NHS Band 6 Salary 2026/27: Pay Scale, Hourly Rate & Take-Home
Agenda for Change Band 6 in England pays £39,959 rising to £48,117 in 2026/27, after a 3.3% rise — £20.44 an hour at entry. After income tax, National Insurance and NHS Pension that is about £2,429.77 a month take-home (£2,865.96 at the top of the band).
Updated 2026-10-03 · NHS Employers 2026/27 pay scales · HMRC 2026/27 tax
Band 6 pay points 2026/27
| Pay point | Annual | 2025/26 | Monthly gross | Hourly | Pension rate | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £39,959 | £38,682 | £3,329.92 | £20.44 | 9.8% | £2,429.77 |
| After 2 years | £42,170 | £40,823 | £3,514.17 | £21.57 | 9.8% | £2,547.99 |
| Top (after 5 years) | £48,117 | £46,580 | £4,009.75 | £24.61 | 9.8% | £2,865.96 |
- Gross / month
- Take-home / month
Progression is automatic once you meet the pay-step requirements (an appraisal and completed mandatory training). The step from entry to the top of Band 6 is worth £8,158 a year before tax, or £436.18 a month after tax and pension.
What comes out of a Band 6 payslip
| Monthly | Entry (£39,959) | Top (£48,117) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £3,329.92 | £4,009.75 |
| NHS Pension | -£326.33 | -£392.96 |
| Income tax | -£391.22 | -£513.86 |
| National Insurance | -£182.59 | -£236.98 |
| Take-home | £2,429.77 | £2,865.96 |
NHS Pension contributions are deducted before tax (net pay arrangement), so a 9.8% contribution costs you less than it looks. With a Plan 2 student loan, entry-level take-home falls to £2,350.52 a month (£79.25 repaid).
Band 6 in London (HCAS)
High cost area supplements are a percentage of basic pay, subject to a minimum and maximum.
| Area | Supplement | Entry with HCAS | Top with HCAS | Take-home / month (entry) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% (min £5,794, max £8,746) | £47,951 | £56,863 | £2,857.07 |
| Outer London | 15% (min £4,870, max £6,137) | £45,953 | £54,254 | £2,750.25 |
| Fringe | 5% (min £1,346, max £2,270) | £41,957 | £50,387 | £2,536.60 |
Unsocial hours and overtime for Band 6
- Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm–6am): +30% — £26.57 an hour at entry.
- Sundays and bank holidays: +60% — £32.70 an hour at entry.
- Overtime: time and a half (£30.65 an hour), or double time on bank holidays (£40.87).
Example: one 12.5-hour Sunday shift a month adds £153 of enhancement on top of basic pay at entry level — about £98 a month after tax, NI and pension.
Band 6 in Scotland, 2026/27
NHS Scotland has its own pay scales and a 3.75% rise for 2026/27. Band 6 pays £43,231 to £52,679 — £3,272 more than in England at entry — but Scottish income tax rates apply.
| Pay point | Scotland | Take-home / month (Scotland) | England take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £43,231 | £2,600.13 | £2,429.77 |
| After 2 years | £45,135 | £2,679.70 | £2,547.99 |
| Top (after 5 years) | £52,679 | £3,024.95 | £2,865.96 |
Typical Band 6 jobs
- Experienced nurse / junior sister or charge nurse
- Specialist paramedic
- Health visitor, district nurse
- Senior physiotherapist or OT
- Midwife after preceptorship
Banding is set by job evaluation against national profiles, so the same job title can sit in a different band at another trust. Moving up to Band 7 starts at £49,387 (£1,270 above the top of Band 6). Band 5 tops out at £39,043.
