NHS Pay Scales 2025/26 (predicted 3.5% pay rise and Band 2/3 pay update)
In spring or early summer 2025, a new NHS pay deal will be announced by the UK government. This page will be updated regularly in the build-up to that announcement as information becomes available which might help with predictions for the 2025/26 NHS pay deal for staff in England. This article also includes a full breakdown of how the predicted pay rise will affect each pay band on NHS Agenda for Change.
How much will the NHS pay rise for 2025/26 be?
Until the NHS Pay Review Body publish their annual report, an exact figure for the pay increase will not be available. However, using relevant information and government policy announcements available in January 2024, we are continuing to predict a pay rise of approximately 3.5%.
Currently, this is based on three key indicators, as well as discussions with senior NHS finance and HR professionals:
- Government recommendations: In December 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recommended a 2.8% pay rise for NHS staff. This recommendation is not the final pay award; the DHSC recommendation will be considered along with evidence from trade unions and other bodies by the independent NHS Pay Review Body, whose report is generally used to decide the final pay award for those on Agenda for Change contracts. However, it does mean that the minimum award is likely to be at least 2.8%.
The NHS budget for 2025/26 (which was announced in October 2024) includes allowances for overall staffing costs to rise by 3-4%, although it is important to note that not all staff groups are part of the Agenda for Change framework and some groups of clinical staff could receive higher (or lower) pay awards compared to others. - Some of the difference in the budget compared to DHSC’s recommendations could also be to account for changes in the National Minimum Wage; NHS staff on Band 2 are on the National Minimum Wage so if this rises by more than 2.8% next year, these staff would legally have to have a higher pay rise.
- Inflation and the economy: Many measures of inflation rose slightly towards the end of 2024, with the Consumer Price Index at 2.6% for December 2024. A below-inflation pay rise would be unpopular for the Government and almost certainly trigger strike action by the unions. However, a more generous pay rise (above 5%) is also unlikely due to the lack of economic growth of the UK economy.
- Trade unions and the threat of strikes. The final years of the Conservative government were plagued by strikes by NHS staff, causing disruption and delays to treatment. The Prime Minister has set a target for 92% of “routine” operations to be completed within 18 weeks by March 2029; further strikes would likely add to the already sizeable backlog of operations and make this target very difficult to achieve. While most unions and bodies such as the Royal College of Nursing have not gone public with specifics on the pay rise they would like for their members this year, their reaction to the DHSC-recommended 2.8% rise has been very negative – with some unions calling the suggestion “insulting”. This indicates to us that they would be likely to lobby the NHS Pay Review Body for a significantly higher pay rise – and perhaps regard a pay rise of below about 3% as enough to ballot their members for new strike action.
When will the NHS pay rise for 2025/26 be announced?
NHS pay rises are due in time for the start of the new financial year, in April. However, in recent years, the pay rise has consistently been announced late, meaning that pay rises have had to be backdated.
It is not expected that this year’s pay rise will be announced in time for the start of the new financial year. In September 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care sent a letter to the NHS Pay Review Body to begin their research into recommendations for this year’s pay rise. The letter stated that “it is unlikely that workforces will receive pay increases by April, but by bringing the pay round forward this year, we can more fully reset the timeline in 2026 to 2027”.
Last year, the same letter was not sent until November. With this in mind, we are hopeful that the pay rise for this year will be announced in mid-April or May 2025, and we will update this page as we hear more.
What is happening with NHS Band 2 and Band 3 pay rises and the National Living Wage increases?
In January 2025, it was announced that NHS Band 2 and Band 3 salaries would rise to reflect changes in the National Living Wage (sometimes called the national minimum wage). These changes would guarantee that staff at Band 2 would continue to receive at least the National Living Wage when this increases on April 1 2025. IThey also guarantee that staff on Band 3 would receive a higher salary than those on Band 2.
These increases are separate to the main pay agreement, and will come into force regardless of where national pay negotiations have progressed to by April.
These temporary increases are:
- A pay increase of 2.35% for all staff at Band 2, taking them to a salary of £24,169
- A pay increase of 2.3% for staff with fewer than two years of experience at Band 3, taking them to a salary of £24,625
As outlined in the rest of this article, we expect the final pay rise to be significantly higher than these increases.
Predicted Agenda for Change pay increases 2024/25
The below figures are based on a predicted pay rise of 3.5%, applied across all bands.
Band 1
Band 1 is no longer used for new Agenda for Change contracts. Any remaining staff on Band 1 contracts are paid as if they are on Band 2. Find out more about the history of Band 1 and the remaining NHS staff on this band.
Band 2
Staff in Band 2 (such as healthcare assistants, administrative assistants and catering staff) currently start on a salary of £23,614. This would increase to £24,441 following the predicted pay rise.
