What is take-home for a Band 6 podiatrist?

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 is the same as other Band 6 allied health roles on base pay.

When does a podiatrist pay 40% tax?

On taxable pay above £50,270, which for an NHS podiatrist is gross less the pension contribution. Band 5 and Band 6 podiatrists stay at the 20% basic rate, and a Band 7 podiatrist pays 40% only on about £198 at the top point. National Insurance is charged on gross pay, so 2% applies above £50,270 of gross. A private practitioner pays 40% on taxable profits above £50,270; a personal pension contribution extends the basic-rate band by its gross amount.

Podiatrist Salary 2026/27: What You Take Home

Podiatrists (chiropodists) are HCPC-registered clinicians on NHS Agenda for Change Band 5-7 (£32,073 to £56,515 in 2026/27), and some work in private practice where earnings vary with caseload. Because the NHS pension comes off before Income Tax, NHS Band 5-7 pay is taxed almost entirely at 20%: 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 podiatrist pay

Podiatrists diagnose and treat foot and lower-limb conditions and qualify with a BSc plus HCPC registration. NHS pay follows Agenda for Change: Band 5 entry (£32,073) for a newly qualified podiatrist, progressing to Band 6 specialist (£39,959 to £48,117) and Band 7 advanced practitioner or surgical podiatry (£49,387 to £56,515 in 2026/27). ONS ASHE 2025 records a full-time median of £47,699 for podiatrists (SOC 2020 code 2256), though the sample is small and reflects a mix of NHS and private practitioners.

Podiatrists also work in private practice, either self-employed or in a clinic, where income depends on appointment volume, treatments offered (nail surgery, biomechanics/orthotics, diabetic foot care) and location rather than a fixed band; no official series measures it. High-cost-area supplements apply to NHS London posts, and specialist and surgical podiatrists reach Band 8a and above.

NHS pension contributions are 9.8% across Band 6-7 pay up to £52,778, then 10.7% above it, taken before Income Tax. A Band 5-6 podiatrist is a 20% basic-rate taxpayer throughout; at the £56,515 top of Band 7 taxable pay is about £50,468, so only about £198 is taxed at 40%. A self-employed podiatrist pays Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance (6% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above) on profits, with no Class 2 above the £7,105 Small Profits Threshold.

Career progression

Newly qualified podiatrist (NHS Band 5): £32,073 to £39,043.
Specialist podiatrist (NHS Band 6): £39,959 to £48,117.
Advanced practitioner / podiatric surgery trainee (NHS Band 7): £49,387 to £56,515.
Consultant podiatrist / podiatric surgeon (NHS Band 8a and above): £57,528 and up.
Private practice / clinic owner: income varies with caseload and treatments, no NHS pension.

Frequently asked questions

What is take-home for a Band 6 podiatrist?: 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 is the same as other Band 6 allied health roles on base pay.
Do private podiatrists earn more than the NHS?: It depends on caseload, and no official series measures private podiatry income. What differs for certain is the tax and pension position: a self-employed podiatrist pays Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance on profits after costs - no Class 2 is payable above the £7,105 Small Profits Threshold - and builds no NHS pension on that work.
When does a podiatrist pay 40% tax?: On taxable pay above £50,270, which for an NHS podiatrist is gross less the pension contribution. Band 5 and Band 6 podiatrists stay at the 20% basic rate, and a Band 7 podiatrist pays 40% only on about £198 at the top point. National Insurance is charged on gross pay, so 2% applies above £50,270 of gross. A private practitioner pays 40% on taxable profits above £50,270; a personal pension contribution extends the basic-rate band by its gross amount.

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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 →