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NHS Nurse Take Home Pay 2026/27
What an NHS nurse takes home in 2026/27: £2,040 a month at Band 5, £2,430 at Band 6 and £2,934 at Band 7 entry, with shift pay and student loan effects.
Quick answer: A newly qualified NHS nurse in England is usually on Band 5 and takes home about £2,040.21 a month at the entry point, from a salary of £32,073. That assumes full-time hours, tax code 1257L, NHS Pension and no student loan. A Band 6 nurse takes home £2,429.77 at entry and a Band 7 nurse £2,933.86.
Nurse pay in the NHS follows the Agenda for Change bands. Your band comes from your role, not from the word “nurse” on your badge, so a staff nurse, a ward sister and an advanced practitioner can all be on different bands.
This guide shows what nurses at each band take home after pension, tax and National Insurance in 2026/27. It also covers shift enhancements, student loans, London weighting and part-time hours. Pick your band in the calculator above for your own figure.
In this guide
- Nurse pay by band for 2026/27
- Nurse take home pay by band
- What a newly qualified nurse takes home
- Nursing associates and healthcare assistants
- Nights, weekends and bank holidays
- Overtime and bank work
- Student loans for nurses
- London weighting for nurses
- Four nurses, four different payslips
- Gross offer versus take-home: comparing nursing jobs
- Your first payslip as a newly qualified nurse
- How take-home changes as you progress
- Part-time nurses
- How to increase nurse take home pay
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Nurse pay by band for 2026/27
These are the annual pay points for nursing roles, before any London weighting or enhancements.
| Band | Typical role | Pay points |
|---|---|---|
| Band 4 | Nursing associate | Entry £28,392, Top £31,157 |
| Band 5 | Newly qualified and staff nurse | Entry £32,073, Middle £34,592, Top £39,043 |
| Band 6 | Senior nurse, specialist nurse | Entry £39,959, Middle £42,170, Top £48,117 |
| Band 7 | Advanced practitioner, clinical nurse specialist | Entry £49,387, Middle £51,932, Top £56,515 |
| Band 8a | Lead nurse, consultant practitioner (some trusts) | Entry £57,528, Middle £60,417, Top £64,750 |
Job titles differ between trusts. Always check the band on your contract and use the job description to see whether it matches your duties. Our Agenda for Change guide explains how roles are banded.
Nurse take home pay by band
The table shows the monthly take-home at the entry point of each band, full-time in England.
| Band (entry) | Annual pay | Pension rate | Tax and NI a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 4 | £28,392 | 6.5% | £4,061 | £1,873.79 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | 8.3% | £4,928 | £2,040.21 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | 9.8% | £6,886 | £2,429.77 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | 9.8% | £9,341 | £2,933.86 |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | 10.7% | £11,142 | £3,352.53 |
A newly qualified nurse keeps 76p of every £1 of gross pay. For a Band 7, it is 71p. The share falls as pay rises because of the higher pension rate and, at the top of Band 7, the start of 40% tax.
For the full breakdown at each band, see the Band 5 guide, the Band 6 guide and the Band 7 guide.
What a newly qualified nurse takes home
Band 5 has three pay points for 2026/27: £32,073, £34,592 and £39,043. Take-home at each is £2,040.21, £2,177.41 and £2,380.80 a month.
Pay for 2026/27 rose 3.3% in England from 1 April 2026. Compared with last year’s entry point of £31,049, that is £1,024 more a year before deductions. The pension tier line at £35,155 rises in the same year, so the step to the top point costs more in pension than it did, which is why the top-point gain in take-home is only £203.39 a month.
Nursing associates and healthcare assistants
Nursing associates are usually on Band 4. The entry point is £28,392, with take-home of £1,873.79 a month, and the top point is £31,157. Healthcare assistants are on Bands 2 and 3, see our healthcare assistant guide.
A move from a Band 4 nursing associate to Band 5 registered nurse adds £916 a year from the Band 4 top point, and £3,681 from Band 4 entry.
Nights, weekends and bank holidays
Shift work is a regular part of nursing pay. Unsocial hours add +30% on Saturdays and weekday nights and +60% on Sundays and public holidays for Bands 4 to 9.
At Band 5 entry, the plain rate is £16.40 an hour. A Sunday hour pays £26.24. A Sunday day shift of 7.5 paid hours adds £73.80 before tax, which is about £53.14 after tax and National Insurance.
A nurse with two Sundays and four weeknights a month earns £295.20 in enhancements before tax. Our unsocial hours guide has the full table, and the unsocial hours calculator prices your own shifts.
Overtime and bank work
Overtime is paid at time and a half, or double time on general public holidays. At Band 5 entry that is £24.60 and £32.80 an hour. Many nurses also pick up bank shifts, which are paid at a rate set by the trust. A basic-rate taxpayer keeps about 72p of each extra £1. See the bank shift guide.
Student loans for nurses
Many nurses graduated with a student loan. Repayments are 9% of gross pay above the plan threshold, taken by payroll. At Band 5 entry the monthly repayment depends on the plan.
| Plan | Threshold | Repayment a month | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | £38.80 | £2,001.41 |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | £20.16 | £2,020.05 |
| Plan 4 | £33,795 | £0.00 | £2,040.21 |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | £53.05 | £1,987.16 |
The right plan depends on where and when you started your course. Check your plan on your Student Loans Company account. Our student loan guide has the full thresholds, and the student loan calculator works out your own figure.
London weighting for nurses
If your base is in an HCAS zone, you receive a supplement on top of basic pay. At Band 5 entry it adds £1,604 in Fringe, £4,870 in Outer London and £6,415 in Inner London. Take-home becomes £2,127.55, £2,268.52 and £2,351.10 a month. Read our HCAS guide.