An advance notice of a minimum rise to this pay band has been issued to account for changes in the National Living Wage. This means that from April 1 2025, staff at this pay band will be paid at least £24,169.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0+ | £23,614 | £24,441 | £30,045 | £29,152 | £25,743 |
There is currently no pay progression within Band 2.
Band 3
Staff in Band 3 (such as healthcare assistants) currently start on a salary of £24,072. This would increase to £24,914 following the pay rise.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £25,674. This would increase to £26,573.
An advance notice of a minimum rise to this pay band has been issued to account for changes in the National Living Wage. This means that from April 1 2025, staff with fewer than two years of experience at this pay band will be paid at least £24,625.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £24,072 | £24,914 | £30,519 | £29,626 | £26,216 |
| 2+ | £25,674 | £26,573 | £32,178 | £31,284 | £27,902 |
Band 4
Staff in Band 4 (such as office co-ordinators or communications assistants) currently start on a salary of £26,529. This would increase to £27,458 following the pay rise.
After three years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £29,114. This would increase to £30,133.
Please note that our Band 4 predictions have been updated following an error in our initial calculations.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-3 | £26,529 | £27,458 | £33,062 | £32,169 | £28,830 |
| 3+ | £29,114 | £30,133 | £36,159 | £34,844 | £31,639 |
Band 5
Staff in Band 5 (such as newly qualified nurses) start on a salary of £29,970. This would increase to £31,019 following the pay rise.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £32,324. This would increase to £33,455.
Staff will receive a further pay rise after two more years of experience, to £36,483. This would increase to £37,760. This pay point represents the average salary for an NHS nurse, and is (by our estimation) probably the most common pay point in the NHS.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £29,970 | £31,019 | £37,223 | £35,731 | £32,570 |
| 2-4 | £32,324 | £33,455 | £40,147 | £38,474 | £35,128 |
| 4+ | £36,483 | £37,760 | £45,312 | £43,424 | £39,648 |
Band 6
Staff in Band 6 (such as occupational therapists or more senior or specialist nurses) start on a salary of £37,339. This would increase to £38,644 following the pay rise.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £39,404. Following the pay rise this would increase to £40,784.
Staff will receive a further pay rise after three more years of experience, to £44,961. This would increase to £46,535.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £37,339 | £38,644 | £46,373 | £44,441 | £40,577 |
| 2-5 | £39,404 | £40,784 | £48,941 | £46,720 | £42,824 |
| 5+ | £44,961 | £46,535 | £54,992 | £52,470 | £48,730 |
Band 7
Staff in Band 7 (such as clinical pharmacists, communications managers, or service managers) start on a salary of £46,148. Following the pay rise, this would increase to £47,763.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £48,526. This would increase to £50,224.
Staff will receive a further pay rise after three more years at this level, to £52,808. This would increase to £54,656.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £46,148 | £47,763 | £56,220 | £53,699 | £49,958 |
| 2-5 | £48,526 | £50,224 | £58,681 | £56,160 | £52,419 |
| 5+ | £52,808 | £54,656 | £63,113 | £60,592 | £56,852 |
Band 8a
Staff in Band 8a (such as HR business partners, advanced nurse practitioners, or senior physician associates) start on a salary of £50,952. This would increase to £53,754 after the pay rise.
Last year’s pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £56,454 to £58,430.
After five total years of experience at this level, most staff will receive a pay increase to £60,504. This would increase to £62,622.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £53,754 | £55,636 | £64,093 | £61,571 | £57,831 |
| 2-5 | £56,454 | £58,430 | £66,887 | £64,366 | £60,625 |
| 5+ | £60,504 | £62,622 | £71,079 | £68,558 | £64,817 |
There is no automatic advancement from band 8a to 8b. Find out more about pay progression here.
It is expected that at some point within the next few years that changes to the Band 8a contract will be made to make it a more attractive proposition for promotion from Band 7 (particularly unsocial hours payments). However, it currently seems unlikely these changes will take place in time for the 2025/26 pay award.
Band 8b
Staff in Band 8b (such as heads of department, consultant pharmacists, or senior general managers) start on a salary of £62,215. This would increase to £64,393 following the pay rise.
Last year’s pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £66,247 to £68,566.
After five total years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £72,299. This would increase to £74,829.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £62,215 | £64,393 | £72,850 | £70,328 | £66,588 |
| 2-5 | £66,247 | £68,566 | £77,023 | £74,501 | £70,761 |
| 5+ | £72,299 | £74,829 | £83,286 | £80,765 | £77,025 |
There is no automatic advancement from band 8b to 8c. Find out more about pay progression here.
Band 8c
Staff in Band 8c (such as associate directors, consultant clinical scientists or nurse consultants) start on a salary of £74,290. This would increase to £76,890 following the pay rise.
