Agenda for Change 2026/27: Every NHS Band, Pay Point and Take-Home
Agenda for Change 2026/27: every NHS band and pay point after the 3.3% award, London supplements, pension tiers and take-home after tax.
What changed in 2026/27
Agenda for Change covers most NHS staff in England: nursing, allied health professions, healthcare support workers, scientists, pharmacy, admin and management. Pay is a grid of bands: Bands 1 and 2 have a single rate, Bands 3 and 4 two pay points, and Bands 5 to 9 three.
- 3.3% consolidated uplift to every band and point, effective 1 April 2026.
- Announced 12 February 2026, with the increase paid in April salaries through ESR.
- Confirmed, not recommended. The government accepted the award and NHS Employers has published the resulting scales, so the figures below are what a payslip shows now.
- More may follow, backdated. The government also committed to reforming the pay structure, with priority for the lowest bands and for graduates. The NHS Staff Council said on 21 April 2026 that negotiations would start at the end of April and that, if agreement is reached, backdating to 1 April 2026 will apply (Staff Council statement). Any such increase would come on top of the scales here.
Band 1 is closed to new entrants and sits at £25,272, the same as Band 2, so Band 2 is the effective floor.
What that is after tax
Every pay point, netted for a member of the NHS Pension Scheme (2015) living in England. The pension tier steps up as you move through the bands, which is why take-home does not rise in a straight line with gross.
| Band | Point | Gross | Pension | Take-home / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | All points | £25,272 | 6.5% | £20,401 | £1,700 |
| Band 3 | Entry | £25,760 | 6.5% | £20,727 | £1,727 |
| Band 3 | Top | £27,476 | 6.5% | £21,874 | £1,823 |
| Band 4 | Entry | £28,392 | 6.5% | £22,485 | £1,874 |
| Band 4 | Top | £31,157 | 8.3% | £23,884 | £1,990 |
| Band 5 | Entry | £32,073 | 8.3% | £24,483 | £2,040 |
| Band 5 | Intermediate | £34,592 | 8.3% | £26,129 | £2,177 |
| Band 5 | Top | £39,043 | 9.8% | £28,570 | £2,381 |
| Band 6 | Entry | £39,959 | 9.8% | £29,157 | £2,430 |
| Band 6 | Intermediate | £42,170 | 9.8% | £30,576 | £2,548 |
| Band 6 | Top | £48,117 | 9.8% | £34,391 | £2,866 |
| Band 7 | Entry | £49,387 | 9.8% | £35,206 | £2,934 |
| Band 7 | Intermediate | £51,932 | 9.8% | £36,939 | £3,078 |
| Band 7 | Top | £56,515 | 10.7% | £39,708 | £3,309 |
| Band 8a | Entry | £57,528 | 10.7% | £40,230 | £3,353 |
| Band 8a | Intermediate | £60,417 | 10.7% | £41,720 | £3,477 |
| Band 8a | Top | £64,750 | 10.7% | £43,955 | £3,663 |
| Band 8b | Entry | £66,582 | 10.7% | £44,900 | £3,742 |
| Band 8b | Intermediate | £70,896 | 12.5% | £46,360 | £3,863 |
| Band 8b | Top | £77,368 | 12.5% | £49,628 | £4,136 |
| Band 8c | Entry | £79,504 | 12.5% | £50,707 | £4,226 |
| Band 8c | Intermediate | £84,346 | 12.5% | £53,152 | £4,429 |
| Band 8c | Top | £91,609 | 12.5% | £56,820 | £4,735 |
| Band 8d | Entry | £94,356 | 12.5% | £58,207 | £4,851 |
| Band 8d | Intermediate | £100,140 | 12.5% | £61,128 | £5,094 |
| Band 8d | Top | £108,814 | 12.5% | £65,508 | £5,459 |
| Band 9 | Entry | £112,782 | 12.5% | £67,512 | £5,626 |
| Band 9 | Intermediate | £119,583 | 12.5% | £70,020 | £5,835 |
| Band 9 | Top | £129,783 | 12.5% | £73,386 | £6,115 |
Basic pay only. Excludes high cost area supplements, unsocial hours payments under Section 2, overtime and student loan repayments. Staff resident in Scotland pay Scottish Income Tax rates on the same gross.
