Calculate estimated NHS take-home pay in England after Income Tax, National Insurance, NHS pension contributions, student loans and other deductions. Includes Agenda for Change Bands 1 to 9, part-time hours, resident doctors, consultants and 2026/27 London HCAS.
What will your NHS England salary actually be after deductions?
An NHS job advert normally shows the gross annual salary. What most people really want to know is the figure that reaches their bank account. This NHS England salary calculator for 2026/27 estimates monthly, weekly and annual take-home pay after the main payroll deductions.
Use it for NHS Band 5 take-home pay, Band 6 or Band 7 salary comparisons, nurse pay, part-time NHS contracts, London weighting, NHS pension deductions, student loans, resident doctor basic salary or consultant pay.
£0
after estimated tax, NI, pension and selected deductions
| Pay or deduction | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay after hours adjustment | £0 | £0 |
| London / HCAS supplement | £0 | £0 |
| Other additional pay | £0 | £0 |
| Gross pay | £0 | £0 |
| Income Tax | £0 | £0 |
| Employee National Insurance | £0 | £0 |
| NHS pension contribution | £0 | £0 |
| Student loan | £0 | £0 |
| Postgraduate loan | £0 | £0 |
| Other deductions | £0 | £0 |
| Total deductions | £0 | £0 |
| Estimated take-home pay | £0 | £0 |
2026/27 rates, official pay scales and calculation notes
Income Tax: standard Personal Allowance £12,570; 20% basic rate, 40% higher rate and 45% additional rate for 2026/27. The calculator can apply the Personal Allowance reduction above £100,000 adjusted net income.
National Insurance: standard category A uses 8% between £1,048 and £4,189 per month, then 2% above £4,189. Category J uses 2% above £1,048. Category C is set to zero.
NHS pension tiers from 1 April 2026: 5.2% up to £13,259; 6.5% from £13,260–£28,854; 8.3% from £28,855–£35,155; 9.8% from £35,156–£52,778; 10.7% from £52,779–£67,668; 12.5% from £67,669 upwards.
Student loan thresholds: Plan 1 £26,900; Plan 2 £29,385; Plan 4 £33,795; Plan 5 £25,000. Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5 repay at 9% above the threshold. Postgraduate loan threshold £21,000 at 6%.
Agenda for Change HCAS: Inner London 20%, minimum £5,794 and maximum £8,746; Outer London 15%, minimum £4,870 and maximum £6,137; Fringe 5%, minimum £1,346 and maximum £2,270.
Official sources:
NHS England pay and take-home salary guide for 2026/27
Working out an NHS salary is not as simple as dividing the annual salary by twelve. Your monthly NHS payslip can be affected by your Agenda for Change pay point, contracted hours, NHS pension tier, Income Tax, National Insurance, student loan plan, London high-cost area payments and any unsocial-hours or overtime earnings. The calculator above brings the main factors together so you can estimate your NHS take-home pay in England before accepting a job, moving bands or changing hours.
How to use the NHS England salary calculator
- Choose your NHS pay group.
Select Agenda for Change, resident doctor, consultant or custom salary. - Pick your band or grade.
Select the confirmed 2026/27 basic salary point that applies to you. - Enter weekly hours.
The calculator pro-rates basic pay for part-time staff. - Add London HCAS if relevant.
Choose Inner London, Outer London or Fringe for Agenda for Change posts. - Select pension and loans.
Use automatic NHS pension tiers and your student loan plan. - Add extras.
Enter estimated enhancements, additional pay and regular monthly deductions.
NHS Agenda for Change pay bands in England 2026/27
The 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay award in England is a 3.3% consolidated uplift effective from 1 April 2026. These are the national basic salaries before tax, NI, pension, student loans, HCAS or shift enhancements.
| Band | Entry | Intermediate | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | — | £25,272 |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | — | £27,476 |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | — | £31,157 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | £34,592 | £39,043 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £42,170 | £48,117 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £51,932 | £56,515 |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | £60,417 | £64,750 |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | £70,896 | £77,368 |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | £84,346 | £91,609 |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | £100,140 | £108,814 |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | £119,583 | £129,783 |
Band 1 is closed to new entrants and has a 2026/27 spot salary of £25,272.
Approximate starting take-home pay by NHS band
These quick figures assume full-time hours, standard Personal Allowance, category A NI, NHS pension membership, no student loan, no London weighting and no additional earnings. They are useful for comparison only; use the calculator above for your circumstances.
| Band | Starting salary | Approx. monthly take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | about £1,700 |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | about £1,727 |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | about £1,874 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | about £2,040 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | about £2,430 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | about £2,934 |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | about £3,353 |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | about £3,742 |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | about £4,226 |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | about £4,851 |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | about £5,626 |
Band 5 NHS take-home pay in England
Band 5 is one of the most searched NHS salary bands because it includes many newly qualified nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. In England, Band 5 basic pay runs from £32,073 to £39,043 for 2026/27.
Your monthly net pay depends on pension membership, student loan, tax code, hours, HCAS and enhancements. That is why a Band 5 take-home pay calculator is more useful than simply dividing the advertised salary by twelve.
Band 6 and Band 7 salary after tax
Band 6 basic salary is £39,959 to £48,117. Band 7 is £49,387 to £56,515. These bands include many specialist clinicians, senior nurses, team leaders and advanced or management roles.
When considering promotion, compare net pay rather than gross salary alone. A higher band can also move you into a different NHS pension contribution tier.
NHS nurse salary calculator England
Registered nurses commonly start on Band 5, while more senior roles can move through Bands 6, 7 and 8. The calculator works for full-time and part-time nurses and can include an estimate of annual pensionable shift enhancements.
Night, Saturday, Sunday and bank-holiday work can make real nurse payslips change each month, so enter a realistic average if you want to model your normal rota.