Last year’s pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £78,814 to £81,572.
After five total years at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £85,601. This would increase to £88,597 after the pay rise.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £74,290 | £76,890 | £85,347 | £82,826 | £79,085 |
| 2-5 | £78,814 | £81,572 | £90,029 | £87,508 | £83,768 |
| 5+ | £85,601 | £88,597 | £97,054 | £94,532 | £90,792 |
There is no automatic advancement from band 8c to 8d. Find out more about pay progression here.
Band 8d
Staff in Band 8d (such as service directors, programme leads, or deputy directors) start on a salary of £88,167. This would increase to £91,253 following the pay rise.
Last year’s pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £93,571 to £96,846.
After five years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £101,677. This would increase to £105,235 after the pay rise.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £88,167 | £91,253 | £99,710 | £97,189 | £93,448 |
| 2-5 | £93,571 | £96,846 | £105,303 | £102,782 | £99,041 |
| 5+ | £101,677 | £105,235 | £113,692 | £111,171 | £107,431 |
Band 9
Staff in Band 9 (such as clinical directors or programme directors) start on a salary of £105,480. This would increase to £109,172 following the pay rise.
Last year’s pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £111,739 to £115,650.
After five total years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £121,270. This would increase to £125,515.
| Years of experience | National pay 2024/25 | Predicted National pay 2025/26 | Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 | Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26 |
| 0-2 | £105,480 | £109,172 | £117,629 | £115,107 | £111,367 |
| 2-5 | £111,739 | £115,650 | £124,107 | £121,586 | £117,845 |
| 5+ | £121,270 | £125,515 | £133,972 | £131,450 | £127,710 |
Some senior staff are on the Very Senior Manager payscale (effectively above Band 9). The pay deal for these managers is negotiated separately from the main Agenda for Change deal, and is usually the same or lower than other staff receive. We would expect a rise of 3% might be realistic for NHS VSMs for 2025/26.
Will HCAS change for 2025/26?
Changes to the High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) or “London Weighting” have been called for by trade unions for some time. In particular, it has been suggested that areas outside of London with high costs of living should also benefit from pay uplifts.
Our understanding is that the application of HCAS is unlikely to change dramatically this year, although more significant changes may follow in the next few years. Instead, we expect HCAS to continue to apply only to London, and receive the same predicted 3.5% uplift as general salary levels. These are shown below:
| HCAS area | Rate of HCAS supplement | Minimum Payment 2024/25 | Predicted Minimum Payment 2025/26 | Maximum Payment 2024/25 | Predicted Maximum Payment 2025/26 |
| Inner London | 20% | £5,415 | £5,605 | £8,171 | £8,457 |
| Outer London | 15% | £4,552 | £4,711 | £5,735 | £5,936 |
| Fringes | 5% | £1,258 | £1,302 | £2,121 | £2,195 |
what can a General Practice Nurse expect to be earning after two years qualified additionally
Reception staff that on band2 will be earning £0.30 more per hour than the staff on national minimum wages. These are staff which do a hard job day in day out. This potential pay rise is insulting as they will feel invaluable even more that what they do now
Completely agree. B2 staff are pretty much the same as minimum wage, it is incredibly insulting. This wont bode well for retaining and recruiting staff
Work as a b4 literally doing b5 work but have no support from management to get it uplifted so in nhs survey say we do over 10 hours extra per week overtime unposed so it looks bad
What makes you feel that your role as a receptionist is any more important than someone doing a job for minimum wage?
Reception staff that on band2 will be earning £0.30 more per hour than the staff on national minimum wages. These are staff which do a hard job day in day out. This potential pay rise is insulting as they will feel invaluable even more that what they do now
As senior manager I totally agree. Percentage raise increases disadvantage the bottom half of the workforce: to make a difference now we at the top should have ours frozen for a year or two and the lower bands should have a larger pay rise from the freeze.
I feel agenda for change is outdated and urgently needs to be reviewed so it is in line with current job descriptions not from those years ago when agenda for change first came in as our roles have changed dramatically since, I have worked as a Band 2 Clerical officer for 22 years and now there are new starters coming in on the exact same wage i’m on as they have taken away the tiers, I have 22 years of knowledge and its not recognised at all, I feel deflated, over worked, stressed with the ongoing aggression we constantly take from patients, is this really all worth it for 30p more than minimum wage?