Every band and pay point
England, effective 1 April 2026. The years column is the service needed at that point before becoming eligible to progress to the next one.
| Band | Point | Annual salary | Years to progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | All points | £25,272 | - |
| Band 3 | Entry | £25,760 | 2 |
| Band 3 | Top | £27,476 | - |
| Band 4 | Entry | £28,392 | 3 |
| Band 4 | Top | £31,157 | - |
| Band 5 | Entry | £32,073 | 2 |
| Band 5 | Intermediate | £34,592 | 2 |
| Band 5 | Top | £39,043 | - |
| Band 6 | Entry | £39,959 | 2 |
| Band 6 | Intermediate | £42,170 | 3 |
| Band 6 | Top | £48,117 | - |
| Band 7 | Entry | £49,387 | 2 |
| Band 7 | Intermediate | £51,932 | 3 |
| Band 7 | Top | £56,515 | - |
| Band 8a | Entry | £57,528 | 2 |
| Band 8a | Intermediate | £60,417 | 3 |
| Band 8a | Top | £64,750 | - |
| Band 8b | Entry | £66,582 | 2 |
| Band 8b | Intermediate | £70,896 | 3 |
| Band 8b | Top | £77,368 | - |
| Band 8c | Entry | £79,504 | 2 |
| Band 8c | Intermediate | £84,346 | 3 |
| Band 8c | Top | £91,609 | - |
| Band 8d | Entry | £94,356 | 2 |
| Band 8d | Intermediate | £100,140 | 3 |
| Band 8d | Top | £108,814 | - |
| Band 9 | Entry | £112,782 | 2 |
| Band 9 | Intermediate | £119,583 | 3 |
| Band 9 | Top | £129,783 | - |
London and fringe supplements
Staff based at premises inside a designated high cost area get a supplement on top of basic pay, set as a percentage of salary with a cash floor and ceiling. The floor is what lifts lower bands and the ceiling is what flattens the top of the grid.
| Zone | Rate | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% | £5,794 | £8,746 |
| Outer London | 15% | £4,870 | £6,137 |
| Fringe | 5% | £1,346 | £2,270 |
Total pay including the supplement
| Band | Point | Basic | Inner London | Outer London | Fringe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | All points | £25,272 | £31,066 | £30,142 | £26,618 |
| Band 3 | Entry | £25,760 | £31,554 | £30,630 | £27,106 |
| Band 3 | Top | £27,476 | £33,270 | £32,346 | £28,850 |
| Band 4 | Entry | £28,392 | £34,186 | £33,262 | £29,812 |
| Band 4 | Top | £31,157 | £37,389 | £36,027 | £32,715 |
| Band 5 | Entry | £32,073 | £38,488 | £36,943 | £33,677 |
| Band 5 | Intermediate | £34,592 | £41,511 | £39,781 | £36,322 |
| Band 5 | Top | £39,043 | £46,852 | £44,900 | £40,996 |
| Band 6 | Entry | £39,959 | £47,951 | £45,953 | £41,957 |
| Band 6 | Intermediate | £42,170 | £50,604 | £48,307 | £44,279 |
| Band 6 | Top | £48,117 | £56,863 | £54,254 | £50,387 |
| Band 7 | Entry | £49,387 | £58,133 | £55,524 | £51,657 |
| Band 7 | Intermediate | £51,932 | £60,678 | £58,069 | £54,202 |
| Band 7 | Top | £56,515 | £65,261 | £62,652 | £58,785 |
| Band 8a | Entry | £57,528 | £66,274 | £63,665 | £59,798 |
| Band 8a | Intermediate | £60,417 | £69,163 | £66,554 | £62,687 |
| Band 8a | Top | £64,750 | £73,496 | £70,887 | £67,020 |
| Band 8b | Entry | £66,582 | £75,328 | £72,719 | £68,852 |
| Band 8b | Intermediate | £70,896 | £79,642 | £77,033 | £73,166 |
| Band 8b | Top | £77,368 | £86,114 | £83,505 | £79,638 |
| Band 8c | Entry | £79,504 | £88,250 | £85,641 | £81,774 |
| Band 8c | Intermediate | £84,346 | £93,092 | £90,483 | £86,616 |
| Band 8c | Top | £91,609 | £100,355 | £97,746 | £93,879 |
| Band 8d | Entry | £94,356 | £103,102 | £100,493 | £96,626 |
| Band 8d | Intermediate | £100,140 | £108,886 | £106,277 | £102,410 |
| Band 8d | Top | £108,814 | £117,560 | £114,951 | £111,084 |
| Band 9 | Entry | £112,782 | £121,528 | £118,919 | £115,052 |
| Band 9 | Intermediate | £119,583 | £128,329 | £125,720 | £121,853 |
| Band 9 | Top | £129,783 | £138,529 | £135,920 | £132,053 |
The supplement is pensionable and taxable, so it raises the pension tier as well as the tax bill. Whether it applies depends on the location of the employing premises, not where you live.
