Profession · 2026/27
ST3-5 Specialty Trainee Salary 2026/27
ST3-5 covers mid-specialty training, typically registrar grade. Basic pay £65,048 (BMA 2016 contract nodal point 4, England) plus rota uplifts.
Typical pay & take-home
- Median gross
- £65,048
- Typical range
- £65,048–£65,048
- Take-home at median
- £48,285
England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn about 74% above the UK full-time median (£37,430), placing you in the top 16% of UK earners.
What influences st3-5 specialty trainee doctor pay
ST3-5 sits at nodal point 4 on the 2016 contract, £65,048 basic. Most doctors at this stage carry significant on-call responsibility, often as the medical or surgical registrar - rota uplifts typically push gross to £80-90k+.
Basic pay alone crosses the £50,270 higher-rate threshold by £15k, so every basic pound above £50,270 is taxed at 42% marginal (40% IT + 2% NI). Any rota pound on top is also at the higher rate.
NHS pension at this tier sits around 12.5%. Net pay arrangement, full 40% IT relief on contributions. The DB accrual remains highly valuable, especially for doctors who plan to stay in NHS practice.
Career progression
- ST3 (Specialty Trainee year 3): £65,048 basic.
- ST4: £65,048.
- ST5: £65,048.
- ST6 onwards: progression to nodal 5 £73,992.
- Consultant post-CCT: £109,725 entry.
Frequently asked questions
- What does an ST3-5 doctor take home 2026/27?
- Basic £65,048 with 12.5% NHS pension gives about £40,000-£41,000 before rota uplift. Including typical 25-40% uplift for registrar on-call rotas, total gross is around £85-90k and take-home around £55-58k. London weighting and intensity vary materially by specialty.
- When should I think about Lifetime Allowance / pension annual allowance?
- Pension annual allowance (£60,000) becomes a real consideration at ST3-5 because rota uplifts can push pensionable pay high enough that the DB-scheme pension input amount exceeds the allowance in some specialty/year combinations. Senior trainees should request a Pension Saving Statement annually from NHS Pensions if concerned.