i work in security in a hospital and we are band 2 below minimum wage surely we should be a band 3 or more for what we do
Gary- Consider getting management to review your banding. I work for NHS in south of London and they have just been rebanded to B3 due to an significant increase in mental health patients
What about staff in Northern Ireland come 1st april 2025 band 2 in england and wales will be paid
more than band 3 here
Taking patients with tuberculosis and covid all day , lifting up patients with scabies and spread everything to your kids , I better work as a waiter and get lot of tips on top
I’m a band 3 in a busy A&E department and I feel like we have been trampled on, ignored and made a mockery of. So far we have experienced band 2’s with no prior qualifications and about 8 months of experience in care being moved to position of band 3 while the rest of us had to have an NVQ 3 In Health and Social Care as a minimum plus experience in Hospitals/Care in order to get our current positions. We have had our designation altered to HCSW in stead of EDA which is what we are and now they use what ever title suits them. There is currently no progression in our role or any additional training beyond mandatory training and in addition we have had skills like Catheterisation taken away from us. I do not object to anyone progressing to another band but I object to forcing a change when there are people who don’t have the correct qualifications, have not got to grips with basic care and the change causes suffering to patients, staff and a department as a whole. Also on the flip side of the coin some of the band 2’s were content in there position and have been unfairly been forced to the next banding which requires them to gain skills they didn’t want and to work in a capacity they were not prepared for.
I am as are my colleagues very fed up with the attitude of higher management and the lack of answers as to why they have made this ridiculous move. I have worked in Healthcare now for 18yrs and I strongly object to someone who hasn’t put in the work to get the qualifications and hasn’t got the experience being moved up to the same level and especially now they have taken tiers away from the spinal points as they have come in at the top of band 3. This has made us upset, stressed, hurt and wonder why we made the effort to do what was required when it’s all been swept aside.
Hi Victoria. As a senior nurse manager I can answer this question: I’m sorry if your own team hasn’t been able to. This decision isn’t taken by your organisation’s management structure. A change in the national job profile, what defines a Band 3 as per the government, included the recording of vital signs. The unions made the reasonable case that this meant all HCAs should be paid at Band 3. Legally, there really was no option but to make that change and all organistaiosn have fallen into line.
There is widepsred awareness that this has disadvantaged those Band 3s who had earned their banding via additional qualifications, and this is being reveiwed, although there is no way to predict the outcome of that reveiw.
The rest of your comment is more to do with how you rorganistaion has implemented this change, and that is local policy that I can’t help you with sorry.
Let’s hope huth do the descent thing with the band 2 to be band 3 pay, we do the role, we should expect the pay, and payback.
I started as a B2 porter back in 2009 have since successfully moved to B6 management. However, the banding needs to be reviewed. I work across different NHS sites and the banding within facilities is not structured. One site B2 Porters and Housekeeping with sups B3 and another P & HK B3 with sups B4??? No consistency
how about people on band 4 with NVQ level 3 and 4 seeing people with no experience earning not that much less, no incentive to go up the band either, soon band 4 will be on minimum wages
Imagine being paid a minimum wage of 23000£ yet a new starter on band 2 is getting 29000£. How ridiculous!. I find that many of us are unfairly paid, yet the job is demanding. We have rising household bills with only 0.30 pence salary increment.
I believe many of us are demotivated
I am a Band 3 HCA in CT/MRI and feel outraged that there are HCA’s in other areas on the same wage and they don’t have slide patients, they do not cannulate patients, they don’t have to learn CT and MRI be aware of all the dangers. It is high risk and a great danger and we are not paid in accordance to this. Also it makes me cross that secretaries are paid Band 4 when they are not exposed to any unpleasant situations. I do believe they should be paid well but so should front line workers. Agenda for change needs to be re looked at and certain roles actually have their pay scales changed.
There seems to be a lot of comparisons to each others roles/jobs in this comments section. Each and everyone that works within the NHS/Health care sector deserve better pay. Its not a competition. The only way we get the pay (restoration) we ALL deserve is by working together with our unions. None of us could do our jobs without the help of our colleagues. Pay restoration is what we are fighting for, we don’t get that by fighting each other.
Most secretaries are band 3. Waiting list coordinators and PA’s are band 4. Trust me when I say phoning to cancel patients operations is definitely not a pleasant thing to do. We too are shouted at and abused!
I don’t think NHS is paying enough as it should be I work In forensic ward and we get buttered by patience day in day out and pay is not good enough to what we do
Everyone please email your MP or get in touch with your union about a review to HCAS. It isn’t right that “fringe” areas outside of London receive a 5% boost whereas other high cost cities in the UK do not receive any extra support. HCAS hasn’t been reviewed for 20 years!
I’m a band 3 in an operating theatre, over time I have done various courses gained numerous qualifications with promises of re banding and this will help move you up.
But each time only to be told there’s no money right now or the banding no longer exists and I think even though I’m educated and I think fairly switched on but you’d think after 36 years I’d have learned my lesson and yet here I am still working away for just over minimum wage.
Can anyone please tell me, as a Band 2 HCA working 9.5 years for my trust as a Bank employee, will we be eligible for the Band 3 uplift and the back pay or is this at the discretion of each Trust ? Thankyou