What is take-home for a Band 5 mental health nurse?

On the £34,592 intermediate point of Band 5, with the 8.3% NHS pension tier, take-home is about £26,129 a year, or £2,177 a month, after Income Tax, National Insurance and the contribution. Band 5 entry, £32,073, is about £24,483, and the £39,043 top of the band about £28,570, where the contribution rate steps up to 9.8% on the whole of pensionable pay. Unsocial hours enhancements are paid on top of all three.

How much does the London supplement add for a mental health nurse?

Inner London pays 20% of basic pay, clamped to a £5,794 to £8,746 collar, so it is worth £6,415 at the £32,073 entry point and £7,809 at the £39,043 top of Band 5. Outer London pays 15% with a £4,870 floor, which is what an entry point attracts because the percentage alone falls short of it. The supplement is pensionable, so it can also move you into the next contribution tier.

Forensic, CAMHS and specialist RMN roles - what is the pay difference?

Forensic mental health units and some specialist trusts recruit at Band 6 from entry because of the skill and risk profile, and CAMHS or eating disorder specialist practitioner posts are typically Band 7. Because the pension rate applies to the whole of pensionable pay, a Band 7 at the £56,515 top point pays 10.7% where a Band 5 pays 8.3% or 9.8%. Even after that, the top of Band 7 is about £11,138 a year more in the hand than the top of Band 5.

Mental Health Nurse Salary 2026/27: NHS Band 5 RMN Take-Home

Registered Mental Health Nurses sit on NHS Band 5, which has three points for 2026/27: £32,073 at entry, £34,592 after two years and £39,043 at the top. A High Cost Area Supplement of 20% of basic pay is paid on top in inner London, 15% in outer London, and the Section 2 unsocial hours enhancement on top of that.

Typical pay & take-home

Agenda for Change Band 5 intermediate point: £34,592
The three points of Band 5, entry to top: £32,073–£39,043
Take-home at median: £28,426 England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.

At the median for this profession, you earn 11% below the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the bottom 39% of UK earners.

See exact take-home for £34,592 →

What influences mental health nurse (rmn) pay

Band 5 base pay is taxed entirely at the basic rate on a standard rota. What lifts it is the Section 2 unsocial hours enhancement, time plus 30% for Saturdays and for weekdays between 8pm and 6am and time plus 60% for Sundays and public holidays, and in London the High Cost Area Supplement: 20% of basic pay in inner London, clamped to a £5,794 to £8,746 collar, is worth £6,415 at the entry point of the band and £7,809 at the top.

The NHS pension rate is charged on the whole of pensionable pay rather than on a slice above a threshold, and Band 5 straddles a tier boundary: the 8.3% tier runs to £35,155, so entry and the intermediate point pay 8.3% and the £39,043 top point pays 9.8% on all of it. Section 4 of the Agenda for Change handbook makes High Cost Area Supplements pensionable, so in London the supplement moves the contribution rate as well as the gross.

Progression to a Band 6 senior nurse or charge nurse post is typical 18 to 24 months after registration. Specialist areas including CAMHS, forensic, eating disorders, addictions and perinatal mental health often recruit at Band 6 from entry.

Career progression

Mental health nursing associate, Band 4: £28,392 to £31,157.
Newly qualified RMN, Band 5 entry: £32,073 (2026/27 England).
Band 5 intermediate point, after two years: £34,592.
Band 5 top: £39,043.
Senior RMN or charge nurse, Band 6: £39,959 to £48,117.
Clinical nurse specialist, Band 7: £49,387 to £56,515.

Frequently asked questions

What is take-home for a Band 5 mental health nurse?: On the £34,592 intermediate point of Band 5, with the 8.3% NHS pension tier, take-home is about £26,129 a year, or £2,177 a month, after Income Tax, National Insurance and the contribution. Band 5 entry, £32,073, is about £24,483, and the £39,043 top of the band about £28,570, where the contribution rate steps up to 9.8% on the whole of pensionable pay. Unsocial hours enhancements are paid on top of all three.
How much does the London supplement add for a mental health nurse?: Inner London pays 20% of basic pay, clamped to a £5,794 to £8,746 collar, so it is worth £6,415 at the £32,073 entry point and £7,809 at the £39,043 top of Band 5. Outer London pays 15% with a £4,870 floor, which is what an entry point attracts because the percentage alone falls short of it. The supplement is pensionable, so it can also move you into the next contribution tier.
Forensic, CAMHS and specialist RMN roles - what is the pay difference?: Forensic mental health units and some specialist trusts recruit at Band 6 from entry because of the skill and risk profile, and CAMHS or eating disorder specialist practitioner posts are typically Band 7. Because the pension rate applies to the whole of pensionable pay, a Band 7 at the £56,515 top point pays 10.7% where a Band 5 pays 8.3% or 9.8%. Even after that, the top of Band 7 is about £11,138 a year more in the hand than the top of Band 5.

Getting into this job

How to become a nurse in the UK

The three routes to NMC registration, what each costs in 2026/27, and every Agenda for Change point from Band 5 to Band 7 with real take-home.

All UK professions →