NHS Pay Scales 2026/27 (confirmed 3.3% rise – updated April 2026)
Each year, the NHS Payscales team works with NHS policy, finance and HR insiders to predict pay uplifts ahead of the official government announcement and provide the latest insights into when and how pay changes will be applied. We constantly review the latest information and update this page with relevant news.
For the past three years, our predictions have been within 0.3% of the final figure recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body and adopted by the government.
How much is the NHS pay rise for 2026/27?
In February 2026, the UK government confirmed that the NHS pay award for 2026/27 is 3.3% – 0.1% higher than our team had predicted.
As normal, a number of factors went in to the pay award, which is decided on the recommendation of the NHS Pay Review body:
- Government budgets: One of the key sources of information that the NHS Pay Review Body use to determine their recommendations is yearly evidence provided by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) about affordability and pay. This evidence was provided earlier than usual by DHSC this pay review round, in October 2025.
The headline figure from the DHSC evidence was a suggested maximum pay award of 2.5%. This is justified within the document by the significant non-pay costs faced by the NHS – such as those resulting from transformation programmes outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan for England. It is also roughly aligned to an expected overall rise in NHS budgets of 2.8% year-on-year.
However, the DHSC position tends to be quite conservative. This year has followed the same trend as recent years of the final pay award being significantly higher than the DHSC position; last year the DHSC recommendation was 2.8% and the final award was 3.6%. - Inflation and the wider economy: Inflation is a measure of how much the cost of living rises each year; a “below inflation” pay rise effectively means you can buy less with your wages.
In February 2026, inflation fell slightly to around 3% by most measures. This is a critical consideration for the government – making an award of 3.3% “above inflation” and allowing it to be positioned as a genuine pay rise for NHS staff. - Trade unions and strike action. Strikes were a constant feature of NHS life towards the end of the last Conservative government. While debates over doctors’ pay continue, public support seems to have waned for NHS staff taking industrial action, weakening the ability of trade unions to push for a pay rise significantly above inflation. Notably, many of the larger unions representing NHS staff have declined to submit evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body this year, perhaps reflecting their limited negotiating power in the current political climate.
When will the NHS pay rise for 2026/27 be paid?
Increased NHS pay will take effect from April’s pay packets. This is much earlier than previous years and means there is no need for backdated pay.
The government began this year’s pay review process two months earlier than last year, making a request to the NHS Pay Review Body at the same time to try and move towards more “timely pay awards”. These tactics appear to have paid off.
Are there any other pay changes for NHS staff announced this year?
Over the past few years, there has been increased speculation and discussion about changes to the Agenda for Change contract, in response to growing dissatisfaction with certain elements of the NHS’s standard contract. Three of the topics which have been consistently been discussed include:
- A potential expansion to High Cost Area Supplements outside of the current London-focused regions;
- A separate pay scale or contract for nurses and midwives;
- Improved pay or compensation to retain staff currently at the top of their pay band.
A wholesale reform of the NHS’s approach to pay has also been suggested, which would involve abolishing Agenda for Change and moving to an entirely new system.
Although some progress has been made in terms of starting formal discussions about wider reforms to NHS pay by the government, the scale of the consultation required to actually make any real changes has meant no significant shifts in time for this year’s pay award. The government announced the start of a new long term NHS workforce plan in late 2025 – expect more developments on this in 2026.
Will NHS pension thresholds change for 2026/27?
In recent years, the NHS pension contribution thresholds have moved in line with pay rises. This has continued this year, which means no NHS staff should experience a reduction in take-home pay as a result of the pay rise nudging them into a higher rate of pension contributions.
Confirmed NHS Agenda for Change pay increases 2026/27
The below figures are final confirmed pay increases – 3.3% across all bands.
Band 1
Band 1 is no longer used for staff joining the NHS. 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.
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The latest version of the guide (November 2025) includes also includes highly-requested advice and guidance for NHS staff at risk of redundancy.
Download the guideBand 2
Staff in Band 2 (such as healthcare assistants, administrative assistants and catering staff) now start on a salary of £25,272.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0+ | £24,465 | £25,272 | £31,066 | £30,142 | £26,618 |
There is currently no pay progression within Band 2. If you’re thinking about applying for your first job in the NHS, you might find our article on applying for NHS jobs with no prior experience helpful.
Band 3
Staff in Band 3 (such as healthcare assistants or administrators) now start on a salary of 25,760.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £27,476.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £24,939 | £25,760 | £31,554 | £30,630 | £27,106 |
| 2+ | £26,599 | £27,476 | £33,270 | £32,346 | £28,850 |
Did you know we’ve got an example supporting statement for NHS administration jobs?
Band 4
Staff in Band 4 (such as office co-ordinators, finance administrators or communications assistants) now start on a salary of £28,392.
After three years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £31,157.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-3 | £27,484 | £28,392 | £34,186 | £33,262 | £29,812 |
| 3+ | £30,162 | £31,157 | £37,389 | £36,027 | £32,715 |
Band 5
Staff in Band 5 (such as newly qualified nurses) now start on a salary of £32,073.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £34,592.
