The NHS pay rise 2026/27, after tax
A 3.3%% consolidated award, effective 1 April 2026. What reaches your account is between about half and two thirds of it, depending on your band and whether the rise crossed a pension tier boundary.
What the award actually added
| Band | Approx. before | After | Gross rise | Net gain a year | A month | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £24,465 | £25,272 | £807 | £539 | £44.94 | 66.8% |
| Band 3 | £26,598 | £27,476 | £878 | £586 | £48.86 | 66.8% |
| Band 4 | £30,162 | £31,157 | £995 | £651 | £54.21 | 65.4% |
| Band 5 | £37,796 | £39,043 | £1,247 | £800 | £66.69 | 64.2% |
| Band 6 | £46,580 | £48,117 | £1,537 | £986 | £82.19 | 64.2% |
| Band 7 | £54,710 | £56,515 | £1,805 | £1,214 | £101.18 | 67.2% |
| Band 8A | £62,682 | £64,750 | £2,068 | £1,067 | £88.91 | 51.6% |
| Band 8B | £74,896 | £77,368 | £2,472 | £1,248 | £104.01 | 50.5% |
| Band 8C | £88,682 | £91,609 | £2,927 | £1,478 | £123.16 | 50.5% |
| Band 8D | £105,338 | £108,814 | £3,476 | £1,755 | £146.29 | 50.5% |
| Band 9 | £125,637 | £129,783 | £4,146 | £1,368 | £114.02 | 33.0% |
The 'before' column is the current scale point divided by 1.033, because the award was a straight consolidated 3.3%. It is arithmetic on a published figure rather than a separately published scale, so treat it as very close rather than exact.
The pattern is the interesting part. Higher bands keep proportionally less of the award, because more of it falls in the 40% band and because several of them cross a pension tier boundary on the way through. On Band 8a the award is worth about half its headline value once everything has come off it.
Where the award was eaten by a tier
Because a pension tier applies to your whole pensionable pay rather than the slice above the boundary, a band whose new salary crosses a boundary loses a disproportionate share of the award. The tier trap page lists every boundary and the size of rise needed to break even across it. If your take-home went up by less than you expected in April, that is the first place to look — before assuming a payroll error.
The award in context
Income tax thresholds have been frozen since April 2021 and are now frozen until April 2031. A consolidated award that keeps pace with prices still moves you further into the tax system than the same award would have done under uprated thresholds, which is why several years of awards can feel like less than they were. The tax year comparison shows the effect across three years.
Talks between the Department of Health and Social Care and the unions on funded improvements to the Agenda for Change pay structure were live at the time of writing, with the possibility of additional increases backdated to 1 April 2026 for some staff, particularly in the lowest bands. Nothing had been agreed. If that changes, the scales on this site will change with it.
The bands this sits on
| Band | Salary | Pension tier | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | 6.5% | £20,402 | £1,700.15 |
| Band 3 | £27,476 | 6.5% | £21,874 | £1,822.84 |
| Band 4 | £31,157 | 8.3% | £23,884 | £1,990.36 |
| Band 5 | £39,043 | 9.8% | £28,570 | £2,380.84 |
| Band 6 | £48,117 | 9.8% | £34,392 | £2,866.00 |
| Band 7 | £56,515 | 10.7% | £39,708 | £3,309.04 |
| Band 8A | £64,750 | 10.7% | £43,956 | £3,663.00 |
| Band 8B | £77,368 | 12.5% | £49,629 | £4,135.74 |
| Band 8C | £91,609 | 12.5% | £56,821 | £4,735.05 |
| Band 8D | £108,814 | 12.5% | £65,509 | £5,459.09 |
| Band 9 | £129,783 | 12.5% | £73,386 | £6,115.53 |
Every figure there is computed from the NHS Employers 2026/27 scale with the England and Wales pension tier applied to actual pensionable pay, using the same engine that runs the calculator. It is not a copy of a published table, which is why it cannot fall out of step with the calculator on the page.
Elsewhere in this section, this page compares bank work, overtime and agency on the same shift.
Questions people actually ask
How much is the NHS pay rise 2026/27?
3.3% consolidated in England and Wales, effective 1 April 2026, accepted from the NHS Pay Review Body. Scotland received 3.75% on a re-based starting point.
Why did my take-home go up by less than 3.3%?
Tax and National Insurance take a share, the pension contribution rises with the salary, and if the rise crossed a pension tier boundary the contribution percentage went up on all of your pay.
Figures on this page are for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027) and were last checked on 29 August 2026. Every rate we use is listed on the sources page.