NHS Pension contribution tiers
Member contributions to the 2015 CARE scheme are tiered on pensionable pay. The thresholds were re-indexed by 3.8% CPI from 1 April 2026 and were not adjusted again for the pay award, because 3.3% is below that indexation rate.
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate |
|---|---|
| £0 to £13,259 | 5.2% |
| £13,260 to £28,854 | 6.5% |
| £28,855 to £35,155 | 8.3% |
| £35,156 to £52,778 | 9.8% |
| £52,779 to £67,668 | 10.7% |
| £67,669 and above | 12.5% |
The scheme is a net pay arrangement: contributions come out before Income Tax, so relief is automatic at your marginal rate, but National Insurance is still charged on the full gross. That is the opposite of a salary sacrifice pension, and it is why NHS take-home cannot be estimated with a generic pension setting.
Who is not on these scales
- Doctors and dentists - separate scales with nodal points, set through the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists Remuneration.
- Very senior managers - board-level pay sits outside Agenda for Change.
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - NHS pay is devolved, so bands, amounts and effective dates are set separately. Wales applied the same 3.3% from 1 April 2026 to its own, higher spine (AfC(W) 02/2026); Northern Ireland's Department of Health set out its intention to pay 3.3% on 12 February 2026, subject to its budget (DoH NI); its news page carries no later pay statement (checked 30 September 2026).
- Bank and agency work - paid against these rates by arrangement, but without the same terms.
Band numbers are pay bands, not job titles. A post is matched to a band under the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme in the Terms and Conditions Handbook, so the same job title can sit on different bands in different organisations.
Related
Frequently asked questions
What is the NHS pay rise for 2026/27?
Staff on Agenda for Change terms received a 3.3% consolidated uplift from 1 April 2026. The government announced it on 12 February 2026 and NHS Employers published the new scales, so unlike a review body recommendation still awaiting a decision, these are the rates already being paid. Separately, the NHS Staff Council is negotiating reforms to the pay structure, prioritising the lowest bands and graduates, and said on 21 April 2026 that if agreement is reached it will be backdated to 1 April 2026 - so some staff may yet receive more on top of these scales.
What does a Band 5 nurse earn after tax in 2026/27?
Band 5 starts at £32,073 and rises to £39,043 at the top of the band. On the entry point, after Income Tax, National Insurance and a 8.3% NHS Pension contribution, take-home is about £24,483 a year, or £2,040 a month. That is basic pay only - London weighting and unsocial hours payments are on top.
How long does it take to move up a pay point?
Progression is time-served plus a completed appraisal. The published table sets the years of service needed at each point: two years from the entry point on most bands, then a further two or three years to reach the top point. It is not automatic, it depends on meeting the standards in the pay progression framework.
How much do NHS staff pay into the pension?
The NHS Pension Scheme member contribution is tiered on pensionable pay, from 5.2% to 12.5% in 2026/27. Band 5 entry falls in the 8.3% tier and Band 7 entry in the 9.8% tier. It is a net pay arrangement, so the contribution gets Income Tax relief but no National Insurance relief - NI is charged on the full gross.
Do these NHS pay scales apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
No. These are the England scales. NHS pay is devolved. Wales also applied 3.3% from 1 April 2026, but to its own, higher spine: Band 5 starts at £32,557 in Wales (Pay Letter AfC(W) 02/2026) and every point from Band 1 to Band 3 entry is £26,300, the Living Wage Foundation rate. In Northern Ireland the Department of Health said on 12 February 2026 that it wanted to pay 3.3% but could only deliver it once clear about its budget. Its news page carries no later pay statement (checked 30 September 2026), so check health-ni.gov.uk for the implementation circular. Scotland runs a separately negotiated pay structure, and its staff also pay Scottish Income Tax, which changes take-home even on an identical salary.
Are doctors and dentists on Agenda for Change?
No. Doctors and dentists have their own pay scales set through the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists Remuneration, with nodal points rather than AfC bands. Very senior managers and some chief executives sit outside AfC too. Everything on this page covers AfC staff only.