Specialist Grade Doctor Salary 2026/27
Specialist is the senior SAS grade, created by the 2021 reform alongside the specialty doctor. Basic pay in England runs from £104,401 to £115,341 across three pay points reached at 0, 3 and 6 years in the grade. The scale carries the 3.5% DDRB award effective 1 April 2026.
Typical pay & take-home
- Middle pay point
- £108,484
- Typical range
- £104,401–£115,341
- Take-home at median
- £71,781 England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn about 178% above the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the top 5% of UK earners.
See exact take-home for £108,484 →
Nodal points, SAS scales, the five consultant thresholds and the salaried GP range, each with take-home after the banded NHS pension: Doctors' pay scales 2026/27, every grade →
What influences specialist grade doctor (sas) pay
The scale has only three points: £104,401 at entry, £108,484 after three years and £115,341 after six. There is no pay threshold, so progression through all three is automatic with time in grade.
Entry requires a minimum of twelve years of medical work since primary qualification, at least six of them in a relevant specialty in the specialty doctor or a closed SAS grade, plus the specialist generic capabilities framework. It is not a training-route grade.
The whole scale sits on the 12.5% NHS pension tier, which covers pensionable pay from £67,669 upwards. Unlike the specialty doctor scale, there is no tier change to watch for.
The top of the scale brings the personal allowance taper into view. £115,341 gross less the 12.5% contribution leaves about £100,923 of adjusted net income, so a little under £1,000 sits above the £100,000 threshold and is taxed at the 60% effective rate.
Basic pay excludes additional programmed activities, on-call and enhanced-rate work, which are paid separately.
Career progression
- Specialty doctor: £63,696 to £102,689.
- Specialist grade entry: £104,401.
- Specialist grade top (6 years): £115,341.
- Consultant (2003 contract): £113,565 to £150,569.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a specialist grade doctor take home 2026/27?
- At the £104,401 entry point with the 12.5% pension tier, take-home is about £63,280 a year or £5,273 a month, after £13,050 pension, £23,972 Income Tax and £4,099 National Insurance. At the £115,341 top of the scale it is about £68,620.
- Does the specialist grade pay more than a consultant?
- At the bottom, no: a consultant starts at £113,565 against £104,401 for a specialist. At the top of the specialist scale, £115,341, it is £1,776 above a newly appointed consultant - but the consultant scale continues to £150,569 and the specialist scale stops.
- Does the personal allowance taper affect specialist grade pay?
- Only just, and only at the top. The NHS scheme is a net pay arrangement, so the 12.5% contribution comes off before adjusted net income is measured: £115,341 leaves about £100,923, so roughly £923 sits above the £100,000 threshold. Additional pensionable work would push more into the 60% band.