Four nurses, four different payslips
Averages hide a lot. These four examples use the 2026/27 model to show how the same profession produces very different monthly figures.
A newly qualified nurse in Manchester, full-time. Band 5 entry, no London weighting, no loan. Gross pay is £32,073, pension is £2,662, tax is £3,368 and NI is £1,560. Take-home is £2,040.21 a month.
A staff nurse in Outer London, two years in, with a Plan 2 loan. Band 5 middle point, plus £5,189 of HCAS. Gross pay is £39,781, pension is 9.8% and the loan takes £77.97 a month. Take-home is £2,342.28.
A senior nurse on 30 hours at the Band 6 top point. Pro-rata pay is £38,494. Pension is 9.8%, taken from actual pay. Take-home is £2,351.42 a month.
An advanced practitioner in Inner London at the Band 7 middle point. HCAS adds £8,746, taking pay to £60,678. Pension is 10.7%, and take-home is £3,487.93 a month.
The gap between the first and the last is £1,447.72 a month. Most of it comes from band and London weighting, not from the number of years in the job.
Gross offer versus take-home: comparing nursing jobs
When you compare two nursing jobs, convert both to take-home before you decide. A Band 6 job in a Fringe area and a Band 6 job outside London have the same basic pay but different totals.
| Band 6 entry | Annual pay | Pension rate | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| No HCAS | £39,959 | 9.8% | £2,429.77 |
| Fringe | £41,957 | 9.8% | £2,536.60 |
| Outer London | £45,953 | 9.8% | £2,750.25 |
| Inner London | £47,951 | 9.8% | £2,857.07 |
Inner London adds £427.29 a month in take-home compared with no HCAS. Living costs in London are higher, so the real gain depends on where you live and how far you commute.
Your first payslip as a newly qualified nurse
Your first payslip as a registered nurse can look different from what you expect. Three things are worth checking.
First, your tax code. Starters sometimes receive a temporary code until payroll receives your details from HMRC. If the code isn’t 1257L and you only have one job, ask payroll or check your personal tax account.
Second, your pay point. Make sure the band and point match your contract.
Third, your first pay date. Many trusts pay a month in arrears, so your first full payment can arrive a few weeks after you start. Plan your budget around the delay.
Our payslip guide explains each line.
How take-home changes as you progress
Moving up a band changes more than your headline salary. At Band 5 entry you take home £2,040.21 a month. At Band 6 entry it is £2,429.77, which is £389.57 more. The move from Band 6 top to Band 7 entry adds £67.90 a month.
Each promotion also raises the pension you build and your employer’s contribution. A Band 5 nurse at entry gets £7,601 a year from the employer, while a Band 7 nurse at entry gets £11,705.
Part-time nurses
Many nurses work part-time. At Band 5 entry on 30 hours, pay is £25,658 and take-home is £1,721.62 a month. On 22.5 hours it is £19,244 and £1,364.54. Because the pension tier is based on your actual pay, a part-time nurse may pay a lower rate than a full-timer. Try your hours in the part-time calculator.
How to increase nurse take home pay
- Reach your pay-step date. Band 5 moves up after the set period, subject to your employer’s conditions. See pay progression.
- Work enhanced shifts. Sundays and public holidays pay the most.
- Consider Band 6 roles. Entry pay is £916 above Band 5 top.
- Check your tax code. A wrong code can cost you hundreds a year.
- Look at salary sacrifice. Some schemes cut tax and NI. See salary sacrifice.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an NHS nurse take home a month?
A full-time NHS nurse in England takes home about £2,040.21 a month at Band 5 entry, £2,429.77 at Band 6 entry and £2,933.86 at Band 7 entry in 2026/27, after tax, National Insurance and NHS Pension. These assume tax code 1257L and no student loan. Shifts, London weighting and loans change the figure.
What band is a newly qualified nurse?
Newly qualified nurses are on Band 5 in most NHS trusts. Band 5 has three pay points in 2026/27, starting at £32,073 a year. Experienced or specialist nurses usually move to Band 6, and senior or advanced roles are often on Band 7 or above, depending on the job description.
How much do nurses pay in pension?
Nurses pay 8.3% of pensionable pay at Band 5 entry, 9.8% at Band 6 entry and 9.8% at Band 7 entry in 2026/27. The employer pays a further 23.7%. Contributions come off before income tax, so the real cost to take-home is lower than the percentage suggests.
Do nurses get paid more for night shifts?
Yes. Nurses on Bands 4 to 9 get +30% on weekday hours between 8pm and 6am and on Saturdays, and +60% on Sundays and public holidays. The percentage is added to the plain hourly rate. Our unsocial hours guide shows the extra pay for a Band 5 shift.
Do nurses pay for their student loan from take-home pay?
Yes, if they have a plan. Payroll takes 9% of gross pay above your plan threshold, such as £29,385 a year for Plan 2 in 2026/27, or 6% above £21,000 for a postgraduate loan. It is deducted before you are paid, so it lowers take-home but doesn’t change your gross pay.
Is nurse pay the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Not exactly. Each nation sets its own pay award and pay points, and Scotland has its own income tax bands. The 2026/27 award is 3.3% in England and Wales and 3.75% in Scotland. Our nations guide explains the differences.
Sources
- NHS Employers: pay and conditions
- NHS Business Services Authority: NHS Pension Scheme
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and allowances
- GOV.UK: repaying your student loan
- Our own sources and methodology page explains how every figure here is calculated.
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.