Staff receive a further pay rise after two more years of experience, to £39,043. This pay point represents the average salary for an experienced NHS nurse, and is (by our estimation) probably the most common pay point in the NHS.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £31,049 | £32,073 | £38,488 | £36,943 | £33,677 |
| 2-4 | £33,488 | £34,592 | £41,511 | £39,781 | £36,322 |
| 4+ | £37,796 | £39,043 | £46,582 | £44,900 | £40,996 |
Band 6
Staff in Band 6 (such as occupational therapists or more senior or specialist nurses and midwives) now start on a salary of £39,959
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £42,170.
Staff receive a further pay rise after three more years of experience, to £48,117.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £38,682 | £39,959 | £47,951 | £45,953 | £41,957 |
| 2-5 | £40,823 | £42,170 | £50,604 | £48,307 | £44,279 |
| 5+ | £46,580 | £48,117 | £58,863 | £54,254 | £50,387 |
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Band 7
Staff in Band 7 (such as clinical pharmacists, communications managers, or service managers) now start on a salary of £49,387.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £51,932.
Staff receive a further pay rise after three more years at this level, to £56,515.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £47,809 | £49,387 | £58,133 | £55,524 | £51,657 |
| 2-5 | £50,273 | £51,932 | £60,678 | £58,069 | £54,202 |
| 5+ | £54,709 | £56,515 | £65,261 | £62,652 | £58,785 |
Band 8a
Staff in Band 8a (such as HR business partners, advanced nurse practitioners, or senior physician associates) now start on a salary of £57,528.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive an increase in pay to £60,417.
After five total years of experience at this level, most staff will receive a pay increase to £64,750.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £55,690 | £57,528 | £66,274 | £63,665 | £59,798 |
| 2-5 | £58,486 | £60,417 | £69,163 | £66,554 | £62,687 |
| 5+ | £62,682 | £64,750 | £73,496 | £70,887 | £67,020 |
There is no automatic advancement from band 8a to 8b. Find out more about pay progression here.
Band 8b
Staff in Band 8b (such as heads of department, consultant pharmacists, or general managers) now start on a salary of £66,582.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive an increase in pay to £70,896.
After five total years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £77,368.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £64,455 | £66,582 | £75,328 | £72,719 | £68,852 |
| 2-5 | £68,632 | £70,896 | £79,642 | £77,033 | £73,116 |
| 5+ | £74,902 | £77,368 | £86,114 | £83,505 | £79,638 |
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) now start on a salary of £79,504.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive an increase in pay to £84,346.
After five total years at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £91,609.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Fringe pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £76,964 | £79,504 | £88,250 | £85,641 | £81,774 |
| 2-5 | £81,651 | £84,346 | £93,092 | £90,483 | £86,616 |
| 5+ | £88,682 | £91,609 | £100,355 | £97,746 | £93,879 |
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) now start on a salary of £94,346.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive an increase in pay to £100,140.
After five total years at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £108,814.
| Years of experience | National pay 2025/26 | Confirmed National pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Inner London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 | Confirmed Outer London pay 2026/27 |
| 0-2 | £88,167 | £94,346 | £103,102 | £100,493 | £96,626 |
| 2-5 | £93,571 | £100,140 | £108,886 | £106,277 | £102,410 |
| 5+ | £101,677 | £108,814 | £117,560 | £114,951 | £111,084 |
Band 9
Staff in Band 9 (such as clinical directors or programme directors) now start on a salary of £112,782.
After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive an increase in pay to £119,583.
After five total years at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £129,783.
| 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 | £109,277 | £112,782 | £121,528 | £118,919 | £115,052 |
| 2-5 | £115,762 | £119,583 | £128,329 | £125,720 | £121,853 |
| 5+ | £125,636 | £129,783 | £138,529 | £135,920 | £132,053 |
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 in recent history has been slightly lower than other staff receive. As of April 2026, the VSM pay award has not yet been announced.
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It’s difficult not to feel disheartened when financial support is offered in a way that feels tokenistic or disconnected from real need. It’s like being told, “Here’s a little extra for your petrol money,” as if that alone could ease the weight of being a single parent navigating work, childcare, and rising living costs.
In moments like these, you almost want to say, Keep it—I don’t want it, out of sheer frustration. But then reality sets in: that small amount might just cover a loaf of bread each week for a fortnight. It’s not nothing—but it’s not enough. And it certainly doesn’t reflect the value of the work, the responsibility, or the lived experience behind the need.
The Band 4 table doesn’t show the predicted National pay just repeats the current one:
0-3 £27,484 £27,484
3+ £30,162 £30,162
Thank you! Now updated
In many NHS trusts – 48 of the 200 odd. They’re signed up as Living Wage Employers. In neighbouring trusts the Band 2 staff have already received a letter stating that as of 1st January 2026 their pay has been uplifted to £13.45 p/h. Essentially their new starters on Band 2 are earning the same as those on Top of Band 3. Surely dramatic reform is needed on the lower grades. Otherwise what’s the point in taking on extra responsibilities. Similarly this may cause shockwaves as staff would just move to a neighbouring trust to do the same job but at over £2k extra per year?
Hi,
The Band 8D table doesn’t show the predicted National pay. this reflects the previous uplifts as applicable during 24-25, instead.
Band 3 HCA’s should be on Band 4. Especially ones who cannulate and catheterise patients. Why should Admin/Secretaries be paid more than any clinical member of staff. It is so wrong.
The government does not value us at all. We get oaycuts every year as inflation is so high.
Im so done and am leaving this year.