NHS Pay Rise Calculator 2026/27

Pick your band and pay point to see your new 2026/27 salary, what the rise really adds to your monthly take-home, and any back pay you are owed.

Free. For the full sourced story of every 2026/27 award, read the 2026/27 pay rise guide. Updated October 2026.

Short answer

The 2026/27 NHS pay rise for Agenda for Change staff in England and Wales is 3.3%, effective 1 April 2026 (Wales applied it to its own scales, with the lowest bands lifted separately; Northern Ireland's award is not yet confirmed). For a full-time Band 5 nurse on the starting point that takes basic pay from £31,049 to £32,073: £85 a month more before deductions and about £56 a month more in take-home pay. Choose your band and point below for your own figures, or enter your own pay if you are a doctor, dentist or off the standard scales.

Where you work

Northern Ireland uses the England scale here because its 2026/27 award is not yet confirmed.

Basic pay only: London weighting, enhancements and overtime are not part of the award calculation shown here.

Was your rise paid late? Check your back pay

The second date must be on or after the effective date.

Your inputs are saved on this device only.

What your pay rise is worth

+£56 a month take-home

Gross pay rises by £1,024 a year (3.3%). Take-home rises by £669 a year (2.8%).

BeforeAfterChange
Gross per year£31,049£32,073+£1,024
Gross per month£2,587£2,673+£85
Income tax per year£3,180£3,368+£188
National Insurance per year£1,478£1,560+£82
NHS Pension per year£2,577£2,662+£85
Take-home per month£1,984£2,040+£56

Both columns use 2026/27 tax, National Insurance and pension rules, so the change shows what the rise itself is worth. Take-home rises by a smaller percentage than gross because the Personal Allowance and National Insurance thresholds are frozen, so more of each extra pound is taxed, and a higher pension tier can apply.

Back pay if it was paid late

£0 gross

Set the two dates under Was your rise paid late? on the left.

For other arrears, such as a regrade or an increment paid late, use the Back Pay Calculator.

An illustration only: the 2027/28 award is not known.

Basic pay would go from £32,073 to about £33,035, and take-home from £2,040 to about £2,093 a month, before any pay point increment.

NHS pay rise 2026/27 by band: what you gain each month

Full-time, England scale, in the NHS Pension Scheme, standard tax code, basic pay only. "Take-home" compares the old and new salary on the same 2026/27 rules, so it isolates what the rise is worth.

BandStarting point: 2025/26 to 2026/27Gross a monthTake-home a monthTop point: 2025/26 to 2026/27Gross a monthTake-home a month
Band 1 £24,465 to £25,272 +£67 +£45 same
Band 2 £24,465 to £25,272 +£67 +£45 same
Band 3 £24,937 to £25,760 +£69 +£46 £26,598 to £27,476 +£73 +£49
Band 4 £27,485 to £28,392 +£76 +£50 £30,162 to £31,157 +£83 +£54
Band 5 £31,049 to £32,073 +£85 +£56 £37,796 to £39,043 +£104 +£67
Band 6 £38,682 to £39,959 +£106 +£68 £46,580 to £48,117 +£128 +£82
Band 7 £47,810 to £49,387 +£131 +£84 £54,710 to £56,515 +£150 +£101
Band 8a £55,690 to £57,528 +£153 +£88 £62,682 to £64,750 +£172 +£89
Band 8b £64,455 to £66,582 +£177 +£91 £74,896 to £77,368 +£206 +£104
Band 8c £76,965 to £79,504 +£212 +£107 £88,682 to £91,609 +£244 +£123
Band 8d £91,342 to £94,356 +£251 +£127 £105,337 to £108,814 +£290 +£146
Band 9 £109,179 to £112,782 +£300 +£152 £125,637 to £129,783 +£346 +£114

NHS Scotland pay rise 2026/27 by band

NHS Scotland's deal is separate, with Scottish pay scales and Scottish income tax bands. Same assumptions as above:

BandStarting point: 2025/26 to 2026/27Gross a monthTake-home a month
Band 1 £25,597 to £26,557 +£80 +£54
Band 2 £25,731 to £26,696 +£80 +£54
Band 3 £28,051 to £29,103 +£88 +£47
Band 4 £30,397 to £31,537 +£95 +£63
Band 5 £33,295 to £34,544 +£104 +£29
Band 6 £41,668 to £43,231 +£130 +£52
Band 7 £50,935 to £52,845 +£159 +£79
Band 8a £62,772 to £65,125 +£196 +£97
Band 8b £74,109 to £76,888 +£232 +£114
Band 8c £87,526 to £90,808 +£274 +£126
Band 8d £103,913 to £107,810 +£325 +£149
Band 9 £122,912 to £127,521 +£384 +£101

See NHS Scotland pay scales 2026/27 for the circular, the inflation guarantee and the 36-hour week.