Calculate your own Band 6 pay
| Basic pay | £48,117 |
| High cost area supplement | £0 |
| NHS Pension (9.8% tier) | £4,715 |
| Income tax | £6,166 |
| National Insurance | £2,844 |
| Student loan | £0 |
| Take-home pay | £34,391 |
- Take-home £34,391 71.5%
- Income tax £6,166 12.8%
- NI £2,844 5.9%
- NHS Pension £4,715 9.8%
Your result is ready
All bands: Band 1 · Band 2 · Band 3 · Band 4 · Band 5 · Band 7 · Band 8a · Band 8b · Band 8c · Band 8d · Band 9
Band 6 roles, including trainees on Band 6
Band 6 covers 396 to 465 job-evaluation points, and NHS Employers lists 75 national profiles at this band. Alongside experienced clinicians it includes several training grades that are evaluated directly at Band 6 rather than paid as a percentage of a qualified rate:
- Nursing Band 6i and 6ii (sister/charge nurse, specialist nurse), Midwifery Band 6, Theatre Nurse Specialist
- Paramedic (400 to 434 points) and Station/Operational Team Leader in ambulance services
- Pharmacist (397 to 449) and specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers and dietitians
- Physician Associate Entry Level (406 to 422)
- Clinical Psychology Trainee (402 to 465), Healthcare Scientist Graduate Trainee and Genetic Counsellor Trainee
- Social Worker, Care Coordinator, Project Manager and Estates Officer
Paramedic pay step dates
When paramedics in ambulance trusts in England were re-banded to the Band 6 profile, Annex 23 made an exception to the normal rule that your pay step date resets on promotion: those paramedics kept their personal pay step date. Everyone else promoted into Band 6 starts at £39,959 with a pay step date set to the date they started in the band, reaching £42,170 after two years and £48,117 after five.
Tax at the top of Band 6: England vs Scotland
In England, every Band 6 pay point is taxed at the basic rate even before pension relief: the top point of £48,117 is below the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, and the 9.8% pension contribution reduces taxable pay to about £43,402. The step from entry to the top is worth £8,158 gross and £436.18 a month net.
Scotland is different. NHS Scotland's Band 6 top point is £52,679, and after the 10.5% Scottish pension tier the top slice of income falls into Scotland's 42% higher rate. A Scottish Band 6 at the top still takes home about £3,024.95 a month, £159.00 more than the top of Band 6 in England, because the Scottish pay scale is £4,562 higher.
Frequently asked questions
How much is NHS Band 6 per hour?
£20.44 an hour at entry and £24.61 at the top in 2026/27, based on a 37.5-hour week (annual ÷ 52.143 ÷ 37.5).
What is Band 6 take-home pay per month?
About £2,429.77 at entry in England with no student loan, after income tax, NI and a 9.8% NHS Pension contribution. At the top of the band it is about £2,865.96.
How much did Band 6 go up in 2026/27?
Entry pay rose from £38,682 to £39,959 (+£1,277), the 3.3% pay award from 1 April.
How long does it take to reach the top of Band 6?
after 5 years, subject to meeting pay-step requirements.
Are trainee clinical psychologists paid on Band 6?
Yes. The national Clinical Psychology Trainee profile is Band 6, scoring 402 to 465 points, so trainees are paid on the Band 6 scale rather than as a percentage of a qualified rate.
Does a Band 6 pay higher-rate tax?
Not in England: even the top point (£48,117) is below the £50,270 threshold. In Scotland the top Band 6 point of £52,679 pays some tax at the 42% higher rate.
How much more is the top of Band 6 than a newly promoted Band 6?
£8,158 a year before tax, reached after five years in the band.
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- NHS Employers – Pay scales for 2026/27
- NHS Pay Review Body Thirty-Ninth Report 2026
- NHSBSA – Cost of being in the Scheme (contribution tiers)
- Scottish Government circular PCS(AFC)2026/1 – AfC pay 2025-26 and 2026-27
- SPPA – NHS Scotland member contributions
- NHS Employers – NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change) Handbook
- NHS Employers – National job profiles and profile index (January 2026)
- NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook – Annex 23: Pay progression (England)
- NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook – Section 1: Pay structure (job weight by band, pay on promotion)
- GOV.UK – Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances
- GOV.UK – Income Tax in Scotland