NHS Pay Bands 2026/27: Agenda for Change Pay Scales

Data last checked on 4 November 2026.

Checked against healthcareers.nhs.uk and GOV.UK. Edited by Steven Butler.

From April 2026, Agenda for Change pay starts at £25,272 a year in bands 1 and 2 and rises to £129,783 at the top of band 9. Newly qualified nurses are among the roles at band 5, which pays £32,073 with less than 2 years' experience, £34,592 with 2 to 4 years and £39,043 with 4 or more.

Key points

✓Agenda for Change covers all NHS staff except doctors, dentists and very senior managers.
✓Each of the nine pay bands has pay points, and your pay within a band depends on your years of experience.
✓Staff who work in high cost areas around London get extra pay on top of basic pay.
✓These are the rates NHS England's careers service gives for England from April 2026.

What are the NHS pay bands for 2026/27?

NHS Health Careers, part of NHS England, gives these as a guide to Agenda for Change pay rates from April 2026. Band 1 closed to new entrants from 1 December 2018.

Band	Pay by experience	Example roles
Band 1	£25,272	Domestic support worker, housekeeping assistant, driver, nursery assistant
Band 2	£25,272 (under 2 years and 2 or more years)	Healthcare assistant, security officer, domestic team leader
Band 3	£25,760 (under 2 years), £27,476 (2 or more)	Emergency care assistant, occupational therapy support worker
Band 4	£28,392 (under 3 years), £31,157 (3 or more)	Assistant practitioner, pharmacy technician, dental nurse
Band 5	£32,073 (under 2 years), £34,592 (2 to 4), £39,043 (4 or more)	Newly qualified nurse, operating department practitioner, podiatrist
Band 6	£39,959 (under 2 years), £42,170 (2 to 5), £48,117 (5 or more)	School nurse, experienced paramedic, health records manager
Band 7	£49,387 (under 2 years), £51,932 (2 to 5), £56,515 (5 or more)	Advanced speech and language therapist, estates manager
Band 8a	£57,528 (under 2 years), £60,417 (2 to 5), £64,750 (5 or more)	Modern matron, nurse consultant in mental health nursing
Band 8b	£66,582 (under 2 years), £70,896 (2 to 5), £77,368 (5 or more)	Head of education and training, head orthoptist
Band 8c	£79,504 (under 2 years), £84,346 (2 to 5), £91,609 (5 or more)	Head of human resources, consultant paramedic
Band 8d	£94,356 (under 2 years), £100,140 (2 to 5), £108,814 (5 or more)	Chief nurse, chief finance manager
Band 9	£112,782 (under 2 years), £119,583 (2 to 5), £129,783 (5 or more)	Podiatric consultant in surgery, director of estates and facilities

How much is NHS pay a month?

This divides the yearly pay at the entry point of some common bands by 12. It is pay before tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.

Band, entry point	A year	A month before deductions
Band 2	£25,272	£2,106
Band 3	£25,760	£2,146.67
Band 4	£28,392	£2,366
Band 5	£32,073	£2,672.75
Band 6	£39,959	£3,329.92
Band 7	£49,387	£4,115.58

Our take home pay calculator works out what is left after Income Tax, National Insurance and any student loan. It does not take off NHS pension contributions.

Who is paid on Agenda for Change?

This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and very senior managers. Each of the nine pay bands has a number of pay points, and your point within a band depends on your years of experience, as the table shows.

What is the high cost area supplement?

In addition to basic pay, there is also extra pay for staff who work in high cost areas such as around London. These are the levels from 1 April 2026.

Area	Supplement	Minimum	Maximum
Inner London	20% of basic salary	£5,794	£8,746
Outer London	15% of basic salary	£4,870	£6,137
Fringe	5% of basic salary	£1,346	£2,270

Are NHS pay bands the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

The figures on this page are the rates NHS England's careers service gives. The NHS Pay Review Body reports on pay for Agenda for Change staff working in the NHS and HSC in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, so Scotland is outside its report.

If you work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, check the rates with your employer or your national health department before relying on the England figures.

Our work and industry guides cover other jobs and their rules, and our guides to holiday pay and flexible working apply to NHS staff as to other employees.

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Know Your Rights UK. "NHS Pay Bands 2026/27: Agenda for Change Pay Scales." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/industries/nhs-pay-bands