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NHS Pension Calculator
Free NHS Pension calculator: find your 2026/27 contribution tier from 5.2% to 12.5%, the monthly cost after tax relief, the employer share and pension built.
Quick answer: Enter your band and pay point, or type your pensionable pay, and the calculator shows your NHS Pension contribution tier, what you pay each month, the tax relief you get back, what your employer adds and the pension you build in the year. For example, Band 5 entry pay of £32,073 falls in the 8.3% tier and costs £221.84 a month before tax relief.
The NHS Pension is one of the largest parts of NHS reward, but the payslip only shows what you pay in. This calculator shows the whole picture for 2026/27: your tier, your cost after tax relief, your employer’s 23.7% and the pension you earn.
How to use the NHS Pension calculator
- Choose your band and pay point, or type your pensionable pay for the year if you know it.
- Add London weighting if you receive it. HCAS counts as pensionable pay.
- Set your hours. Pay is pro-rata for part-time staff.
- Read the result. You’ll see your tier, monthly cost, tax relief, the employer share and the next tier line.
The result is for a standard tax code in England. If you have other income or a different code, your real take-home may differ.
What the calculator shows
- Your tier. The member rate from 5.2% to 12.5% that applies to your pensionable pay.
- What you pay. The monthly and yearly contribution.
- Take-home effect. How much your pay falls after tax relief.
- Tax relief. The difference between your contribution and the fall in take-home.
- Employer contribution. 23.7% of your pensionable pay.
- Pension built this year. One fifty-fourth of your pensionable pay, before revaluation.
- The next tier. The pay level where your rate would rise.
The 2026/27 tiers
| Pensionable pay (a year) | Member rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £13,259 | 5.2% |
| £1 to £28,854 | 6.5% |
| £1 to £35,155 | 8.3% |
| £1 to £52,778 | 9.8% |
| £1 to £67,668 | 10.7% |
| Over £0 | 12.5% |
Your rate applies to the whole of your pensionable pay, not just the part inside the tier. Tier ceilings rose by 3.8% in April 2026. The full table and band-by-band breakdown are in our pension contribution rates guide.
A worked example
A Band 6 physiotherapist at the entry point earns £39,959.
- Tier: 9.8%
- Contribution: £3,916 a year, or £326.33 a month
- Take-home with pension: £2,429.77 a month
- Take-home without pension: £2,690.84 a month
- Real cost after tax relief: £261.07 a month
- Tax relief: £65.27 a month
- Employer adds: £9,470 a year
- Pension built: about £740 for the year
So a £326.33 deduction costs £261.07 in take-home, and your employer contributes £789.19 a month on top.
How tax relief works
Your contribution is deducted from pay before income tax, so you only pay tax on what’s left. For a basic-rate taxpayer, relief is 20%. For a higher-rate taxpayer, it’s 40% on the part of pay above the higher-rate threshold.
National Insurance isn’t reduced by pension contributions. That’s why the real cost of your pension is a bit more than 80% of the contribution at the basic rate.
What changes the answer
- HCAS. It’s pensionable. At Band 5 entry, Inner London weighting takes pay from £32,073 to £38,488 and the rate from 8.3% to 9.8%.
- Hours. The tier uses your actual pensionable pay, so part-timers can pay a lower rate.
- Overtime. It isn’t pensionable.
- A pay-step. Crossing a tier line moves the whole rate.
Who this calculator is for
Use it if you want to know why your pension deduction is the size it is, what a pay-step or London weighting will do to your tier, or what your employer is adding behind the scenes. It’s also useful when you compare job offers, because two jobs on the same salary can have different pensionable pay once HCAS is included.
More examples
- Band 2 healthcare assistant at £25,272. Tier 6.5%, contribution £136.89 a month, employer £499.12 a month.
- Band 5 nurse at the top point, £39,043. Tier 9.8%, contribution £318.85 a month.
- Band 7 specialist at the top point, £56,515. Tier 10.7%, contribution £503.93 a month.
- Band 8c manager at entry, £79,504. Tier 12.5%, contribution £828.17 a month, with an employer share of £1,570.20 a month.
Why your payslip may not match the result
A calculator gives an estimate under clear assumptions, and a payslip reflects your actual month. Differences usually come from four places.
- Timing. Enhancements, overtime and bank pay may be paid a month in arrears.
- Tax code. Our figures assume 1257L. A different code changes tax.
- Cumulative tax. Payroll works out tax across the year, so one month can differ from another.
- Other deductions. Union fees, parking, salary sacrifice and other agreements aren’t included.
If the gap is more than a few pounds and you can’t explain it, ask payroll to walk through the line. Our payslip guide shows what each line means.
Assumptions and limits
The calculator uses England 2026/27 rules: a £12,570 allowance, 20% and 40% income tax, 8% and 2% National Insurance, the six tiers above, an employer rate of 23.7% and an accrual of one fifty-fourth of pensionable pay. It doesn’t model revaluation, retirement age, protections, annual allowance or the pension scheme in Scotland, which publishes its own bandings. For personal pension planning, use the member portal or speak to a qualified adviser.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the NHS Pension contribution?
NHS Pension member contributions run from 5.2% to 12.5% of pensionable pay in 2026/27, depending on your tier. The tiers are 5.2% up to £13,259, 6.5% to £28,854, 8.3% to £35,155, 9.8% to £52,778, 10.7% to £67,668 and 12.5% above that. The calculator finds your tier from your actual pay.
What does the employer pay into the NHS Pension?
Your employer pays 23.7% of your pensionable pay into the NHS Pension in 2026/27, on top of your own contribution. It isn’t taken from your salary and doesn’t change your take-home pay, but it is a large part of the scheme’s value, so the total paid in is much more than your share.
Is NHS Pension tax-free?
Your contributions come off your pay before income tax, so you get tax relief at your marginal rate. National Insurance is still charged on that pay, so the saving is smaller than with salary sacrifice. The pension you receive in retirement is taxed as income, subject to your allowances.
Does HCAS count towards my pension?
Yes. High Cost Area Supplement is pensionable, so it adds to your pensionable pay and can push you into a higher contribution tier. Overtime is not pensionable. Use the calculator with your London weighting zone selected to see your tier with HCAS included.
How much pension do I build each year?
In the 2015 scheme you build one fifty-fourth of your pensionable pay each year as a pension, revalued each year. Your annual benefit statement shows the exact figure for you. The calculator estimates the amount built in a year from the pay you enter.
Can I use this for the Scottish scheme?
No. Scotland publishes its own tier bandings, and this calculator doesn’t assert them. If you work for NHS Scotland, check the Scottish Public Pensions Agency for your contribution tier and treat the calculator’s other results as an estimate only.
Related tools and guides
- NHS Pension contribution rates 2026/27
- Salary sacrifice calculator
- Band 6 take home pay
- NHS payslip explained
Sources
- NHS Business Services Authority: NHS Pension Scheme
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and allowances
- Our own sources and methodology page explains every calculation.
Work out your own take-home pay
Enter your band, pay point and hours in the free NHS take home pay calculator for 2026/27.