Part-time NHS salary calculator
If you work 30, 22.5 or another number of hours per week, enter your contracted hours and the calculator pro-rates full-time basic pay automatically. Agenda for Change HCAS is also pro-rated.
Part-time working can change actual pensionable salary and therefore the NHS pension contribution tier, so the difference in take-home pay may not be a perfect straight-line percentage of full-time net pay.
London weighting and NHS High Cost Area Supplements
Agenda for Change staff in designated high-cost areas may receive a supplement on top of national basic salary. In 2026/27, Inner London HCAS is 20% of basic salary subject to a £5,794 minimum and £8,746 maximum. Outer London HCAS is 15% subject to a £4,870 minimum and £6,137 maximum. Fringe HCAS is 5% subject to a £1,346 minimum and £2,270 maximum.
The calculator applies the correct minimum/maximum and then pro-rates the amount for part-time hours. Medical and dental contracts use different London allowance arrangements, so doctors should add their contractual allowance as additional pay rather than selecting Agenda for Change HCAS.
NHS pension deductions in 2026/27
The NHS Pension Scheme is one of the biggest reasons an NHS-specific take-home calculator is more useful than a generic salary calculator. From 1 April 2026, employee contribution rates range from 5.2% to 12.5% based on actual annual pensionable pay. The calculator automatically chooses the applicable tier, although you can also turn pension deductions off or enter a custom percentage.
NHS pension contributions usually receive tax relief through payroll, so the calculator reduces taxable pay by the estimated employee pension contribution before estimating Income Tax.
Income Tax and National Insurance for NHS staff
For 2026/27, the standard Personal Allowance remains £12,570. Income above the allowance is generally taxed at 20% in the basic-rate band, 40% in the higher-rate band and 45% at the additional rate. The Personal Allowance starts reducing once adjusted net income exceeds £100,000.
Most NHS employees use National Insurance category A. Employee NI is 8% on monthly earnings between £1,048 and £4,189 and 2% above the upper threshold in 2026/27.
Student loan and postgraduate loan deductions
The 2026/27 annual thresholds are £26,900 for Plan 1, £29,385 for Plan 2, £33,795 for Plan 4 and £25,000 for Plan 5. These plans deduct 9% of earnings over the relevant threshold. The postgraduate loan threshold remains £21,000 and repayments are 6% above that threshold.
Selecting your plan makes this an NHS salary after tax, pension and student loan calculator, which is much closer to the deductions many NHS staff actually see.
Resident doctor salary calculator England 2026/27
Resident doctor basic pay in England changed in 2026 after reform of the nodal pay structure. The calculator includes Foundation Year 1, Foundation Year 2 and specialty/core training basic salary values. A doctor's actual annual earnings may be higher because of additional rostered hours, nights, weekend allowances, on-call arrangements and flexible pay premia.
Use the additional-pay fields to model those earnings. Locally employed doctors may have trust-specific contracts, so the custom annual salary option is useful when your pay does not exactly match a national training point.
NHS consultant take-home pay England
The 2026/27 consultant basic salary range in England is approximately £113,565 to £150,569 before on-call supplements, additional programmed activities, awards and other income. At this level, the Personal Allowance taper above £100,000 can have a significant effect on tax calculations.
The calculator includes the starting and top basic figures. If you are on an intermediate consultant pay point, enter your exact basic salary using the custom salary option.
Why your NHS payslip may not exactly match
This is an estimate rather than payroll software. Actual payslips can differ because of cumulative PAYE, tax codes, arrears, back pay, overtime, unsocial-hours enhancements, salary sacrifice, sick or maternity pay, benefits in kind, pensionable-pay rules and local payroll deductions.
If your estimate looks very different from your payslip, compare gross pay first, then check your tax code, pension rate, NI category and student loan plan. For exact payroll questions, contact your NHS trust payroll team, NHS Pensions or HMRC as appropriate.
Frequently asked questions about NHS England salary and take-home pay
What are the NHS pay bands in England for 2026/27?
Agenda for Change runs from Band 1 to Band 9, although Band 1 is closed to new entrants. This calculator includes all 2026/27 pay points through Bands 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d and 9.
What is Band 5 pay in England in 2026/27?
Band 5 basic pay is £32,073 at entry, £34,592 at the intermediate pay point and £39,043 at the top pay point before deductions and enhancements.
How much does a Band 5 employee take home a month?
Using standard assumptions — full-time hours, automatic NHS pension, category A NI, standard tax allowance, no student loan and no London HCAS — the starting Band 5 estimate is around £2,040 per month. Your own result may differ.
Does the calculator include London weighting?
Yes. Agenda for Change staff can choose Inner London, Outer London or Fringe HCAS using the official 2026/27 percentage, minimum and maximum values.
Can I calculate part-time NHS pay?
Yes. Enter your weekly contracted hours and the calculator pro-rates basic salary and Agenda for Change HCAS.
Does the calculator include NHS pension deductions?
Yes. Automatic mode uses the NHS Pension Scheme employee contribution tiers in force from 1 April 2026.
Does it include student loans?
Yes. Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5 are included, plus an optional postgraduate loan.
Can resident doctors use it?
Yes. England resident doctor 2026/27 basic salary points are included. Additional rota pay can be entered separately.
Can NHS consultants use it?
Yes. Starting and top consultant basic salaries are included, and an exact salary can be entered using the custom salary option.
Is this an official NHS calculator?
No. It is an independent estimation tool using published NHS Employers, NHSBSA and GOV.UK rates. Always check official guidance and your payslip when an exact figure is required.
Updated August 2026. Uses 2026/27 NHS England Agenda for Change pay scales, current NHS pension contribution tiers, HMRC Income Tax and National Insurance thresholds, London HCAS values and student loan thresholds.