How much do NHS workers take home after tax?

An NHS Band 5 nurse at the start of the band (£29,970) takes home approximately £24,300/year (£2,025/month) in England after Income Tax and NI. Band 8a (£53,755) takes home around £39,800/year.

Do NHS workers pay National Insurance?

Yes. NHS employees pay the same employee NI as all workers: 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above. NHS pension contributions are in addition to this.

What is the NHS Agenda for Change pay structure?

NHS staff (except doctors, dentists, and very senior managers) are paid on the Agenda for Change scale, which has 9 bands. Each band has multiple pay points. Bands 1–4 are typically support roles, 5–7 are qualified professionals, 8–9 are managers and senior clinicians.

NHS Pay Bands After Tax 2025-26

Agenda for Change (AfC) pay bands with full Income Tax and NI breakdown. Select your band to see take-home pay, or view all 40 pay points.

NHS Pay Bands — Quick Reference

Band	Roles	Salary range	Take-home (mid)	Monthly
Band 1	Domestic, portering	£23,615 – £23,615	£20,522	£1,710	View →
Band 2	Healthcare assistant, admin support	£23,615 – £25,674	£21,263	£1,772	View →
Band 3	Senior HCA, phlebotomist	£24,071 – £25,674	£21,428	£1,786	View →
Band 4	Nursing associate, science technician	£26,530 – £29,114	£23,552	£1,963	View →
Band 5	Staff nurse, newly qualified therapist	£29,970 – £36,483	£27,443	£2,287	View →
Band 6	Specialist nurse, senior OT/physio	£37,338 – £44,962	£33,148	£2,762	View →
Band 7	Advanced nurse practitioner, team manager	£46,148 – £52,809	£39,143	£3,262	View →
Band 8a	Modern matron, consultant AHP	£53,755 – £60,504	£43,692	£3,641	View →
Band 8b	Head of department, senior consultant	£62,215 – £72,293	£49,564	£4,130	View →

All 40 Pay Points

Individual pay points within each band, including all spine points:

Band 1 – £22,383 £19,635/yr Band 2 – £23,615 £20,522/yr Band 2 – £24,336 £21,042/yr Band 3 – £24,625 £21,250/yr Band 3 – £25,147 £21,626/yr Band 3 – £25,674 £22,005/yr Band 4 – £26,530 £22,621/yr Band 4 – £27,598 £23,390/yr Band 4 – £28,924 £24,345/yr Band 5 – £29,970 £25,098/yr Band 5 – £31,534 £26,224/yr Band 5 – £33,302 £27,497/yr Band 5 – £35,096 £28,789/yr Band 5 – £36,852 £30,053/yr Band 5 – £38,626 £31,331/yr Band 5 – £40,588 £32,743/yr Band 6 – £37,338 £30,403/yr Band 6 – £39,205 £31,747/yr Band 6 – £41,659 £33,514/yr Band 6 – £43,742 £35,014/yr Band 6 – £46,906 £37,292/yr Band 6 – £48,531 £38,462/yr Band 7 – £46,148 £36,746/yr Band 7 – £48,526 £38,459/yr Band 7 – £50,952 £40,109/yr Band 7 – £53,219 £41,424/yr Band 7 – £55,509 £42,752/yr Band 7 – £57,349 £43,819/yr Band 8a – £55,690 £42,858/yr Band 8a – £58,072 £44,239/yr Band 8a – £62,215 £46,642/yr Band 8b – £62,215 £46,642/yr Band 8b – £70,417 £51,399/yr Band 8b – £78,597 £56,143/yr Band 8c – £78,597 £56,143/yr Band 8c – £87,750 £61,452/yr Band 8c – £98,027 £67,413/yr Band 9 – £98,027 £67,413/yr Band 9 – £109,849 £72,300/yr Band 9 – £119,133 £75,650/yr

Scotland? Scottish income tax rates apply to NHS staff in Scotland. See Scotland NHS pay bands → and all pay points in Scotland →

About NHS AfC pay bands 2025-26

The NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) framework sets pay bands for the majority of NHS staff in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own pay deal negotiated with NHS Scotland. The pay framework uses 9 main bands (Band 1 to Band 9, with Band 8 split into sub-bands 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d), each with a salary range determined by length of service and pay points.

Band 5 is the starting band for qualified nurses, newly registered healthcare professionals, and graduate-entry roles. Band 6 and 7 are typically senior specialist and managerial roles. Band 8a and above covers consultant-level professionals, modern matrons, and senior managers.

NHS staff pay Income Tax and National Insurance on the same basis as other employees. Take-home pay figures above use the standard 1257L tax code with no student loan deductions. Band 5 staff earning £29,970 take home approximately £24,400/year (£2,033/month).