The confirmed 2026/27 NHS pay awards

Agenda for Change staff received a 3.3% consolidated uplift, effective 1 April 2026, announced on 12 February 2026 following the NHS Pay Review Body process. Consultants and SAS doctors received a 3.5% headline uplift through the DDRB, with 3.75% for salaried dentists in the Community Dental Service. Resident doctors were on neither track: their pay dispute with the BMA was resolved in June 2026, with a deal backdated to 1 April 2026, implemented from September 2026, and restructuring the nodal points from five to ten. For the full sourced detail, see NHS Pay Rise 2026/27 explained and NHS doctors' pay explained.

Why take-home rises by less than the headline percentage

The award is a percentage of gross pay, but income tax, National Insurance and your NHS Pension contribution are all worked out on the higher figure. Because the Personal Allowance and National Insurance thresholds have been frozen, more of each extra pound is taxed than the one before. For a Band 5 starting point the gross rise is 3.3% but the rise in take-home is about 2.8%.

ℹA rise can move you into a higher pension tier

NHS Pension member contributions are tiered by pensionable pay, and the tier rate applies to all of your pensionable pay. A rise that lifts you over a threshold means a higher rate on the whole of your pay, which can take back much of the rise. The calculator works out your take-home before and after, so it includes this. The NHS Pay Calculator flags when you are near a tier edge.

Worked example: back pay if the award were paid late

A Band 5, point 1 nurse on the real 2025/26 rate of £31,049, with the 3.3% rise effective 1 April 2026 and, purely as a hypothetical, arrears calculated up to 11 September 2026:

FigureValue
New annual salary£32,073.00
Difference per month£85.33
Days backdated163
Gross arrears£456.40
Income tax, National Insurance and pension on the arrears-£158.09
Estimated net value£298.31

What to check on your own payslip

NHS Employers confirmed that ESR had the Agenda for Change award detail in time for April 2026 salaries, so most staff did not need a lump sum this year. Use the back pay section if:

  • • Your trust's payroll ran behind. Check your April payslip's effective date against 1 April 2026.
  • • You are on a DDRB track (consultant, SAS doctor or salaried CDS dentist). Check your own trust's implementation date.
  • • You are modelling a different backdated change: an increment, a regrade or a previous award. Use your own dates and salaries, or the Back Pay Calculator.
  • • You want to check each payslip line. Use the Payslip Checker.

What this calculator does not do

  • • It does not give resident doctors one percentage: the June 2026 deal changed pay grade by grade.
  • • It does not model unsocial hours, overtime or London weighting, only basic pay before and after the award.
  • • It does not know your trust's payroll timing: the paid-up-to date is yours to set.
  • • The what-if slider for next year is an illustration, not a forecast.

