taxable pay is about £44,547 at entry and £46,843 at the intermediate point, both below £50,270, and £50,468 at the top, where about £198 is taxed at 40%. National Insurance has no such relief: the 2% rate applies to gross pay above £50,270.

Career progression

Newly qualified dietitian (NHS Band 5): £32,073 to £39,043.
Specialist dietitian (NHS Band 6): £39,959 to £48,117.
Advanced / team-lead dietitian (NHS Band 7): £49,387 to £56,515.
Consultant dietitian / dietetic service lead (NHS Band 8a to 8c): £57,528 to £91,609.
Industry, freelance or private clinical dietetics: pay set by the employer or contract, with no published series, and outside the NHS pension.

Frequently asked questions

What is take-home for a Band 6 dietitian?: On the £42,170 Band 6 intermediate point with the 9.8% NHS pension contribution, take-home is about £30,576 a year, or £2,548 a month, after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570, 8% National Insurance and pension. This matches other Band 6 allied health roles such as physiotherapist and occupational therapist on base pay.
When does a dietitian start paying 40% tax?: On taxable pay above £50,270, and taxable pay is gross less the NHS pension contribution. Band 5 and Band 6 dietitians stay entirely at the 20% basic rate. A Band 7 dietitian pays no 40% tax at the entry or intermediate point and only about £198 of it at the £56,515 top, after the 10.7% contribution. National Insurance is different: 2% applies to gross pay above £50,270, so a Band 7 dietitian on more than that pays it. Consultant Band 8 posts sit further into the higher-rate band.
Is a dietitian the same as a nutritionist?: No. "Dietitian" is a title protected by law and regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council, so dietitians can work clinically in the NHS and diagnose and treat diet-related conditions. "Nutritionist" is not legally protected in the same way, and nutritionists typically work in wellbeing, industry or self-employed advisory roles rather than clinical NHS posts.

All UK professions →

Sources

NHS Employers - Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27
NHS Employers - NHS Pension Scheme member contribution rates
ONS - ASHE 2025 Table 14.7a, annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation (occupational pay)
ONS — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (UK full-time median and percentiles)
HMRC — Rates and thresholds 2026/27
Our full methodology & calculation sources →