Sources and accuracy

Frequently asked questions

How much is the 2026/27 NHS pay rise worth per month? +
It depends on your band and point. For a full-time Band 5 nurse on the starting point in England, basic pay rises from £31,049 to £32,073, which is £85 a month more before deductions and about £56 a month more in take-home pay. For a Band 6 starting point it is £106 gross and about £68 take-home. The calculator above works out your own figures.
What was the 2026/27 NHS pay rise? +
Agenda for Change staff received a 3.3% consolidated uplift effective 1 April 2026 (England; Wales applied 3.3% to its own scales, with the lowest bands lifted separately, and Northern Ireland's 2026/27 award is not yet confirmed), announced on 12 February 2026 after the NHS Pay Review Body process. Consultants and SAS doctors received 3.5% and salaried Community Dental Service dentists 3.75% through the DDRB. NHS Scotland has its own deal. Resident doctors settled separately in June 2026. The band-by-band mode below covers England and Scotland; for Wales, where the 2025/26 scale is not held here, enter your old and new pay yourself. Our NHS Pay Rise 2026/27 guide has the full sourced timeline.
When does the 2026/27 NHS pay rise show up in my payslip? +
NHS Employers confirmed that ESR had the Agenda for Change award detail in time to pay it in April 2026 salaries, so most Agenda for Change staff did not need a backdated lump sum this year. If your trust's payroll ran behind, or you are on a DDRB track, check your own payslip's effective date against 1 April 2026.
How much back pay am I owed if my trust pays late? +
The difference between your old and new pay, for each day between the effective date and the date arrears are calculated. To illustrate with a real figure (not a claim about any trust's timeline): a Band 5 point 1 nurse on £31,049 getting the 3.3% rise from 1 April 2026, with arrears calculated up to 11 September 2026, would be owed £456.40 gross. Open Was your rise paid late? in the calculator to enter your own dates.
Is NHS back pay taxed? +
Yes, as normal pay in the month you receive it. A lump sum on top of your normal salary can be taxed at a higher marginal rate in that pay period. Income tax is calculated cumulatively with the same employer, so it often evens out over later payslips or at year end, but National Insurance is charged per pay period and does not self-correct in the same way, so a lump sum can attract more National Insurance than the same money spread over several months.
Why does my take-home rise by less than 3.3%? +
The rise is a percentage of gross pay, but the Personal Allowance and National Insurance thresholds are frozen, so more of each extra pound is taxed, and a rise can move your pensionable pay into a higher NHS Pension tier. For a Band 5 starting point the gross rise is 3.3% while the rise in take-home, on the same 2026/27 rules for both, is about 2.8%. That is normal and not an error.
Can a pay rise leave me worse off? +
In almost all realistic cases no. Crossing a tax band changes the rate only on the slice above the line. The NHS Pension is different: the contribution rate for your tier applies to all of your pensionable pay, so right on a tier boundary the higher rate can take back most of a small rise. The calculator shows your actual before and after take-home so you can see your own case.
Does this include unsocial hours, overtime or London weighting? +
No. It compares basic pay before and after the award. Enhancements are a percentage of basic pay, so they rise with the award too, but they depend on your rota. Use the Unsocial Hours Calculator for nights and weekends and the NHS Pay Calculator for London weighting.
What about resident doctors? +
There is no single percentage. The June 2026 deal between the BMA and the government restructured the nodal point system from five points to ten with a different uplift per grade, so choose Enter my own pay and then Resident doctor or other, and enter your old and new figures from your confirmed nodal point. See our NHS Doctors' Pay Explained guide.
Which award applies to me? +
Nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, healthcare assistants and admin, clerical and estates staff are on Agenda for Change (3.3% in England and Wales; Northern Ireland not yet confirmed). Consultants and SAS doctors are on the DDRB 3.5% track and salaried CDS dentists 3.75%. Resident doctors are on neither. NHS Scotland staff are on Scotland's own two-year deal, which the band mode in this calculator uses.
Is the Scottish pay rise different? +
Yes. NHS Scotland negotiated a two-year deal (4.25% in 2025/26 and 3.75% in 2026/27, with an inflation guarantee that topped 2025/26 up). For a Band 5 starting point in Scotland, basic pay rises from £33,295 to £34,544 (3.8%). Scottish tax bands differ too, which the calculator applies when you choose Scotland. See our NHS Scotland pay scales guide, and check for any further top-up announced by the Scottish Government.
What will next year's NHS pay rise be? +
Nobody knows yet: the 2027/28 awards come from the pay review bodies and the governments later. The what-if slider in the calculator shows how a given percentage would change your basic pay and take-home, as an illustration only. Our pay rise guide tracks what has been announced.

More tools and guides

NHS Pay Rise 2026/27 explained

The full sourced breakdown, track by track.

Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27

Every band and point.

NHS Pay Calculator

Take-home pay by band, point and region.

Back Pay Calculator

For increments, regrades and any other backdated pay.

Payslip Checker

Check your payslip lines.

NHS pay progression and increments

When you move up a pay point.

NHS Scotland pay scales 2026/27

The separate Scottish deal.

NHS doctors' pay explained

Resident doctors, consultants and SAS.